When sent to Vietnam I lacked two months being 18. When leaving I was a man at the age of 20. Having the experience of Combat, Trusting another with your daily life, & having the ” power ” of life & death in Your Trigger Finger; with all that hostility & meanness inside of you; nothing can ” top ” that “. Being given 3 choices of Duty Stations when leaving Nam—one of which was returning Stateside, I had better since . Choosing to go to Pearl Harbor as an M.P. for nine months was a fabulous decision because there I was locked up for 6 out of the 9 months. By the time returning home, all that ” stuff ” was able to be tolerated as well as those things still within. Being able to, I’d join the CORPS again in a heartbeat. Three things in life have really helped me to grow up & be a man: The MARINES, Married Life, & Prison Life, though I do not recommend the last 2 to anyone. SEMPER FIDELIS BROTHERS ” Stew ”
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Stew, why would you post a picture of a bunch of doggies? Weren’t there any men around to photograph?
And another thing, Stew. You were given 3 choices of duty stations when you left the ‘Nam! Wonder why I wasn’t given a choice! Could it be because I was a Marine?
Landed at Norton AFB I had no orders for duty station and,was not ask where I wanted to go.I was told that I would get my orders via Western Union,which I did. Harry
Larry you didn’t miss anything. I was over there 19 months and the DREAM SHEET was a joke.
The only way you got a choice of duty station if I remember was if you extended for a 2nd tour in nam. Then you got a great R&R and afterwards a good duty station. Otherwise you went where they needed you, not where you wanted to go! Cpl. D. A. Morrill 67-69 (Nam in 68)
It’s funny now they want to welcome us home, Ive been home since 71 at little late now to say thanks. The only welcome home I except is from another Viet Nam VET.
I feel the same as you. The Welcome Home Crap I will except now is from another VET because I KNOW IT MEANS SOMETHING. These non VETS it is nothing but words. All my Veteran friends feel the same way.
Hey Sgt Sisson I hear you loud and clear.Just words from the civilians,however I would accept an apology from them. Harry
Let me re-phrase that I “Might Accept” depending on who they are.Certainly not “Hanoi Jane” Harry
You have that right Harry. I was in the Air Force reserves and after desert storm we had a big parade through Pittsburgh to 3 rivers. Once over there i ran into Franco Harris and he came up to me to shake my hand and said WELCOME HOME. I told him you are 40 years to late I don’t want to hear it now. Needless to say our First Sgt reamed my ass out. He wanted me to go back to Fanco and say I was sorry. I am afraid I couldn’t do it. Later a couple other Vietnam Vets that heard it came up and told me they felt the say way I did. So we are not alone in our thinking
Before leaving Vietnam (Delta Co. 1/4) in May 1967 I believe that I was given the choice of three duty stations. Since I grew up in the Los Angeles area of CA. I made all three choices on the east coast. When I recieved my orders the Marine Corps saw fit to station me at Edson Range on Camp Pendleton, less than 100 miles south of Los Angeles. I started training recruits on the rifle range as a rifle instructor, then was the butt NCO and promoted to Sgt. before being moved back on the firing line as a section leader. PS. My R and R was 2 months and 8 days on the USS Repose before returning to Delta Company 1/4. Semper Fi. Ralph Schroder
I spent 19 months in Vietnam and was given the DREAM SHEET that is what we called it. You were told to put down 2 or 3 different places you wanted to go to. This was OCT 1970. I never met anyone that got what they wanted. Mine was for 29 Palms Calif. I never heard of the place. I was from the East Coast. To my surprise 2 of my friend that were also on extensions and were from the East coast WEISE from Cleveland and Doc Rainey from Georgia came to 29 Palms. But after a few months they both voluntered to go back to Vietnam. Neithe could adjust to state side duty.