Thank You for Your Service

[Alyosha]

I am so surrounded by these guys that I forget how awesome and special they are. I intended to make a Memorial Day tribute to my husband who served and died in service to the United States, but I realized that life is for the living and so I want to honor the other "devil dogs" on this forum and thank them all for their service.

Call outs!
@Ethereal was a combat vet who was there in Karmah (spelling booboo?) where they helped the locals kick Al Qaeda out of their city. He didn't lose a single member of his squad.

Also, I've never thanked you in all this time for your service. Thanks, smoopy!

@Codename Section @The Wash @Terminal Lance were all scout snipers and then moved into other special forces groups. They were in both Iraq and Afganistan.

@Cthulhu was part of a company that (he can correct me) was outside of Fallujah during the surge

My husband was Force Recon and died in 2008. This video shows what he did (although why the $#@! they chose a Canadian band's song I don't know) as his job.




I forget sometimes with all their long hair that these are still some dudes who can kick some ass. Also, they are all my heroes. My grumpy, foul mouthed, smartass life-saving heroes.

If angels cursed...that would be these guys. I love all of you. ((kisses))



I also want to thank the other vets: Peter1469, Nathanbforrest, Rebel Son, protectionist, Bob, and anyone else I forgot.

Oh and Sage of Main Street thank you too.

[Perianne]

Amen!

[Alyosha]

I'm a little partial to the Marines because I was married to one!




He loved the Marine Corps even more than @Codename Section. Yes. True. My husband crapped red, white, and blue turds.

I'm trying to remember to not be sad and to honor his commitment.

[Alyosha]

This is mostly for my husband since the other guys are anarchists now.



He'd get all teary singing this song. He was very cute with his fuzzy head and digitals on, hand over heart singing.

[Green Arrow]

[Green Arrow]

And to the living:

Thank you. I don't have any "support the troops" banners because I make my support tangible and active by fighting for an end to unnecessary war that is not in the U.S.'s (actual) defense and extensive veteran's programs. A lot of people I know and love are in the military or veterans, both living and dead.

[Dark Mistress]

I'm a little partial to the Marines because I was married to one!


@Alyosha
It's okay to be sad though while remembering and honoring that commitment.


He loved the Marine Corps even more than @Codename Section. Yes. True. My husband crapped red, white, and blue turds.

I'm trying to remember to not be sad and to honor his commitment.

@Alyosha
It's okay to be sad. (( Hugs ))
Thinking about you friend.

[Bob]

I am so surrounded by these guys that I forget how awesome and special they are. I intended to make a Memorial Day tribute to my husband who served and died in service to the United States, but I realized that life is for the living and so I want to honor the other "devil dogs" on this forum and thank them all for their service.

Call outs!
@Ethereal was a combat vet who was there in Karmah (spelling booboo?) where they helped the locals kick Al Qaeda out of their city. He didn't lose a single member of his squad.

Also, I've never thanked you in all this time for your service. Thanks, smoopy!

@Codename Section @The Wash @Terminal Lance were all scout snipers and then moved into other special forces groups. They were in both Iraq and Afganistan.

@Cthulhu was part of a company that (he can correct me) was outside of Fallujah during the surge

My husband was Force Recon and died in 2008. This video shows what he did (although why the $#@! they chose a Canadian band's song I don't know) as his job.




I forget sometimes with all their long hair that these are still some dudes who can kick some ass. Also, they are all my heroes. My grumpy, foul mouthed, smartass life-saving heroes.

If angels cursed...that would be these guys. I love all of you. ((kisses))



I also want to thank the other vets: Peter1469, Nathanbforrest, Rebel Son, protectionist, Bob, and anyone else I forgot.

Oh and Sage of Main Street thank you too.

How sweet. Thank you very much. While I did not see combat, I am certain that I served with men who saw it once Johnson opened up hell for them to be in.

It got super personal to me when the soldier who was my favorite uncle was killed in Korea.

He sent home a copy of the poem Hitch in Hell

I don't have the entire poem

posted 01-17-08 07:05 AM Hide Post If only there were a book that gave reliable sources for all famous quotations... Wait! There is one! The recently published Yale Book of Quotations has the following: When the final taps is sounded and we lay aside life's cares, And we do the last and gloried parade on heaven's shining stairs, And the angels bid us welcome and the harps begin to play We can draw a million canteen checks and spend them in a day. It is then we'll hear St. Peter tell us loudly with a yell, "Take a front seat, you soldier men, you've done your hitch in Hell." Frank B. Camp, "Our Hitch in Hell" (1917).

[Cthulhu]

I ran convoys, patrolled the empty desert looking for pissed off bombs, did detainee transfer, and saw nothing. All with weird stuff happening in the background. The best kind of deployment - a boring one.

[Bob]

Story of Mom's baby brother, who died in combat at Taejon, Korea days after the war started

I call Gene, my favorite uncle. Actually I had other uncles that were very kind to kids.

Gene did magic. We kids would hover around Gene and he enjoyed entertaining us. Gene played his guitar. We loved his songs. Gene was artistic. We loved his poems. Gene showed me photos of war as a young lad.

Gene was born and raised on a 660 acre section of farm land in Oklahoma. Gene was almost born with a rifle in his arms. In the Army, he could shoot super well with his rifle held in his hands, not up on his shoulder. He was super quick to spot snipers.

Gene was a Combat engineer. Those guys have to remove the things the Japanese put onto the beaches to prevent landings. So a Marine followed him.

Gene was on one of those Pacific Islands during WW 2 and suddenly his helmet strap was slashed. He came that close to dying on that forlorn Island. Gene whirled at the sound of the shot and caught a glance of the rifle that nearly ended his days on earth. Gene opened fire on the place the barrel vanished into. Fortunately he nailed the guy. Gene used to practice as a youth on Prince Albert tobacco cans.

Gene returned to the snipers location. There he found the man, stone dead. Turns out the Japanese was educated at UC Berkeley and was called to duty upon his return to Japan. He kept a diary. Gene was able to read it or have it translated since the sniper was fluent in English. I believe the snipers tally was over 100 men. I saw the snipers rifle and probably the diary. I don't have an image of the diary in my mind as I do the Jap sniper rifle.

Gene was at Japan when Korea broke out. Gene was combat ready and a SGT. Gene sent the family his final letter the day ahead of his death.

Gene told us

Do not worry about me. I am proven in combat. I am a professional soldier. Worry about those sent here to fight alongside me who have almost no training. They are likely to die. Now, I was in the 9th grade I believe when we buried him. I have since visited his grave.

Gene, you no doubt are with GOD

You did your hitch in hell... twice
Eugene V Avants

Born in Brewer, Pittsburg, Oklahoma, USA on 1923 to James Edwin Avants and Mary Revelle Durham. He passed away on 20 Jul 1950 in Korea.

AVANTS EUGENE - RA39294119 - 1950/07/20 - CA - Alameda - KIA - 3rd Engr C Bn-24th Inf Div

History of his unit

http://www.military.com/HomePage/UnitPageHistory/1,13506,104052|706612,00.html

In 1949 the strength of the 3d Engineer Battalion was greatly increased and the accent placed on training a tactical engineer battalion. Training was continued throughout that year and into 1950 with all companies performing long periods of road maintenance. Extensive periods were also spent in the field on the various maneuver areas of Kyushu. The results of this training were apparent in July 1950, when, on a three day notice, the battalion moved to Korea with the rest of the 24th Division to stop the onrush of the Communist Forces into South Korea and therefore were the first combat engineers to serve in the Korean Campaign. The battalion furnished Engineer Support throughout the Kum River campaign. Company C was cut off and suffering heavy losses in Taejon. Later, the 3d Engineers further lived up to the combat portion of their designation when they were committed as Infantry along the Naktong River for a period of three weeks. The Distinguished Unit Citation awarded to the 24th Division for its actions during the period from July to September 1950 also attests to the high character of the battalion's service during that time. The battalion furnished engineer support to the Division in the long pursuit north to within 15 miles of the Yalu River and the retrograde movement south, in the face of the Chinese menace. There are few roads in Korea which have not been improved and maintained by the 3d Engineers, and few rivers which have not been bridged by the "Eager Beavers." The battalion was located in Korea until November 1953 at which time they transferred to Japan to remain there until January 1954.