To All DU Veterans On Veterans Day

[Parche]

:hug: :hug: :hug:

:patriot: :patriot:

I was in Air Force 1982-1985.......

[Skittles]

1. Airman Skittles

[Hissyspit]

10. Yowzah.

Woman in uniform.

LOL Michelob in a can.

Is that a Pinto in the background?

[Parche]

17. Where were you stationed?

I was at Minot AFB the whole time...:grr:

:hi:

[Skittles]

38. Lackland, Keesler, Bergstrom AFBs

I was also GI brat at Mildenhall, Alconbury, Lakenheath, Truax Field :hi:

[Joey Liberal]

19. I knew I should have joined the Air Force!

But I had a terrible hangover and joined the Army instead.

M-16 Rifle Marksmanship Instructor
1980-1983
Charlie Company (Infantry)
Ft. Sill, OK.

[Aristus]

2. M1A1 Abrams tank crewman, U.S. Army - 1989-1993, including the Gulf War.

Looking hot, as always, Skittles!...:loveya:

[Skittles]

4. *SWOON*

look at YOU - yes INDEED!

[Aristus]

5. Thanks. You're kinda swoony yourself, you know...

:loveya:

[Skittles]

6. aw that was a long time ago

I'm still the same size though, still blonde, no gray so not doing so bad :D

[Aristus]

7. I have no doubt you're still ravishing...

B-)

[csziggy]

3. Thank you to all DU vets!

[old mark]

8. Welcome home, all of you!

1st/504 PIR
82d Airborne Div.
1968-1971
(Rec - just to keep Skittle's pic.)
mark

[puerco-bellies]

9. Navy 77-81

Me (circa 1980)



In this



To all who served, and to their families I salute you.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

11. Thank you, vets!

:yourock::yourock::yourock:

[SeattleGirl]

12. Not a veteran, but I do want to say thank you!

:patriot:

[SalmonChantedEvening]

13. Thank you to all Veterans

:patriot:

Our country owes you everything.

[Callalily]

14. Thank you vets!

Truly an ultimate sacrifice. And thank you family of vets.
:patriot:

[sarge43]

15. Returning salute.

:patriot:

[RetroLounge]

16. To All Vets, Thank you!

:patriot:

and to the following:

My Dad: US Army, 1957-1960
My Uncle Roy: US Army, Korean War Vet
My Great-Uncle Artie: WWII Navy Intelligence
My Great-Uncle Alfred: WWII US Marines, Battaan Death March Survivor, 42 months as a POW.

:patriot: :patriot: :patriot: :patriot:

RL

[skygazer]

18. My thanks to all our vets

:patriot:

And I love these threads - nothing like a man (or a woman, Skittles) in uniform. :9

[KitchenWitch]

20. B-52!

My FIL used to fly those!

:D

[Tuesday Afternoon]

24. er,,,

I used to drink those :D :yoiks:

[KitchenWitch]

21. Here is a photo of the destroyer my dad served on - Go NAVY!

[Parche]

22. oh USS Laffey

I think was hit by a few kamikazes in the Pacific in 1944-1945 if I can remember right
I know it was in the battle of Leyte Gulf and Okinawa!!!!!!

Good ship!!!

:hi: :hug:

[MrScorpio]

23. Me, USAF: 1983-2005

[Tuesday Afternoon]

25. to all who have served and those who continue to serve

:patriot:

[av8rdave]

26. AF Vet, 1976 - 1987

[Parche]

27. Delta Dave

Did you ever go to Minot AFB, I was there 1982-1985?

I flew a hop from Minot-Malmstrom-Ft Worth in 1983 KC-135 tanker
i watched the boom operator fill up fighters over Montana
and the pilots had me in the cockpit for the landing at Great Falls(Malmstrom) :woohoo: :woohoo:



PS: Flew MCO-ATL last night 717 (AirTran) landed safely 27L approach!!!!!!!:hi:

[av8rdave]

29. I flew a tanker into Minot a couple of times, but

that would have been 86 or early 87.

[Ava]

28. thank you to all our Vets!

:hug:

[puerco-bellies]

30. A kick for my Grandfather's ship the U.S.S. Kalinin Bay CVE-68 Battle off Samar 11/25/1945

My grandfather's ship was one of 6 light escort carrier 3 Destroyers, and 4 Destroyer Escorts know as Taffey 3 Force.

These men met the second largest Battle Fleet the Imperial Japanese Navy ever assembled, 4 Battle Ships, 6 Heavy Cruisers, 2 Light Cruisers, 11 Destroyers, and 30 Japanese aircraft including Kamikazis.

Despite overwhelming odds and terrible losses Taffey 3 Force prevailed in battle protecting McArthur's flank as his forces re-took the Philippines and sealed Japan's fate.

The Kalinin Bay before battle.



This is a picture of my Grandfather's ship after surface action ended. You can see two crew members manning a fire hose, the flight deck littered with battle debris, with more enemy aircraft inbound. The ship in the background is the doomed Escort Carrier U.S.S. St Lou, fully engulfed after a kamikazi hit. She will sink soon after.



This is the wikipedia link of the Battle off Samar.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_off_Samar

[Parche]

32. Puerco!!

I have read so much about that part of the battle

I read the book "Men of the Gambier Bay"

My grandpa worked in the Kaiser shipyards here, and probably welded the Kalinin bay and the Gambier Bay!!!

RADM Clifton Sprague was in command of Taffy 3


The Japanese used colored shells, so when they hit, they could tell where they were aiming at
like blue, yellow, red, etc

A sailor yelled out during the battle "They are shooting at us in Technicolor"

Commander Ernest Evans of the Uss Johnston recieved the Medal of Honor Posth.

:hi: :patriot:

[puerco-bellies]

36. Hi Parche.

Grampa ended up with 4 presidential Unit Citations, a Philippine Liberation Campaign, and a couple of others. Like most of his contemporaries he was pretty tight lipped about what he did during WWII.

[DarkTirade]

31. My grandpa served in WWII

and when he got back home, he used his training to help A) train police officers in proper firearms safety and use, and B) keep food on the family's table when times were lean. He never hunted for sport though, only for food.

[DU GrovelBot]

33. ## PLEASE DONATE TO DEMOCRATIC UNDERGROUND! ##

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[RushIsRot]

34. U.S. Army 1963-1966 Nike-Hercules Electronic Maintenance

[woofless]

35. Another AF vet. '70-'73

Incirlik, Turkey and The Pentagon.

[Inchworm]

37. Salute to all you Veterans - thanks!

:patriot:

Navy Airedale - VF-43 - We played the aggressors in training scenarios. I was so mad to be assigned shore duty, but I begged enough to get loaned often to squadrons doing CQs.

:patriot:

[BlueCollar]

39. hi guys

USN 79-83

VP-40

[hobbit709]

40. USAF 1969-73