Vietnam Veteran's Day: March 29

[IA Born]

I was reminded that today is National Vietnam War Veterans Day. I always forget about it because every day was Vietnam Vets day growing up and it still is, at least to me. I was going through more pics again last night and came across these two pics. Yes, dad made my life heck growing up, but there were good times and the good times far outnumbered the bad times.   It was more that when the bad times happened, they were beyond  horrible, bu that's another story.  You've heard me elude to it before in other posts.  At the end of the day, he was, and always will be, my hero. He taught me more about life, being a man, being a dad, and being a leader than I'll ever be able to thank him for.  I was raised, in no small part, by an entire company of hardened combat paratroopers.  To all of you Vietnam Veteran's out there, thank you for all you have done, endured, suffered, and triumphed over.  You have my deepest respect, admiration, and, yes, love.

Here are a couple of pics of dad and his mortar squad laying down some hate on the NVA or VC (maybe both).  My dad is the skinny guy in the front with the tattoo on his right arm.

[360 0r Better]

Cool pictures probably puffing on Camel. I’m from that timeframe last 2 years of the war when the draft was by lottery the farthest out from being called was 2days then 1days so almost got to go.

[Edge]

Patriots all

[PRDATR]

 "the farthest out from being called was 2days then 1day"

Can you explain that a bit further?

[Coffeeman]

Dad and uncles were all serving... All the flags were out here in Prescott valley! Love that about this town!

[360 0r Better]

On 3/29/2019 at 5:58 PM, PRDATR said:

 "the farthest out from being called was 2days then 1day"

Can you explain that a bit further?

It used to be when the draft was still active just before the first of the year they would put all the days and dates for the year in a hopper. Then they would draw them one at a time until the complete year had been drawn whatever order they were pulled in was how you were called upon to be drafted. So if the year ended and you weren’t  called you could look at the draw list and see how close you were to being drafted. Then the whole process started over. Hope that makes sense 

[hawkens]

Dad was there 65-67  1/9 

[PRDATR]

18 hours ago, 360 0r Better said:

It used to be when the draft was still active just before the first of the year they would put all the days and dates for the year in a hopper. Then they would draw them one at a time until the complete year had been drawn whatever order they were pulled in was how you were called upon to be drafted. So if the year ended and you weren’t  called you could look at the draw list and see how close you were to being drafted. Then the whole process started over. Hope that makes sense 

I remember it well. I was a senior in HS the year they started the "Lottery". Basically if your number was 125 and under and you weren't enrolled in college you were drafted. Unless you were a Senators Son.

I was in woodshop, Advanced Cabinet Making and Boat Building, 3rd period, listening to them read the numbers off. My birthday came up number 308. That year was also the first Earth Day. It was a whole different time. We were just getting over RFK and MLK's assiniations. Country was at was and in turmoil. Kent State, riots, Janis and Jimmi died. Nightly 6:00 news (No CNN) would have the daily GI body count, WITH NAMES and video, not censored. The real deal. Watch a video of a helio landing in a field to pick up wounded when a VC came out of the bushes and threw a grenade into it. One of the casualties was a classmate, nicest guy in the school. Irish kid, state wrestling champion.

Lots of protests across the country, Hanoi Jane live on TV doing her thing, me thinking what an idiot, her trying to be sympathetic to their cause while they represented her as a naive fool. Sorry for rambling on.

[10Turkeys]

Hanoi Jane should have been shot!

[DCS]

She was a traitor of the first degree.It was the birthday lottery,I was 103 and they were going to draft to 128,so I voluntiered for the draft.

[PRDATR]

Forrest Gump with a touch of Apocalypse Now.

[Adicted]

My pops

 

[Adicted]

This was made for my dad.  My dad is in quite a few of these pics. The names in the beginning from the wall are my dads two best friends who died in war. 

[DCS]

Thanks for posting,we were so young,had to grow up too fast,and now we are old.We never forget.

[Non-Typical Solutions]

Kids doing a mans job and paying for it with their lives! Nothing but respect for those who's numbers got pulled and those who just jumped in and volunteered!