IGX

When a generation has to step the fuck up and do it, they'll do it.

A few years ago went to a Scout sleepover on the original USS Kidd in Baton Rouge. 376 feet long. No armor, very little freeboard. The Captain, a 30 year old LCDR, took the ship in to the PI and designed a better bridge wing and had them build it. Amazing that thing survived monsoons. Some didn't.

Last year was asked to do a presentation to my neighbor's dad, a WW2 vet from a sister ship in the class. He left HS in 1944 at 17 and 6 months later was in the pacific for 18 months supporting landings, withstanding 2 kamikaze hits and numerous attacks (told me story of rescueing Jap kamikaze pilot and playing checkers and eating ice cream with the yellow devil in the brig). Out in the WESPAC, No A/C, no starbucks, no armor, no doc, just keep taking on fuel and ordinance and pouring it into Japs.

Came home at 19. Married HS sweetheart. Worked as a Union Carpenter his whole life putting 4 kids though College and building a Lake house. A great man. Told me the best times of his life were at Sea in WW2.

Tough old bastard. RIP John.

powerlifter54 wrote: Every generation has its burden to bear...

True and this generation wants everyone to share in its burden...
45% of ALL Afghan and Iraq vets are seeking disability. Many are claiming 11 to 14 aliments.

http://slatest.slate.com/posts/2012/05/ ... ments.html

You could go into a nursing home and have trouble finding someone with that many things wrong with them. We have become a nation of hard workers to a nation of wanting the easy way out and free hand outs.

45% of ALL Afghan and Iraq vets are seeking disability. Many are claiming 11 to 14 aliments.

Thats a lot true, but the problem (if its a problem?) is better equipment keeps people alive now with injuries that would have otherwise killed them.

I had the opportunity to go to Normandy not long ago and walk some of the beaches. I did all my reading and research ahead of time, but there is nothing like seeing the distance between the hills and where the waves hit the beach. Much, much farther than I anticipated.

Many of the big gun emplacements are still there. Good German engineering-they still stand. Pockmarked with shells and bullets. There were even bullet holes still in some of the village walls/farm houses. Which by the way all fly American flags.

A worthwhile pilgrimage.

Drew0786 wrote:

powerlifter54 wrote: Every generation has its burden to bear...

True and this generation wants everyone to share in its burden...
45% of ALL Afghan and Iraq vets are seeking disability. Many are claiming 11 to 14 aliments.

http://slatest.slate.com/posts/2012/05/ ... ments.html

You could go into a nursing home and have trouble finding someone with that many things wrong with them. We have become a nation of hard workers to a nation of wanting the easy way out and free hand outs.

Agree and disagree. 1.1% of todays US population is in active military. If not for Guard and reserve many wouldn't have any contact with war casualites. If you don't claim it at retirement or detachment the lawyers say they won't fix you later. It also takes forever to get a claim reviewed. And that is just for 1.1% of the population.

The hardcore folks out in harm's way today are the equivalent of any this nation has ever produced. They are just a very distinct minority. It is fitting we commemorate D-Day. i hope someday we commemorate Operation Anaconda and several other battles.

Were you able to survive your tours with no injuries?

Were you able to survive your tours with no injuries?

I see what you did there.

Let's see.

Shit pay. Bad working conditions. Bodily injury.

A little disability pay that's resented by the fucking Senate and Congress whom get retirement after one term?

Thanks for those pictures Fats.

Vets who have legitimate claims I have no issues with them receiving benefits. I know the equipment used know leads to more survival for vets with debilitating injuries and better understanding of PTSD. However half of the active combat troops are asking for disability doesn't make you question the legitimacy of the claims.

powerlifter54 wrote: Were you able to survive your tours with no injuries?

No I never volunteered. For the reasons below.

Shit pay. Bad working conditions. Bodily injury.

Drew0786 wrote:Vets who have legitimate claims I have no issues with them receiving benefits. I know the equipment used know leads to more survival for vets with debilitating injuries and better understanding of PTSD. However half of the active combat troops are asking for disability doesn't make you question the legitimacy of the claims.

powerlifter54 wrote: Were you able to survive your tours with no injuries?

No I never volunteered. For the reasons below.

Shit pay. Bad working conditions. Bodily injury.

Half of the combat troops asking for disability doesn't shock me, because most of them have done 2-3 tours over there. i have worked extensively with returning warriors and started off much closer to your position until i saw in real life what IEDs, Humvee rollovers, a year of house to house fighting, mortar attacks at night inside the compound, a divorce petition and a letter saying your spouse moved in with Tommy or Tammy, and that on an MRI there is no difference bewteen PTSD and TBI? It is sort of like Lung cancer. The obvious people get it most of the time, but then folks who never smoked in their life get it too. And some never are affected. Did you ever hand a flag to a wife and two teenage daughters? Has anybody ever looked at you and blamed you for the death of their loved one? Ever blame yourself? Ever have anybody tell you he can't fuck his wife anymore because he feels guilty his XO got blown up in the lead vehicle and when he opened the hatch the blood poured out like a fishtank just broke and they won't let him go back? Ever drive with anybody who drove over there? Have you ever seen a really bad ass looking dude sit and shake and tell you he stays awake at night and holds his gun trying to build up the courage to kill himself? Ever wait for a friend to walk down the steps because he can't see his feet or feel them after surgery? Bottom line is we broke 'em, we need to fix 'em.

The fact is takes about 40% disability to get any money from the VA. Before that you get nothing except some pay tax free if you retire. The VA is not liberal with disability ratings. Are things way too touchy feely today compared to 1946? You bet. But we have taken enourmous steps forward in casualty response even in the last 10 years, let alone the last 60. We have also lowered the toughen the fuck up bar a lot since then. When you get a trophy your whole life for showing up then a foot in the ass from an NCO when you don't keep your head down, the whole self esteem movement sort of stops serving its purpose. I suspect many WW2 guys sucked it up the rest of their life. But that doesn't mean we can't do better.

After all, this is the real 1.1%. And you did make the right choice.

I never saw combat .My unit jumped into Panama almost exactly 30 days after I got out.Reaclimateing to society as an ex-paratrooper was difficult . I could only imagine what would have been like after 2-6 tours ,and with any kind of physical injury on top of it? Going to the VA hospital at that time was a fuckin nightmare . Treated like poor relation at best and the facilities were shit .Mental health programs ? So comically incapeable .And that suck it up bullshit ? if you listen close to our parents how their parents returned after WWll...There are as many horror stories as there are the hardcore steely eyed bullshit we all want the old timers to be .My ex- father in law was 17 at Bastogne .Was he a great man ? He was my hero . Was he damaged on the inside ...definately..My grandfathers and father all served .I served . I encourage my son to stay the fuck OUT. This country has not proven to take care of the men and women coming home .They should .