Old Vets:

[Cooperhawk]

Last night I went into town to help clean the VFW rifles getting ready for Memorial Day. We have ten M1s, and four 03 Springfield's that are chromed. Now here's the thing, our Commander was a bubble head, (Submariner), and had never seen an M1. In fact as it turned out, I was the only one who knew how to field strip one and put it back together. Well, with a little beer, we finally got it done and now several of them also know how to do the job. Sunday afternoon we will bring them all to my house in the woods to test fire them.

The thing is that we had a great time doing it. Most were gun guys at heart and all had some stories to tell. It's almost like being back in the service with all the comradarie. I got talked into being part of the honor guard on Memorial Day and agreed to participate when needed for funerals. I didn't think I wanted to do that, but they changed my mind.

I thought my Wife might be upset that I made all those commitments, but she just smiled. I think I'm going to be glad I got involved.

 

[Don Lovel]

One of these days, some guys from the local VFW are going to fire a salute my dad at his services, Thank you

 

[Bob Wright]

My great-granddaughter is now serving in the Army. I told her when she went in that "Once you put on that uniform, you never really take it off."

Bob Wright

 

[WAYNO]

I can relate to this.



We've had a Legion Honor Guard for many years and are called on to render honors at funerals and other patriotic events. My Motorcycle Club provides the actual 3-gun volley, and we use M-16 variants. We also have a rack of 03 Springfields that we use in our Color Guard, and it looks like we're gonna start using them for the firing volleys also.

WAYNO.

 

[Double Maduro]

Wayno, Thanks for all you do for the Veterans.

DM

 

[cpt-t]

Thanks ((( GUYS ))) for what You are doing. I am proud of You.
ken

 

[Double Maduro]

Wayno, Thanks for all you do for the Veterans.

DM

And the rest of you folks too.

DM

Thanks ((( GUYS ))) for what You are doing. I am proud of You.
ken

 

[WAYNO]

It's just the right thing to do.

Whadya mean, old Vet? :mrgreen: Seriously, I'm one of the youngsters at my Legion Post. Don't know what's gonna happen when the WWII and Korean Vets are no longer with us. My era and later just never had much interest in the Veterans organizations of the establishment.

I thought my Wife might be upset that I made all those commitments, but she just smiled. I think I'm going to be glad I got involved.

Funny too, when I come home, my wife asks me what I volunteered for, this time. 8)

WAYNO.

 

[Jeepnik]

I'm glad you have had a good experience with the VFW.

However, some of us weren't treated very well a few decades ago when we thought about joining. I know most of those old timers are gone, but still, if I wasn't good enough then, I sure as heck don't want anything to do with them now.

 

[Cooperhawk]

You know I've explained this before, but here goes again. No one can join the VFW until the Govt. declares their time in service eligible. The VFW has no say in the matter. They can only take in folks who have served in specific places at specific times. Sometimes it takes a long time to get the approval.

The VFW or Legion will take anyone who qualifies. If you were turned down before you were probably ineligible, but you may be eligible now. We want anyone we can get.

 

[Jeepnik]

You know I've explained this before, but here goes again. No one can join the VFW until the Govt. declares their time in service eligible. The VFW has no say in the matter. They can only take in folks who have served in specific places at specific times. Sometimes it takes a long time to get the approval.

The VFW or Legion will take anyone who qualifies. If you were turned down before you were probably ineligible, but you may be eligible now. We want anyone we can get.

There's being turned down and there's being not welcomed. When some old fool tells you that you aren't good enough because of the general lack of support for and just plain old dislike for the war and those that fought it, that makes things pretty clear.

 

[Ugly Hombre]

My dad served on the honor guard until a few months before he died.

He was 82 when he left us.

 

[RKB]

Jeepnik, same here. I wasn't welcome then, I'm not welcome now. Cooperhawk can 'explain' - read that 'excuse' - it all he wants. I saw VFW bigwigs testifying in front of Congressional committees in the 70's - while they were wearing their Korean "War" Veteran hats - that Vietnam vets should not be allowed entry because they were not fighting a 'declared war'. HELLO???
Yeah, they want us now, because the members of the Greatest Generation, who were welcomed with open arms, are sadly dying off and the Korea vets, God bless them too, are also going.
They brought this upon themselves by trying to keep us out. Fine. I'm out.

 

[RugerHound]

Jeepnik, same here. I wasn't welcome then, I'm not welcome now. Cooperhawk can 'explain' - read that 'excuse' - it all he wants. I saw VFW bigwigs testifying in front of Congressional committees in the 70's - while they were wearing their Korean "War" Veteran hats - that Vietnam vets should not be allowed entry because they were not fighting a 'declared war'. HELLO???
Yeah, they want us now, because the members of the Greatest Generation, who were welcomed with open arms, are sadly dying off and the Korea vets, God bless them too, are also going.
They brought this upon themselves by trying to keep us out. Fine. I'm out.

Pretty bizarre... The Korean war wasn't 'declared' either to the best of my knowledge. (It was a 'police action', no?) My old Korean War buddies from the bike club all called it a 'conflict'.

 

[Cooperhawk]

Well, that's too bad. Right now the VN Vets could actually take control of the VFW. Most of the Officers of our post are VN era vets right now. Our Commander is a vet of Nuclear Subs. A Bubble Head. We just elected his successor who is an Iraqi War vet. We have very few WWII vets left. So who's your beef with now?

As a group we do a lot of community service including funerals, parades, support of athletic teams, The Boys and Girls Scouts, ect. We provide transport for vets to hospitals or clinics for treatment. We just replaced a roof for a vet who did not have the where with all to do so himself.

Times change and so do people. On the other hand we probably don't need anyone with an attitude like that anyway. :roll:

 

[WAYNO]

On the other hand we probably don't need anyone with an attitude like that anyway. :roll:



Wow. Here it is again. Vets against Vets. Not all Vietnam-era Vets were shunned by the service organizations. But many were. It was a hurtful thing that that is not forgiven by the majority of Vets that were shunned.

If a feller found a Veterans organization that welcomed him, that's great. But I've seen first hand, many times, where this discussion goes South, and those that never experienced the disrespect are argumentively in denial that the Legion or VFW shunned anybody.

It was seven years after I got out of the service that I only accidentally found a Legion Post that welcomed me. And it was not even in my home town. I've been a member ever since. My Post welcomes everybody with open arms. Always has. But at 62, I am one of the youngest members. We still cannot recruit most Vietnam and later Vets. These guys just will not allow themselves the chance to be burned twice.

When I'm gone, and the older Vets of my Post are gone, I fear our Post will be gone.

WAYNO.

 

[Cooperhawk]

Well to tell the truth we don't expect many VN Vets to join. We do want to continue to do the community work that the organization is known for, but we will do it with Iraq and Afganni war vets. That's who we we are working with now. We would like the VN Vets, but it's pretty hard to change old attitudes.

I have belonged to two different posts. One in Virginia for fifteen years, and now here in Minnesota for thirty years. I have never felt like an outsider. No one has been unfriendly. I have not been pressured to do anything until I had the time and inclination. In all it has been a fun group of folks to be around.

 

[Jeepnik]

Frankly, I'm happy you are "willing" to accept vets like my kids. But to have "passed" on many from my generation is something the organizations should own up to. Am I bitter, no not anymore, but I'm more ashamed of the way older vets treated younger vets. Shouldn't have happened, but it did.

I was seriously concerned about how my boys would be treated. Especially after the bloom had worn off the current war. At least the media mostly just started to ignore it rather than demean it.

 

[eveled]

I remember growing up thinking that the VFW posts would have to close now that all the wars are done and there will be no more veterans of foreign war to fill their ranks. Too bad I was so wrong.

Thanks to all of you who have served and God bless you for doing what had to be done.

 

[Cooperhawk]

We had a problem that our restaurant and bar were not paying for themselves. In fact the bar receipts did not even pay for the liqueur that we purchased. It had turned into an old boys club with lots of over pouring and free drinks. We closed the bar sold the building and invested the money. Now we meet in the community center and our membership is up, and our meetings are so well attended these days that we may need a bigger room.

It was that old boys club that turned off a lot of prospective new members. Interestingly enough, the old boys do not attend any meetings at all nowadays.

 

[RKB]

On the other hand we probably don't need anyone with an attitude like that anyway. :roll:[/quote]
There you are. Same old attitude on your end - you didn't want us then and now it's OUR attitude that's the problem????
Convince me that the old 'screw Vietnam vets' viewpoint is gone and I'd likely join. You aren't doing it with statements like that.

 

[Cooperhawk]

I am a VN vet brother. I'm trying to get you to come in from the cold.

 

[Cooperhawk]

I've been shot at and missed, pooped at and hit. I have walked among the dead after the battle and have images that I will never forget. I am trying to do something good from all of that. It's all I have. Join me.

 

[Jeepnik]

I've been shot at and missed, pooped at and hit. I have walked among the dead after the battle and have images that I will never forget. I am trying to do something good from all of that. It's all I have. Join me.

Not a chance in hades. When I'm dead, I'll get an honor guard. But it won't be folks who didn't think I was "good enough" doing it. Most military installations have honor guards that will attend to the funeral needs of vets. I'd rather have a group of young troops who respect older vets that what the VFW has to offer.