Veterans Day 2023

These sailors. And the ones that preceded them. And the ones that have followed them.

The best of the U.S.

Friday Film: Veterans Day 2022

Veterans Day

To all those who served or who are serving, enjoy the day! And thanks!

Photo by the late Captain Virgil Gant, USNR, CO of MIUWU-108, Corpus Christi, when this photo was taken. The pilots of the US Customs P-3 were also part of the 108 crew, serving their country as reservists and federal agents. Prior to Desert Storm, we worked with both Customs and the Coast Guard along the South Texas coast and in other locations. MIUWU 108 was one of the units called for duty in Port Security/Harbor Defense during the first Gulf War.
 

Veterans Day

 U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Joshua J. Wahl

Veterans Day

Just a brief thanks to all the men and women with whom I served on active duty and in the reserves.

You are the veterans I honor on this day.

Thanks for all you taught me about service, sacrifice, and duty.

Photo by Chris Davies from here

For Those Who Served or Serve Now

Veteran's Day 2018

Postcard from Millennium Cohort Study

Veterans Day 2017 - "The Courage to Serve" U.S. Navy Honors Veterans

Veterans Day

Thanks to those who served and to those who now serve!

Thanks

To all who have served our country, thanks.

UPDATE: Here's U.S. Army training video featuring some tactics against tunnels.




So, a special salute to the "tunnel rats" on this Veterans Day 2015:

During the Vietnam War "tunnel rat" became a more or less official specialty for volunteer infantrymen, primarily from the United States, Australia and New Zealand. Their motto was the Latin phrase "Non Gratum Anus Rodentum"—"not worth a rat's ass". Since the 1940s, during the war against the French colonial forces, the Viet Cong had created an extensive underground system of complexes. By the 1960s, there were underground hospitals, training grounds, storage facilities, headquarters and more. The Viet Cong, who were crack forces highly skilled at guerrilla warfare, might stay underground for several months at a time. The tunnels were their territory.

Whenever troops would uncover a tunnel, tunnel rats were sent in to kill any hiding enemy soldiers and to plant explosives to destroy the tunnels. A tunnel rat was equipped with only a standard issue .45 caliber pistol, a bayonet and a flashlight, although most tunnel rats were allowed to choose another pistol with which to arm themselves. The tunnels were very dangerous, with numerous booby traps and enemies lying in wait.
***
Tunnel rats were generally, but not exclusively, men of smaller stature (5'6" and under) in order to fit in the narrow tunnels. Mangold and Penycate claimed that the tunnel rats were almost exclusively White or Hispanic soldiers and that the majority of American Latinos were Puerto Rican or Mexican American. Such tactics came to prominence following their successful application in January 1966 during a combined US–Australian action against the Củ Chi tunnels in Bình Dương Province, known as Operation Crimp.

Brave men.

Friday Fun Film: Prelude to Veterans Day

On Veterans Day, 11 November, we honor those who serve and have served in the military of the United States.

Thank you, ladies and gentlemen, for your service.

You might recall last year's special pre-Veterans Day celebrations during October 2013:
 

Best Veterans Day War Movies

I see where CBS "News" posted a list of their "Best Films to Watch on Veterans Day", which is a list designed, I think to show veterans as damaged, broken people, or as CBS put it

In honor of those who have served in the military, we've compiled a list of films to commemorate Veterans Day. These movies aren't necessarily about war per se, but rather focus on the hardships and sacrifices servicemen and women face, be it on the battlefield or back home in civilian life.

So, all you broken, near (or soon-to-be ) crazed veterans will enjoy knowing that your family and friends will learn about your hardships, etc through this list:

1. "Coming Home" with Jane Fonda as an unfaithful military wife;
2. "Born on the Fourth of July";
3. "The Best Years of Our Lives";
4. "The Deer Hunter";
5. "The Messenger" featuring yet another unfaithful military wife;
6. "Flags of Our Fathers";
7. "The Hurt Locker";
8. "Legends of the Fall"
9. "Saving Private Ryan";
10. and, of course, "Forrest Gump" because it " emphasize[s] the camaraderie among those who serve."

What? No "Apocalypse Now?" No "Rambo?" Why not more crazy, inarticulate social outcasts? That is, to my mind, a horrible selection of films. On Veterans Day we do honor the wounded and shattered vets, but we also should honor all the other vets who served and returned home to become leaders in our towns and cities.

Of all of the CBS choices, for Veterans Day I would recommend only "The Best Years of Our Lives" because it is a great movie as it works through the confusion  and frustration of the returning veterans attempting to readjust to "normal" life after having lived on the edge for years.

My personal Veterans Day flick selections would include:

• "Patton";
• "The Great Escape";
• "She Wore a Yellow Ribbon";
• "We Were Soldiers"
• "Restrepo";
• "In Harms Way";
• "The Longest Day";
• "They Were Expendable";
• "Black Hawk Down";
• "Sergeant York" 
• "Twelve O'Clock High";
• "The Dawn Patrol";
•  "MASH" and
• "Mister Roberts"

Whether in the front lines or in the backwaters, our veterans served this country. The vast majority returned with honor and without cases of the "crazy" too often depicted by our media. Depicted that way, I might add, because "crazy" is a better story than reporting on a vet who came back and built a successful career and family. So we give attention to the "homeless veteran" while ignoring the insurance salesman or plumber who fought in the same fights. 

Is war hell? Is it madness? Does it bring out the best in some of us? I think my selection of movies helps answer those questions.

Feel free to suggest others in the comments.

Veterans Day

To the 23 million veterans- Thanks!

Veterans Day

Some interesting numbers:

21.5 million The number of military veterans in the United States in 2011
***
When They Served
7.5 million Number of Vietnam-era veterans in 2011.

5.1 million served during the Gulf War (representing service from Aug. 2, 1990, to present);

1.8 million in World War II (1941-1945);

2.4 million in the Korean War (1950-1953);

5.4 million in peacetime only.*

51,079 Number of living veterans in 2011 who served during the Vietnam era and both Gulf War eras and no other period.

Other living veterans in 2011 who served during three wars:

43,942 served during World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam era.

Living veterans in 2011 who served during two wars and no other period:

876,663 served during both Gulf War eras.
205,205 served during both the Korean War and the Vietnam era.
129,972 served during both World War II and the Korean War.

314,000,000 U.S. citizens, 22 million veterans or 7% of the population is composed of veterans.

To all of them, thanks!

*"Peacetime?"  I wonder if that includes the Cold War? Really ought to be given a little credit.

Veterans Day 11-11-11

Thank a Veteran

President John F. Kennedy said:

" . . .[A]ny man who may be asked in this century what he did to make his life worthwhile, I think can respond with a good deal of pride and satisfaction: 'I served in the United States Navy.'"

To All Who Have Served -

Thank You!

Sunday Ship History: Veterans Day

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
A PROCLAMATION
We have a sacred trust with those who wear the uniform of the United States of America. From the Minutemen who stood watch over Lexington and Concord to the service members who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, American veterans deserve our deepest appreciation and respect. Our Nation's servicemen and women are our best and brightest, enlisting in times of peace and war, serving with honor under the most difficult circumstances, and making sacrifices that many of us cannot begin to imagine. Today, we reflect upon the invaluable contributions of our country's veterans and reaffirm our commitment to provide them and their families with the essential support they were promised and have earned.
Caring for our veterans is more than a way of thanking them for their service. It is an obligation to our fellow citizens who have risked their lives to defend our freedom. This selflessness binds our fates with theirs, and recognizing those who were willing to give their last full measure of devotion for us is a debt of honor for every American.
We also pay tribute to all who have worn the uniform and continue to serve their country as civilians. Many veterans act as coaches, teachers, and mentors in their communities, selflessly volunteering their time and expertise. They visit schools to tell our Nation's students of their experiences and help counsel our troops returning from the theater of war.These men and women possess an unwavering belief in the idea of America: no matter where you come from, what you look like, or who your parents are, this is a place where anything is possible. Our veterans continue to stand up for those timeless American ideals of liberty, self-determination, and equal opportunity.
On Veterans Day, we honor the heroes we have lost, and we rededicate ourselves to the next generation of veterans by supporting our Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines, and Coast Guardsmen as they return home from duty. Our grateful Nation must keep our solemn promises to these brave men and women and their families. They have given their unwavering devotion tothe American people, and we must keep our covenant with them.
***

The VFW offers a pledge:

Since our forefathers founded this country, America’s military has battled to keep it—to keep us—safe. To honor every veteran who has fought for freedom, Veterans Day became an officially recognized day of remembrance in 1954.

On Veterans Day, we remember the fallen and pay tribute to those heroes who still fight. Please pause this November 11 to pay your respects to every service member who has ever honorably worn the uniform.

Join with the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) and thousands of other patriotic Americans this Veterans Day in pledging your support of the men and women of our valiant military.

This Veterans Day, I pledge to honor America’s veterans and military. I pledge to:

* Reflect upon the sacrifice of America’s warriors. I will observe a moment of silence on Veterans Day with my family and encourage my friends and co-workers to do the same.

* Spread the word about the real meaning of Veterans Day. Because it’s not just a “day off work.” It’s a time to remember our American freedoms come at a cost.

* Show my American Pride. I will fly the United States flag and stand reverently during the Pledge of Allegiance. This show of respect shows our veterans they are not forgotten.

I pledge to remember America’s veterans in word and deed. I pledge to honor and respect the United States flag and the men and women who fight, and have fought, to protect our country.

A Grateful American,

And another form of pledge at Valour-IT.

Veterans Day

Coast Guard Petty Officer 1st Class Tony Ariola, a helicopter rescue swimmer from Air Station Savannah, hones his skills in Charleston Harbor, S.C., during a training mission. The crew of the Coast Guard rescue helicopter was on their way to Air Station Savannah’s northern staging area - Air Facility Charleston. Coast Guard photo by PA1 Donnie Brzuska

A Marine with third platoon, Company L, 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 6, patrols his neighborhood in Fallujah's Nazaal district, Nov. 6. The leathernecks with third platoon moved into a house soon after they arrived in country and began assimilating into the neighborhood. This increased proximity to ordinary Iraqi folks in the city has brought them to the point of inclusion in the community. Photo by: Sgt. Stephen M. DeBoard,11/06/2007

(Dec. 19, 2006) - Master-at-Arms 3rd Class Leslie Orand and Master-at-Arms 2nd Class Denique Glenn, assigned to Naval Station Mayport Security Military Working Dog Unit, prepare holiday care packages for two of their deployed service members and their dogs in Iraq. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Leah Stiles

16th Service Company bakers preparing fresh loaves of raisin bread in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia, 5 December 1990. (XVIII Airborne Corps photograph DS-F-050-24 by SPC Randall R. Anderson)

(Feb. 11, 1979)--Coast Guard buoydeck member chips ice away from buoy before replacing on station. U.S. COAST GUARD PHOTO

Da Nang Harbor, Republic of Vietnam
Mineman Second Class Franklin Marshall, a Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal Team member, conducts a search for mines, especially those attached to ship's hulls, circa April 1966. The E.O.D. Team is responsible for harbor security.Several merchant ships are in the distance. Photographed by Ernie Filtz.

OPERATION "MACARTHUR"
An UH-1B[D] helicopter prepares for a resupply mission for Co B, 1st Bn, 8th Inf, 4th Inf Div, during the operation conducted 20 miles southwest of Dak To.
10-16 December 1967

WAF Officer candidates. 1950's -- A salute is a gesture of courtesy given to a superior officer by a subordinate -- that's what it says in the book. At Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, WAF Officer candidates find that the salute is more than courtesy. It is a gesture of comradeship, of pride in one's self and in the Air Force. November 1952 (U.S. Air Force photo)

Members of Task Force Indianhead set up hot coffee on the capitol ground less than 24 hours after the liberation of the North Korean capital, Pyongyang, Korea
21 October 1950

SC 253856. The 101st Airborne troops move out of Bastogne, after having been besieged there for ten days, to drive the enemy out of the surrounding district. Belgium 12/31/44.

General view of a port in England; in foreground, jeeps are being loaded onto LCTs - in background, larger trucks and ducks are being loaded onto LSTs. Undated - June 1944.

Thanks to them all!