Has Anyone Been To War???

[qcraftsman]

Just thought of this thread now. I haven't, but I respect whoever has gone to war if it was right or not because you put your life on the line for me. Thank you!!! Just wanted to here some stories if you'd like to share.

[chomerics]

Just thought of this thread now. I haven't, but I respect whoever has gone to war if it was right or not because you put your life on the line for me. Thank you!!! Just wanted to here some stories if you'd like to share.

There are a bunch here that have been to Iraq. Jpillian, airborneskins, Sarge was in Bosnia I believe and a bunch of others.

[SkinsNut73]

No, but I have been to a game in Philly with my Skins gear on

Seriously, good idea for a thread qcraftsman. One thing my dad passed on to me, and I'm making sure to pass on to my kids is deep respect for those who have served in the military and defended our country.

THANKS!!!!!

[qcraftsman]

Yea, my cusin lived with me and my wife this past year. We helped him out a little bit. He was in the navy for 4 years and he told me a couple cool stories. He was on the one of the Air Craft Carriers in the Iraq war (this one) and got to see terroists come in on a black hawk or some heloicopter with the Rangers or Navy Seals. He wasn't supposed to see this, but he sneaked back up deck and got to see the guys walking by him with there faces covered. He said just seeing those people made him so freakin mad. He said they would empty every jet out there everynight they flew off the carrier and came back with no bombs. The media misses a lot of stuff over there he says.

[Raub]

Yes I have. It's not what it's cracked up to be.

[qcraftsman]

Raub, what is it cracked up to be. Can you share?

[jpillian]

Definitely not all it's cracked up to be -- though it also wasn't THAT bad either. Living conditions for soldiers are very good in Iraq; I'd venture to guess, on average, the best that American soldiers have ever had in any conflict.

Combat is a unique experience. You train and train and train for it -- for years; some folks for decades. You almost welcome it, in terms of some sort of release, that you've done what you were trained to do. But when you're in it, you want for nothing else but to be some place else. There are few, if any, other experiences like it -- in terms of a feeling of helplessness to your destiny. You have so little control. When the bad guys ambush your convoy, your vehicle --- all you can do is HOPE the RPG-round sails wide. Talk about feeling helpless.

Over time, that feeling is dulled a bit. And if you're removed from it for a while -- partially for the sake of helping your buddies, and partially for the rush of it all -- you kind of start to miss it; but not really, either.

Overall, it's a pretty confusing experience, not one I'd recommend -- but not one that I would categorize as a wholly terrible experience.

[Ghost of]

I wasn't, but my dad was in Nam.

However horrible some of his memories were, it also had the effect of being the most 'significant' experience of his life.

When it came time for motivation to do other things, he might respond, "no one's shooting at me." In a way, that kind of experience can be a clarifying event. I guess, for him, it retarded his development and skewed his perspective on the world.

[Sarge]

Yep. I'll mirror what everyone else is saying. It's an experience I don't recommend.

[DeanCollins]

My Father was a Navy Pilot in the Korea, Nam, and Cuban Missle crisis. He did 28 years. I couldn't get him to talk about it much. He's gone now, so I started volunteering at the VA hospital so I could talk with some of those guys his age. They have a sign out front that reads

THE PRICE OF FREEDOM IS VISABLE HERE

[Raub]

My life experience-wise peaked at 18 y/o. I experienced total adrenaline, total excitement, and total horror all in one. It has a way of hitting you very hard years later when you least expect it.

If I had to go back again I would in a heartbeat. I've already been 'tainted', nothing shocks me anymore. But I honestly wouldn't wish it on my children. It has to be done, but don't desire it.

That's about all I have to say about that.

I've seen some of Sarge's posts on similar topics and I'm sure he's shared some of these thoughts. It's not all medals and movies.

[airborneskins]

Been to Iraq twice and Afghanistan once. The sad thing is, that if I were not a husband and a father, I would go back in a heart beat. The biggest thing about War is the trust that you must have for those that you serve with. I mean, if its you and your buddy, you have to look out for one another. Over the tours, I developed comraderie with all types of guys. That is the single thing that I miss most.

I am not sure what types of answers that you are looking for here, But I know that when you lose a close friend, it is something that you will never forget. The following is an email that I sent to a family member of a soldier of mine that died in Iraq.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tasha,

You do not know how glad I am to hear from a family

member of Nate's. I could not make the funeral

because I was still In Iraq, and the only family

member that I met was Felix and his stepmother when

they came up for All American Week in 2004. I have

wanted to contact his family, because I think about

him on a daily basis. You see, as you may or may not

know he had a broken leg. He was on his way to get

the cast removed when his helicopter was shot down. I

was the last person to see him alive. To this day, I

feel somewhat responsible for his death.

On the morning of January 8, 2004, My company was

conducting CTT classes ( these are classes that teach

tactical maneuvers etc..) Nate was not participating

because he was unable to get around because of his

leg. Nate came to me the night before and told me

that the doctors had contacted him and told him that

his appointment had been moved from the 14th to the

8th. So I told him to sleep in and I would wake him

up in time to take him to the flight. Well you see, I

had forgotten to wake him up, and when I remembered,

we had only 10 minutes to get him to the flight. Well

I woke him up and grabbed all of his gear, threw it in

the back of my HMMWV and drove him to the place to

wait for the helicopter. To make a long story short,

when I put him in the Blackhawk, I shook his hand and

told him to enjoy his vacation from TQ (the post that

we were on). Then I got back in the HMMWV and went to

get breakfast. Well after breakfast, I went back to

the Bunker and found out that the medevac that Nate

was on was shot down. My heart sank. I knew that if

it were shot down then there were no survivors. You

see, I can't help but feel somewhat responsible

because If I were to have let him sleep in for even 5

more minutes, he would have missed his flight and may

still be alive today. Not a day goes by that I don't

wish taht were the case. Nate was not only one of my

soldiers, he was a friend.

I remember when I first met Nate at Fort Gordon back

in 2002. He was still in AIT, and I was an E-5 going

through some training for our MOS (35R). I was on a

break with another soldier of mine (Chris Voegtlen)

when Nate, Rob Watson and Benjami Vazquez all came up

to me and asked me how they could wear a Maroon Beret.

I told them that if they wanted to wear one, they had

to be part of the Airborne and jump out of planes.

You should have seen Nate's face, he was like Are you

Crazy? I smiled and said well Yeah! Anyway needless

to say, Me and Chris (Voegtlen) talked the 3 of them

into being Airborne. Imagine my surprise when I came

back from Afghanistan in Dec 2002 to see all 3 of them

in my squad. That was my first memory of Nate.

My last memory of Nate was when I went to put him in

the HMMWV, he could not buckle his seat belt because

he was so intent on getting those Darn crutches in the

seat with him. He was scared to death that they were

gonna fall out of the truck while I was driving. He

said SSG Morgan, I can't get these darn things to

buckle, I laughed and took the Crutches from him and

told him that he would not need them tomorrow because

he would be back to normal. He started smiling and

told me that I was right (for once). And he couldn't

wait to come back and kick our butts in Football.

Anyway, that is the last memory that I have of NATE.

I will forever see his smiling face and hear his words

of encouragement in my head.

Thank you for responding to my email, because Lord

knows that I have wanted to tell that to a family

member of his since returning from Iraq. Thank you

for your time, and if you have any questions about

your brother, feel free to contact me at either my

email address or If you are ever in the Washington DC

area, we could get together and talk about Nate for

awhile.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

The thoughs of what I have seen and done while at war, will never leave my head (both the good and the bad). It is tough to remember the good things when all you see on TV are the Bad. But rest assured that thier are Good things going on In Iraq (more than the majority of the public knows about).

I guess that the reason that I am for the War in Iraq, is because we must not let the almost 2000 soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines that have died in Iraq, to have died in vain. The job must be completed, no Matter what the cost.

[warren]

Airborneskins...thanks for sharing that. It's hard to believe you're only a year older that I am.

Edit - I just put it together now...that you were the one the posted the pic in the "show yourselves" thread.

[SoulKatcher]

Thank you craftsman for starting this thread and to those who are in the military. My grandfather was a bomber in WW2 and my father was a medic in Vietnam. I am so proud of them both for their service to this country. "Thank you" seems so small to say to someone who has risked their life for your (and others) freedom.

Airborneskins, thanks for telling your story. So much to have seen in such a young life...

[CrabR]

Never been to war, but I have heard first hand accounts from people from the Civil war to Vietnam.

My great great great grandmother died in 1959 when she was 99, she told me about the time the "Yankees came to our Farm in NC and burned it down and killed all the live stock and shot and killed one of her brothers. A relative has my great great great Grandfathers pardon papers from the Civil War, he was pardoned from a prison in Delaware and had to swear a oath of allegiance to the US. He walked home from there begging food all the way home. He fought in the battles of Cold Harbor Antietam and the entire Valley campaign under Earlym he was caputred March 4 1865 at Fischerville va. by a part of Custer's detachment, my great grandmother used to tell me of his explots.

My Grandfather served in the Rainbow Division in WWI, and tells how the Chaplain was killed so they handed him his bible and told him to bury the dead, he said the hardest thing was to bury his friends.

My father and his 4 cousins served in WWII everywhere from the Pacific to the 3rd Army, I heard tons of stories from these relatives, some quite hair raising. One Cousin was Killed at Iwo Jima on day four at the foot of Mt. Suribachi, and is now interned in Hawaii Military cemetary.

My inlaws and 3 of his relatives served in the German army in WWII they have some of the best stories. One tells of being captured by the Russian and sent to a POW camp, he was one of the lucky ones to survive. Anthor has great stories of being a panzer commander on the Russian front

My brother and his buddies served in Nam and many were wounded, they used to come over to the house and tell some great stories.............when I asked

The sad part is they are all dead now, my regret is not putting their stories down on paper or tape

[qcraftsman]

Hey I just wanted to personally thank all you guys and your family members for what you have done and what you might possibly do. You guys are trully heroes in my eyes. A thank you isn't even enough to say and I hope I can do more to show my appreciation. You guys are the reason we have freedom in our country today.

My father was in the Navy only as

[qcraftsman]

Hey I just wanted to personally thank all you guys and your family members for what you have done and what you might possibly do. You guys are trully heroes in my eyes. A thank you isn't even enough to say and I hope I can do more to show my appreciation. You guys are the reason we have freedom in our country today.

My father was in the Navy for 35 years only as a civilian and retired 2 years ago. He was head of the Submarines Electronic Warfare Systems. He actually went out to sea when he was younger on accident and it is an awesome story I can share, but I don't have time and my wife is telling me we need to go so I'll share it later, but he got to spy on the russians, which was cool. He always has had a deep, deep respect for the people in the military as we grew up and still does. If he saw you in person he would probably give you a hug and say thank you. I'll share the story later today when we get back...

[NASMTrainer]

Been to Iraq twice and Afghanistan once. The sad thing is, that if I were not a husband and a father, I would go back in a heart beat. The biggest thing about War is the trust that you must have for those that you serve with. I mean, if its you and your buddy, you have to look out for one another. Over the tours, I developed comraderie with all types of guys. That is the single thing that I miss most.

:applause: Couldn't have said it better myself. Unless you have been there, you'll never understand it. I have been out for a little over 12 years. Was in the first Gulf War. I still miss those guys.

[Prosperity]

Fortunately I haven't went to war or plan on ever doing so, but happened to be born into the Iran-Iraq war. I think my oldest memory is being taken to basement when the air raid sirens went off because of some Iraqi air attack. Unfortunately, I lost a lot of relatives that I never got the chance to know, but thankfully my dad was able to fight and survive that hell... I still can't imagine how people get excited about war or go to wars unless their homes and families are in danger.

[Tarhog]

Fortunately I haven't went to war or plan on ever doing so, but happened to be born into the Iran-Iraq war. I think my oldest memory is being taken to basement when the air raid sirens went off because of some Iraqi air attack. Unfortunately, I lost a lot of relatives that I never got the chance to know, but thankfully my dad was able to fight and survive that hell... I still can't imagine how people get excited about war or go to wars unless their homes and families are in danger.

The guys who have to fight the war aren't excited. The driving motivation in most Marines/soldiers minds when they are called upon to do the things they've trained for is to get the job done, as quickly as possible, in order to get back home. Personal survival is certainly in everyone's mind, but probably more so, protecting the guys around you. They're your friends, your immediate family, in most cases, guys you've spent the bulk of the past 2-4 years with. Its about as simple as that.

And the ironic thing is, although its probably the single most intense experience in someone's life, most guys who've been there don't talk about it or define themselves by it.

Its kind of a military truism that those who've really been in combat don't want to talk about it. Its not something they ever 'wanted', its something they were compelled to do, and take a personal private pride that they stepped up and did it.

[Ryman of the North]

One thing I respect about america is that for the most Part they hold duty and honour in high regard. I have a friend in the forces and he was an engineer in bosnia and is getting ready to go to kandahar in december, he doesnt want to go but he beilives in helping those people get the same rights that we have so he put his personal feelings aside.

[stuck_N_virginia]

i have been. several times. i dont really have many comments. just glad to be home!

[Prosperity]

The guys who have to fight the war aren't excited. The driving motivation in most Marines/soldiers minds when they are called upon to do the things they've trained for is to get the job done, as quickly as possible, in order to get back home. Personal survival is certainly in everyone's mind, but probably more so, protecting the guys around you. They're your friends, your immediate family, in most cases, guys you've spent the bulk of the past 2-4 years with. Its about as simple as that.

And the ironic thing is, although its probably the single most intense experience in someone's life, most guys who've been there don't talk about it or define themselves by it.

Its kind of a military truism that those who've really been in combat don't want to talk about it. Its not something they ever 'wanted', its something they were compelled to do, and take a personal private pride that they stepped up and did it.

That would make sense to me, but people sometimes don't think like that. I don't think the military in general has been against any war. The most hawkish are always the military, though there are still a lot of chicken hawks, those people are even more despicable.

Secondly,

I understand fighting a war to defend yourself, that is justified, ie Iran defending itself against Iraq.

I don't understand volunteering for a military that goes to war over questionable reasons, ie Iraq in the Iran Iraq war or "Operation Iraqi Freedom" or any number of American good will conflicts whether in the Balkans or Africa.

[Sarge]

That would make sense to me, but people sometimes don't think like that. I don't think the military in general has been against any war. The most hawkish are always the military, though there are still a lot of chicken hawks, those people are even more despicable.

Secondly,

I understand fighting a war to defend yourself, that is justified, ie Iran defending itself against Iraq.

I don't understand volunteering for a military that goes to war over questionable reasons, ie Iraq in the Iran Iraq war or "Operation Iraqi Freedom" or any number of American good will conflicts whether in the Balkans or Africa.

Military personnel are the last people on the planet that want to go to war

[Prosperity]

except you?