Thank You To All Vets !

[TUM301]

Just a message to remind all the Vets still with us and one`s we have lost, a heartfelt thank you for your service and dedication to our country. Because of you men and women we at home, along with our families, can live the lives we do. Again, thank you, you are greatly appreciated.

[vintagetoppsguy]

+1

[Leon]

I will pile on too. Thanks to all of our veterans!! We appreciate you and back you....

[Eggoman]

ABSOLUTELY AGREE!

One of my MOST PRIZED possessions is a Horrors of War Set that I acquired from a WWII Marine named Don Puff who "earned" his Purple-Heart on Iwo Jima. (He said "the Guys HATED the Purple Heart.")

He started building this set when he was a punk-ass kid (his words, not mine!) in 1938 and set it aside...

Later, he lied about his age in order to enlist in WWII.

Fast forward many years... He kept the set, but could NEVER bring himself to finish it because he refused to pay for the missing High Numbers, especially the Hitler cards...

He sold me the set on the promise that I finish it and keep it intact, which I have done! I have NEVER upgraded ANY of his original cards!

We cannot imagine what our Servicemen & women go through. We cannot thank them enough!

[LuckyLarry]

U.S.A.F. 1977-1981
Seems like a lifetime ago!
Larry

[bobfreedman]

I (on the right) spent ten years in, my brother 20.

[tennisguy]

To all the armed services men and women!

[ALR-bishop]

[Pat R]

us-flag-and-soldier-1-1.jpg
Child-saluting-American-flag.jpg

[jbsports33]

God Bless America - Thank you for your service!

[pawpawdiv9]

My Grandfather passed away this yr.
1924- September 2016
He was a veteran of the United States Navy during WWII having served aboard USS Yorktown CV-10 as a signalman.
My grandfather had cancer, due mostly to agent Orange. Lived much longer than anticipated. Rest his soul.
He lived because he was a very short person when at Pearl Harbor. Long live the 'Fighting Lady"

[egri]

One of my neighbors was a LCDR in the Navy during World War II. He commanded a ship at the Battle of Leyte Gulf that was hit by a kamikaze. The blast killed everyone around him; my neighbor survived because he was wearing his helmet. The other day I was talking to him, and I noticed he was missing part of a finger, so I asked him if that was related to the attack. He responded "No, that was the Battle of the Yamaha", Yamaha being the company that manufactured his lawnmower.

He is 97 years old, and in better shape than a lot of people I know who are half his age.

[glynparson]

http://www.vvmf.org/Wall-of-Faces/1900/GLENN-C-BAER

[clydepepper]

Thank You & God Bless to all those who have served and sacrificed even for causes they may not have and/or may never fully understand.

We should ALWAYS honor those who ACT when there is a NEED.

Pray for good, solid judgement on the part of our leaders who send these HEROES into harm's way.


-

[Vegas-guy]

Thanks to my Dad (RIP) and all Veteran's for defending this country and giving us the freedoms that we are able to have.

Thank You to all present Armed Forces Men and Women, and Veterans for your Service and Sacrifice , for our FREEDOM. My Great Grand Father x6 Francis Letts served during the Revolutionary War from the start to the finish, as a Corporal in the NJ Militia, under Captain Morgan and some of my Uncles in the Continental Army. Also my Grandfather Nels, Danish descent was in the AEF over in Siberia Russia, and my Father in Law's Brother was a Tail Gunner in a B-!7 during WWII

[vthobby]

Originally Posted by TUM301

Just a message to remind all the Vets still with us and one`s we have lost, a heartfelt thank you for your service and dedication to our country. Because of you men and women we at home, along with our families, can live the lives we do. Again, thank you, you are greatly appreciated.

Thank you for this thread!

Afghanistan 2010-2011

25 years US Army.

Still working helping military members and their families as a civilian contractor.

Peace, Mike

[EvilKing00]

Thanks to our vets, freedom isnt free

[rsn1661]

Originally Posted by egri

One of my neighbors was a LCDR in the Navy during World War II. He commanded a ship at the Battle of Leyte Gulf that was hit by a kamikaze. The blast killed everyone around him; my neighbor survived because he was wearing his helmet. The other day I was talking to him, and I noticed he was missing part of a finger, so I asked him if that was related to the attack. He responded "No, that was the Battle of the Yamaha", Yamaha being the company that manufactured his lawnmower.

He is 97 years old, and in better shape than a lot of people I know who are half his age.

I first want to thank all the veterans for their service. I also have to thank you for this story, as it made me smile, as I have a similar sense of humor. I he has another 97 years in him!

[jiw98]

Thank you to all who are serving and to those who have served to make this a great country. You are all greatly appreciated.

[tedzan]

That's me in 1961 at the Air Force Radar Specialist School in Illinois. Then I was assigned to a B-52 Bomber SAC base in Northern Maine.
In 1963 I was re-assigned to the Tech School in Illinois to teach Radar Electronics. Returned to civilian life in August 1964.

It was a great 4-year experience that I was proud to be part of. Especially, during the Fall of 1962 when the Cuban Missile crisis occurred.
It was an amazing sight to see all the B-52 Bombers and F-102 Fighter planes from our SAC base take off. They were deployed to South
Carolina and Florida bases in preparation for some serious action with the Russians. And, a great feeling of relief when they returned.

GOD Bless all our Veterans



..


TED Z
.

[Jantz]

I'm the guy in the Net54 T-shirt.

[bnorth]

Originally Posted by LuckyLarry

U.S.A.F. 1977-1981
Seems like a lifetime ago!
Larry

I would also like to say thank you to all the veterans.

Larry you looked a lot like Jean-Claude Van Damme. Seriously I thought it was a picture of him at first.

[clydepepper]

Originally Posted by tedzan

That's me in 1961 at the Air Force Radar Specialist School in Illinois. Then I was assigned to a B-52 Bomber SAC base in Northern Maine.
In 1963 I was re-assigned to the Tech School in Illinois to teach Radar Electronics. Returned to civilian life in August 1964.

It was a great 4-year experience that I was proud to be part of. Especially, during the Fall of 1962 when the Cuban Missile crisis occurred.
It was an amazing sight to see all the B-52 Bombers and F-102 Fighter planes from our SAC base take off. They were deployed to South
Carolina and Florida bases in preparation for some serious action with the Russians. And, a great feeling of relief when they returned.

GOD Bless all our Veterans



..


TED Z
.

Ted - You ARE da Man!


Thank You for Sharing

-Raymond

[clydepepper]

Originally Posted by Jantz

I'm the guy in the Net54 T-shirt.

I'm so glad you and your buddies made it back and appear healthy.

Picture a fat 60-year-old sitting at his computer saluting you, sir!


Thank You for Your Service,

Raymond



v

[njdunkin1]

Thank you to all veterans. The price of freedom is high. Thank you for your willingness to lay down your lives so others can be free today!

[Duluth Eskimo]

Unfortunately, right now our nation is in a time that doesn't necessarily appreciate or respect the courage and gallantry our service men. I never served, but I have many relatives that did in wars including the Civil War and WW II. I have the opportunity to lead my sons Cub Scout pack and in years past, I shared a couple of former soldiers stories with them. I thought it appropriate to also share these two men's stories with you. Some may have heard of one, but probably not the other. It really makes you appreciate your freedom when you read stories like these. Freedom isn't free and I want to thank anyone and everyone that served just to allow me the opportunity to live in a free nation.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Audie_Murphy

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_L._Howard

[jimtigers65]

I had a great time serving in the Air Force:

1986-88 Holloman AFB, NM
1988-92 Misawa Air Base, Japan
1992-94 Loring AFB, ME
1994-95 Plattsburg AFB, NY
1995-98 Charleston AFB, SC
1998-01 Patrick AFB, FL
2001-02 Osan Air Base, South Korea
2002-05 RAF Lakenheath, England
2005-12 Beale AFB, CA

After 26 years serving old age caught up and I knew it was time to retire. So what do I do? I returned to work at an Air Force base as a civilian.

[George]

Thank you. I was in the Army from 1961 through 1964. I went to basic training in Fort Dix, New Jersey, followed by a year of electronics school in Fort Monmouth, also in New Jersey. After that I spent two years in France, maintaining crypto equipment. This experience gave me my start in electronics. I used the G.I. Bill to go to college, and got my degrees and became an engineer, which has been my profession since that time.

When I was at Fort Dix, I once got a weekend pass and went to see the sights of nearby Philadelphia. I was walking around, and happened to pass a small antique store, and I went in, for no particular reason, since I was certainly not a collector of antiques. I found a small box containing probably 500 T206 cards, although I did not know what they were at that time. I was, however, a serious baseball fan, and I had read "My Greatest Day in Baseball," by John Carmichael, which contained stories about many of the players shown on the cards, and I was therefore familiar with many of them, particularly the very good ones. The owner of the store wanted one dollar apiece for the cards, which was a huge amount of money for me, since my salary at the time was $78 per month. I eventually talked him into giving me about 40 cards for my $30, which was all I could afford, leaving me with about $2 for my bus ticket back to Fort Dix. I had no idea that baseball cards had monetary value, or even that people collected them, but I liked these as color pictures of old-time players. Fortunately, I took the time to select many of the best cards, based on both the player and the condition. I got all of the cards of Mathewson, Cobb, Eddie Collins, Tinker, Evers and Chance, and a few others. Unfortunately, no Wagner or Plank, although I knew who they were, and probably would have taken them, if they had been in good condition.

I kept the cards, and eventually got married and left the Army. (My wife, Fran, and I will be celebrating our 54th anniversary this year.) I mounted the cards in a frame, and hung them on the wall. Around 1980 I discovered the first Beckett catalog, and was amazed to learn that the small pictures were called "T206 cards," and that they were actually collected by people, and were worth significant money......much more that the $1 apiece that I had paid for them. At the same time, I also learned that the bubble gum cards that I had collected from 1951 through 1964 were also collectibles, and I still had all of them.

I guess you might say that I became a "collector" in 1980, when I discovered that this hobby even existed. And, thanks to the U.S Army, I had a very nice start.

[mrmopar]

I was a STS.

Originally Posted by bobfreedman

I (on the right) spent ten years in, my brother 20.

[Bestdj777]

Originally Posted by jimtigers65

I had a great time serving in the Air Force:

1986-88 Holloman AFB, NM
1988-92 Misawa Air Base, Japan
1992-94 Loring AFB, ME
1994-95 Plattsburg AFB, NY
1995-98 Charleston AFB, SC
1998-01 Patrick AFB, FL
2001-02 Osan Air Base, South Korea
2002-05 RAF Lakenheath, England
2005-12 Beale AFB, CA

After 26 years serving old age caught up and I knew it was time to retire. So what do I do? I returned to work at an Air Force base as a civilian.

My dad was stationed in Charleston while you were there--one of my favorite bases growing up. He left the Air Force after 20+ years and now works in the Navy as a civilian.

[bobfreedman]

Originally Posted by mrmopar

I was a STS.

Curt, I was an STG1 when I got out

[PolarBear]

USAF 1988-1993. Deployments to Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and RAF Mildenhall.

Thanks to all veterans and God bless America.

[buymycards]

I enlisted in the Army in 1969. I volunteered for jump school, then I volunteered for Viet Nam. I was 18 years old when I arrived in Viet Nam, and I "celebrated" my 19th and 20th birthdays during my 18 months with the 173rd Airborne Brigade. When I returned to the US, I got married and my wife and I spent a year in Fort Bragg, NC with the 82nd Airborne.

It was quite an experience for a young man (boy), and I feel lucky to have made it back in one piece.

Rick

[mrmopar]

I did 6 active and another 6 reserve. Ended up STS2 (SS). The rate was locked up while I was active, so got out as E-4. I took my first advancement test after I came back in to the reserves after almost a 1 year break and made E-5 to my great surprise. I was eligible for E-6 a couple years before I got back out, but it was difficult to study for the test doing my weekend duty and most of my study materials basically being Secret, not to mention that I was not working within my rate while in the reserves. Has to settle for separating as E-5.

Originally Posted by bobfreedman

Curt, I was an STG1 when I got out

[the 'stache]

I know this is a couple of days late, but I wanted to take a moment to thank all the men (and women) who have served our military, and are regulars on Net54.

Whenever I spot somebody out, just eating dinner, or at a doctor's office, or anywhere, really, and I see signs that they are, or have served, I politely ask to shake their hand as a sign of respect, and thanks. It's such a small thing, really, but it is, in my opinion, one of the best things we can do. These people put their butts in harm's way so we can sit here and discuss baseball cards, or whatever else is in the news, from the safety of our homes, knowing full well there are people out there who would seek to do us harm simply because we love freedom. I am 45 years old, so not old enough to remember Vietnam. But I've read stories, and talked to vets who were there, and the way our soldiers were treated when they came home is disgraceful. They were doing the jobs of stuffed shirts in Washington who design policy.

It is a national embarrassment, if you ask me, that we have veterans...no...Veterans...that are homeless, without healthcare, or with inadequate help to deal with the scars of war. I cannot imagine what our soldiers go through when they try to re-enter public life. But "this" should never ever happen. Our men and women leave their families for long periods of time, risk their very lives, and when they come home, they should be taken care of. If ever there is a good man or woman, and I mean truly good, sans all the skeletons in their closet, or vile words for people that are different than them, that ran for President, and they made veteran care their #1 priority, they'd earn my vote in the blink of an eye. Yet, during this last election cycle, we heard nary a word.

These people are heroes, and they deserve our respect, and our unending gratitude.

[the 'stache]

And no, I've never served, if anybody wants to know. Out of high school, I went and spoke with the Naval recruiter in Denton, TX (where I eventually went to college at the University of North Texas), and went forward with all the testing to enter the Navy. My family has a strong connection to the Navy. My Aunt Kelly, now retired, was a Lieutennant Commander based out of San Diego. She was on the USS Samuel Gompers. And, my cousin Kevin started out as a jet fighter pilot, eventually becoming a full-time RIO. I took the ASVAB, and my recruiter wanted me to go into nuclear propulsion. I was all set to go that route when I failed the physical because I'd broken both my elbows in high school. But I was ready to serve, and then go to college afterwords.

[ZachS]

Originally Posted by mrmopar

I did 6 active and another 6 reserve. Ended up STS2 (SS).

MM2(SS) here.

Submarines once, submarines twice...