VFTT Veterans

[ksearl]

This may be a little off VFTT topic, but figured I could fit it into the "General Backcountry" talk.

I just want to say thanks to all the VFTT members that are veterans of this great country, as well as all other veterans, past and present! Without you guys, we wouldn't be free to enjoy the Views we get from the Top of a beautiful summit!

Karl

 

[Billy]

Last month I spent a weekend in the White Mountains, and one morning I was in North Woodstock having breakfast. I saw a gentleman sitting at the counter having breakfast with his wife. He was wearing a leather jacket with a small "Vietnam Veterans" patch on the shoulder. I started imagining the sacrifices he made and the things he might've gone through 40+ years ago.

Then, by comparison, I thought of my own experience. In the fall of 1990 I was in graduate school and was a corporal in the Marine Corps reserve. As the ramp up to the Persian Gulf War reached its height, we were told to pack our bags and wait for the phone call....we would be assigned to full-time active duty and sent overseas. So I took a leave of absence from grad school, wrote my will and power-of-attorney papers, and waited. We never went overseas. We never left our own reserve base. So that was the extent of my sacrifice...writing a will and losing a few weekends waiting for a phone call that never came.

Compare that to the gentleman in the breakfast diner, who probably spent up to 13 months living through a life-and-death hell in a jungle 10,000 miles from home.

We all wear the same uniform, but some earn it more than others.

 

[NewHampshire]

Last month I spent a weekend in the White Mountains, and one morning I was in North Woodstock having breakfast. I saw a gentleman sitting at the counter having breakfast with his wife. He was wearing a leather jacket with a small "Vietnam Veterans" patch on the shoulder. I started imagining the sacrifices he made and the things he might've gone through 40+ years ago.

Then, by comparison, I thought of my own experience. In the fall of 1990 I was in graduate school and was a corporal in the Marine Corps reserve. As the ramp up to the Persian Gulf War reached its height, we were told to pack our bags and wait for the phone call....we would be assigned to full-time active duty and sent overseas. So I took a leave of absence from grad school, wrote my will and power-of-attorney papers, and waited. We never went overseas. We never left our own reserve base. So that was the extent of my sacrifice...writing a will and losing a few weekends waiting for a phone call that never came.

Compare that to the gentleman in the breakfast diner, who probably spent up to 13 months living through a life-and-death hell in a jungle 10,000 miles from home.

We all wear the same uniform, but some earn it more than others.

Not to get too off topic here I do have a story I want to relate that your story reminds me of. You see, we have a few veterans where I work...actually a surprising number of Vietnam vets considering the size of the company. Well, the man who has been our janitor for about 4 years now seemed to have vanished about a month ago. So I asked the maintenance guy (himself a veteran, albeit at almost 70 years old he served before Vietnam!!!!) what happened to him. So he tells me about how he has been having a problem with a nerve in his back and how it has been too painful for him to work. The maintenance guy tells me "yeah, I don't think he is coming back. He is almost 62 so he will probably just take an early retirement. He was in the Marine Corps for 9 years, so he should get a decent retirement pension from them as well as his other retirement benefits." Now, that last part staggered me. I had known he served in Vietnam....occasionally he would wear a hat saying "Vietnam Vet" to work. But he was a very quiet fellow, kept to himself and just went about his business. I would never have guessed that the quiet fellow not only served in Vietnam, but he had a career of 9 years. I sat there wondering how many tours in Nam he served. And I can tell you this, from what little he would talk about he was no "rear echelon f**k", he was in a demolitions squad (he jokes about lighting C4 on fire to heat their C rations.) Really blew my mind.

Brian

 

[Raven]

We all wear the same uniform, but some earn it more than others.

This is true. But, all of those who serve put their lives and sanity on the line along with other sacrifices. You and all others who may not have been called to war were still willing to step up and stand in that line and take your chances. Thank you. The willingness to do so is huge.

My father served in Korea (Navy), National Guard, Army Reserve, and was a drill sergeant for many years.

He first showed me the value of walking in the woods and the importance of sacrifice. He loved Colden Mountain.

Thanks for posting Karl.

 

[Maddy]

Last month I spent a weekend in the White Mountains, and one morning I was in North Woodstock having breakfast. I saw a gentleman sitting at the counter having breakfast with his wife. He was wearing a leather jacket with a small "Vietnam Veterans" patch on the shoulder. I started imagining the sacrifices he made and the things he might've gone through 40+ years ago.

Then, by comparison, I thought of my own experience. In the fall of 1990 I was in graduate school and was a corporal in the Marine Corps reserve. As the ramp up to the Persian Gulf War reached its height, we were told to pack our bags and wait for the phone call....we would be assigned to full-time active duty and sent overseas. So I took a leave of absence from grad school, wrote my will and power-of-attorney papers, and waited. We never went overseas. We never left our own reserve base. So that was the extent of my sacrifice...writing a will and losing a few weekends waiting for a phone call that never came.

Compare that to the gentleman in the breakfast diner, who probably spent up to 13 months living through a life-and-death hell in a jungle 10,000 miles from home.

We all wear the same uniform, but some earn it more than others.

A hearty "thank you"! IMHO...you are still a hero.