I saw our Flag today, The colors were faded looking a little tired but still standing strong and proud in the summer wind.
It reminded me of the Sons and Daughters of yesterday’s America who stood for my freedom years before I was born free in America.
Over time many may have faded away but the glory and honor of their service to America will never fade.

I saw our Flag today it flew bravely in the wind a bit tattered and worn but it's colors still strong , and proud over America.
It flies for the Sons and Daughters of America who fought for my freedom, battle tested and hardened to stand against the forces that would take away my freedom.
Like a battle flag they too stand in great pride and honor, battle scared , proud and selfless in their dedication to America and the freedom they protected.

 

I saw a flag today. The colors were bright, strong and proud as it embraced in silence and great honor a fallen hero. An American Hero who stood up and made a commitment to duty, to our America and gave all to insure countless generations will live on in American freedom.
Born in freedom and fallen in battle they will ever rest in the arms and hearts of a free and grateful America.

 

I saw a flag pole today. It flew no glory but stood silently in the wind empty and alone for the absence of our colors.
It reminded me of the Sons and Daughters of America who stood for my freedom who have yet to come home to the America they honorably served.
America can only be completely free when every one of her Sons and Daughters of Freedom can come home, home to the America and the freedom they gave all to protect.

Thank you American Heroes......On this Veterans Day and every day......I will never forget that I get to be here forever free because you were there for my freedom.

Thank you for our freedom and the greatness of our America.

Thank you 

Thank-you Mike.

Thank you Veterans for your service and sacrifice! Bumping this topic to the top on this Veterans Day. 🙂 

Hey gang, just a refresher on our service today, let's chime in and tell us what branch you served, where, and anything else you'd like to share about your service.

I'll start!

My service was short lived, but it was memorable!

 

Branch: Army

MOS: 31L (Communications, Lineman, Cable Installations, Wire)

Basic Training: Fort Dix NJ

AIT: Fort Gordon GA

Duty Stations: (Panama the entire time I was in with TDY to Honduras)

Years Served: 89 to 92

 

Best thing about my service? I met my wife of 34 yrs in Panama! Today is our Anniversary!

 

Feel free to copy paste my layout above to use for your reply.

Branch: Navy

Rating: Aviation Fire Control (AQ-F) PO3

Basic Training: Great Lakes, IL

Aviation Schools: Memphis (Millington) TN.  NAS Memphis

Duty Stations: NAS Oceana, VA- assigned to VA-65; NAS North Island (San Diego)/USS Constellation CVA-64

Years Served: '63 to '66

 

Best thing about my service? Used my military electronics education to secure a lifetime of employment

Thank you for your service Lew!

19 minutes ago, John Morris said:

Thank you for your service Lew!

Back at you, Brother.

Branch USMC

Joined 1987

Basic training at Parris Island 

 

Ukrainian Army

Joined 2010 to current

 

 

2 hours ago, Gunny said:

Joined 2010 to current

Thank you for your service Gunny!

In memory of the man I called 'uncle' Capt. Carl Norman, United States Maritime Service. His Liberty ship, the John Drayton, was the second-last ship sunk by the Italian submarine Leonardo daVinci.

   "21 April 1943 – The American vessel (Liberty Ship) John Drayton – 7,177 tons – is sunk by the da Vinci east of Durban, after being Torpedoed twice and shelled while en route to Cape Town. 4 died when Lifeboat #1 capsized during launching. The men in Lifeboat #4 were rescued on 23 April by the Swedish vessel MV Oscar Gorthon; a raft was picked up on 27 April by HMS Relentless.  The men in Lifeboat #2 picked up by the Greek freighter SS Mount Rhodope a month after the sinking on the 21st May. By that time only 8 of the original 24 men were still alive and of them, a further 3 died in hospital in Durban. In all, 21 of the 41 merchant crew members and 5 of the 15 Naval Armed Guards aboard John Drayton lost their lives."

   The ship was returning under ballast from delivering war materials to the Russian army in the middle east. The full story was written up in the book "Gallant Ship, Brave Men" by Herman E Rosen, one of the survivors. Uncle Carl only told me that "We lost some good men off the coast of Africa". I didn't learn the full story until I was working on some family ancestry some years after his passing on April 17, 1977, at the age of 83.

   Swedish-born Carl Norman's second wife was my dad's cousin. Unfortunately, I only knew him for a short time, but he was one of my heroes. He spent the last years of his life outside Neversink, NY (an appropriate location for a retired sea captain) and was an honorary member of the Neversink Fire Department.

He gave me these, the buttons off his 'Pea coat'

'Uncle' Carl, you are truly missed!

 

2 hours ago, Gunny said:

Branch USMC

Joined 1987

Basic training at Parris Island 

 

Ukrainian Army

Joined 2010 to current

 

 

Thankyou for your service to both countries, Gunny.

48 minutes ago, HARO50 said:

In memory of the man I called 'uncle' Capt. Carl Norman, United States Maritime Service.

What a history!

Branch: Army, IRR, Army National Guard ( Idaho, RET)

MOS: 35E, 31C, 31K, 31V, 31U60

Basic Training: Fort Dix NJ

AIT: Fort Belvoir VA

Duty Stations: Ft Knox Ky, Idaho (NG)

Years Served: 77 to 80 (RA), 80 to 82 (IRR), 87 to 04 (NG) 20 yrs for retirement, 23 yrs total TIS.

Highest Award: Meritorious Service Medal (When I retired)

Most awarded medal: AAM (Army Achievement Medal) with 4 silver oak leaf clusters

Number of coins awarded: lost count ( Once you could buy a coin, it no longer mattered to me 😞  )

Thank you for your service @Wichman3.

How'd you get all those MOS's in!

Thanks all for your sacrifice!

 

Branch:  U.S. Air Force 1970-1973

AFSC (MOS):  46250 Weapons Specialist (nuclear stateside, conventional SE Asia

Basic: Lackland AFB, Texas

Tech School: Lowrey AFB, Colorado

Duty Stations: Ramey AFB Puerto Rico (PCS), Barksdale AFB Louisiana (PCS), Andersen AFB, Guam (TDY), Utapao AFB, Thailand (PCS

 

Rank at Separation: E5

Thank you @Ron Dudelston for your service!

1 hour ago, John Morris said:

Thank you for your service @Wichman3.

How'd you get all those MOS's in!

35E, original MOS from AIT.

31V S OJT during original enlistment, When I enlisted in the NG it was as a 31V, Got the 31K from S OJT while in the Guard. My unit transitioned from Armored Cav to Artillery, and since I was one of the few who actually knew what I was doing, I got sent to instructor training and added the H designator to the end of the MOS. Then a E-6 position opened up, but I had to be 31C to qualify; spent a year of monthly training ( and one, two week AT ) to be awarded the MOS, during the last week of that AT the MTOE was changed and the E-6 position was eliminated. It took another 10 years for another E-6 position to open up. And after all that the Army decided to roll most of the Commo MOS's into the 31U. And that, in a nutshell, is how I ended up as a 31U60H (E-6).

 

It took me some time to find this. The Leonardo daVinci surfaced to finish off the John Drayton (burning in the background) with machine-gun fire.

I managed to e-mail the artist to tell him the story, and even received a reply!