Do you come from a military family?

[Sylvus]

With all the talk of brotchen (sp?) in another thread, I'm led to believe that a lot of you came from military families. Let's find out!

By "military family", I mean to ask if you grew up on bases, moved around as a result of family being in the military, etc.

[Funkmasterr]

My dad was in the Marine's recon in vietnam, and had a medal pinned on him by Nixon for rescuing a downed helicopter pilot. I think his horror stories were a big part of what kept me from joining the military (I came very close a few times.)

[Fash]

Grew up in the service on bases in California, Colorado, and off-base in Pennsylvania before my dad retired after 20 years in the Air Force. I have an incredible amount of respect for service members. I wanted to join while I was growing up, but was always disqualified due to Asthma.

[Fairweather Pure]

Civilian all the way.

However, my stepfather, whose been my dad since I was around 4, was from a military family. My step grandfather was a colenel in the air force and they lived all over the world. My grandfather went on to work for the CIA, and retired at age 56. He has a picture of him shaking Regan's hand at his retirement party. I've never heard him mention anything about his military experiance or his time with the CIA. He's the warmest, most sincere person I've ever met in my life. Being around him is almost magical. He lives in Utah and is a third generation Mormon. He put two of my uncle's through Harvard. He did not encourage them to follow in his footsteps, although he didn't discourage it either. He simply never talked about it.

My other grandfather served in WW2, but only because he was needed. He did not make a career out of it or encourage it in his boys. He died a bitter old man who despised the government.

[Funkmasterr]

Civilian all the way.

However, my stepfather, whose been my dad since I was around 4, was from a military family. My step grandfather was a colenel in the air force and they lived all over the world. My grandfather went on to work for the CIA, and retired at age 56. He has a picture of him shaking Regan's hand at his retirement party. I've never heard him mention anything about his military experiance or his time with the CIA. He's the warmest, most sincere person I've ever met in my life. Being around him is almost magical. He lives in Utah and is a third generation Mormon. He put two of my uncle's through Harvard. He did not encourage them to follow in his footsteps, although he didn't discourage it either. He simply never talked about it.

My other grandfather served in WW2, but only because he was needed. He did not make a career out of it or encourage it in his boys. He died a bitter old man who despised the government.

It's really easy to see how that happens to people.. The way soldiers were treated by the nicks of that time when they came back from vietnam was disgusting. He actually ended up burning everything that could be burned, and threw the medal away that he received because he was so messed up about everything.

He is better about it now, although he still gets extremely emotional if/when he does talk about it. I've heard stories of him coming into a clearing in the jungle and finding guys hanging upside down from a tree skinned, guys go nuts and wipe whole villages out, him being chased and shot at from all over and finally after hours getting to a line a helicopter dropped and grabbing a hold of it and getting slammed into trees as they drag you out... It's rare that someone can come out of that a happy, normal person.

[laneela]

I checked that I was civilian all the way but my grandfather was a Lt-Col. in the British Army. I definitely was *not* brought up in a military family though.

[Sylvus]

Perhaps I worded this incorrectly. I meant to ask if people were raised by people in active duty, or more-specifically, grew up on bases. The so-called "Army Brat". I think you'd be hard-pressed to find just about any family that didn't have someone in some branch of the military, if we go back to our grandparents time.

[Nick]

It's really easy to see how that happens to people.. The way soldiers were treated by the nicks of that time when they came back from vietnam was disgusting. He actually ended up burning everything that could be burned, and threw the medal away that he received because he was so messed up about everything.

Comparing Vietnam to the second world war? Nice. it saddens me that you exist.

Anyway, on topic, no army men here, except from grandparents/great grandparents fighting in the world wars

[Funkmasterr]

It's really easy to see how that happens to people.. The way soldiers were treated by the nicks of that time when they came back from vietnam was disgusting. He actually ended up burning everything that could be burned, and threw the medal away that he received because he was so messed up about everything.

Comparing Vietnam to the second world war? Nice. it saddens me that you exist.

Anyway, on topic, no army men here, except from grandparents/great grandparents fighting in the world wars

Comparing the effects war can have on someone, you fucking worthless shitbag. How could I possibly have made that any clearer?

[Nick]

calm down you silly sausage. Also, boo fucking hoo?

[Ashur]

Comparing Vietnam to the second world war? Nice. it saddens me that you exist.

Wow. Fuck you Nick.

My grandfathers on both sides served in WWII, so Nick approves of them, while my dad did two combat (infantry, jungle fighting) tours in Vietnam, which Nick doesn't approve of.

I grew up for the first 6 years of my life on various bases (Ft Campbell, Ft Lee, Ft Benning - where I was born) before my Dad got out as a Captain in one of the post war RIFs and we moved to Ohio.

I joined the military and served 6 years as a reservist.

EDIT: Grammar

[Nick]

If you can't tell the difference between the Vietnam and WW2 then there's not much I'm going to be able to say, or particularly want to say, that'll change your mind. I know people in the US get very angry if anyone dares question even the littlest thing about the utter bullshit that was Vietnam (although I can sympathise with the draft thing, that was pretty terrible), so I'll stay out of the topic. But in reality, don't expect that idiotic little child to flame me and talk a lot of stupid shit without expecting a fairly basic response. k?

Cheers.

[Funkmasterr]

If you can't tell the difference between the Vietnam and WW2 then there's not much I'm going to be able to say, or particularly want to say, that'll change your mind. I know people in the US get very angry if anyone dares question even the littlest thing about the utter bullshit that was Vietnam (although I can sympathise with the draft thing, that was pretty terrible), so I'll stay out of the topic. But in reality, don't expect that idiotic little child to flame me and talk a lot of stupid shit without expecting a fairly basic response. k?

Cheers.

The point wasn't that you disagree with the war, you vicious asshole. The point was that the soldiers saw and had to do terrible shit while they were there, and then had to come home and have people like you spit at them and throw shit at them and call them names because they didn't agree with why we were there. Guess what you insensitive fuck, many/most of those people didn't like what they did either, but they did their job the best they could and tried to stay alive and see home again, just so that they could be treated like shit there too.

You have every right to not agree with the war or why it was fought, but belittling the soldiers that fought and died there is something no one else on this board besides you would do, and that sir is one of the many reasons you turn my stomach.

[Ashur]

I'm sorry YOU don't understand Nick, as you have no way to relate to it.

I don't think the UK ever resorted to a draft and threw folks into a combat meat grinder since WWII, while the US did. The scale of the damn conflict doesn't matter and is not related to the subject of this thread.

Yes, there is a difference between a WORLD WAR and a REGIONAL CONFLICT, but from a personal perspective it really doesn't matter. Both had Army Theatre level units deployed with years long combat operations.

[Truant]

I did not grow up in a military family (though I have a good deal of military in my extended family).

I tried to join, but they didn't like my lungs...and I can't tell a lie (despite what the recruiter told me to do).

[Xatrei]

I wouldn't call my family a military family, in that no one in at least 4 generations has been a career service member. However, every male on both sides of my family, going back at least as far as my great grandparents served in the military. I was on active duty in the Army in the early 90's and a reservist afterwards. My father was in the Army in the 60's and was mostly civilian by the time I was born (he was in the Nebraska National Guard until '73 or so). My grandfathers and great-grandfathers were almost all in the Army except for a few that were in the Navy. Many were veterans of WWI, WWII and Korea.

[Boogahz]

Grandfathers: Marines (Guadalcanal)/Army Air Force (German interpreter)
Father: Army Capt.
Brothers are: Army & Marines
Cousins: Mostly Army...couple Rangers.

I tried to join in the mid 90's and they didn't want me due to a seizure condition I have had for years.

[Noysyrump]

I'm here because of the military, but didnt grow up with it. Dad came here from NY and met a girl, accidentally knocked her up and had to stick around... (just kidding, I was planned.)

Pops served on the Kittyhawk during 'Nam, but I wasnt born til After he came back and settled down. I did not join as a young tyke, but kick myself everyday for it. Could have been retiring in 2 years!

[Winnow]

Grandfather: Belly Gunner in a B-17 Flying Fortress, WW2
Father: Retired Air Force F-4 Fighter Pilot, Vietnam Era (three tours)
Mother: Air Force, honorably discharged after marrying my father
Brother: Officer, Helicopter Pilot, Army, now with FBI/Nevada Gaming Commission

Impact of growing up in a military family:

Vietnam affected me (growing up and on topic) because my father spent a lot of time over there while my mother, bother and I hung out in California. I have a picture of me holding a sign saying, "hug me daddy" at the airport when he returned. I was really young and missed my dad!

My father was stationed in Germany when I was born so I had the option of choosing German or American citizenship and didn't actually take the oath (what Xyun did recently) to become an American until I was 15 or 16.

Growing up in a military family meant moving every 3 years so it impacted me a few ways both positive and negative. On the positive side, I saw a lot of the world growing up and learned to make friends quickly as I had to every 3 or so years. On the negative side, I played a lot of sports and was pretty good but had to keep moving so never was able to focus on them.

There were other perks from being in the military. I remember one summer we flew Space A (space available) on a tanker to Hawaii for $10.00 each which included lunch. Of course, you were issued ear plugs and there were no windows but I was able to sit back beside the boom operator and wave to the fighter pilots as they refueled off the tanker.

Also on the plus side, my dad was never shot down but on the negative side, at one of my dads squadron reunions, a wife of a pilot killed in action brought her son (who he never saw as she was pregnant with him at the time her husband was killed) and introduced him to all of his dad's friends. I feel fortunate to have had a father growing up that went to my games, taught me stuff and answered my questions, took the family traveling whenever he could and remained active in my life.

I have a tremendous respect for military personnel. I will never mix up political decisions with the service men and women that put themselves in harms way while we get fat enjoying our lives.

[Drolgin Steingrinder]

...and I can't tell a lie

Did you chop down that cherry tree?

[Neost]

Being on the upper end of my 40's both my grandfathers were a bit old for the draft. One went to work in the shipyards in CA as a foreman on a boat building crew. I actually have a picture of him standing on the bow of a destroyer he worked on start to finish, right before launch. My other grandfather worked in an ammo plant in Arkansas setting machinery as they expanded to meet production quotas.

That put my dad a bit to old to be drafted for Vietnam and he probably wouldn't have passed physical because of a knee replacement he had to have in his teens.

So all told the only military family was extended family, primarily various uncles.

That being said I joined the Army in 1980, did a few years in the infantry then re-classed to vulcan air defense repair for the electronics training. ETS'ed in 1987 and the only regret I have is that I could've retired from AD in 2000.

[noel]

Jesus Christ, Nick. I don't even know what to say.

Are the causes/effects/results of WWII and Vietnam the same? Of course not. But the soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines that participated in either conflict were just pawns. Their experiences were very similar: Live combat with people trying to kill you.

As for you... it's easy to be a soldier when there's no war going on. Or in other words, you're quick as hell to bag on all kinds of shit, but other than whining about it on a mostly US message board, I doubt you're putting you neck out for any of the causes you believe in so strongly. If you're so concerned with the shit going on in the world, get up out of your fucking computer chair and take some action instead of sitting at home and whining about whatever the US is doing on that particular day.

Honestly, I've always liked you, but don't fucking bag on Vietnam veterans or any veterans. Impoverished kids from the South, mid-West, etc. who were drafted or joined the service because they felt like they had to deserve your pity not your anger. If you want to be angry at the policymakers who put them in that position, I'll line up behind you, but leave the servicemen and women alone.

[Midnyte_Ragebringer]

Grew up in the service on bases in California, Colorado, and off-base in Pennsylvania before my dad retired after 20 years in the Air Force. I have an incredible amount of respect for service members. I wanted to join while I was growing up, but was always disqualified due to Asthma.

Ditto. I wanted to serve my country so badly, I lied about having asthma. My father was so worried about me, he went to the recruiter and told him a few weeks before I was to ship out to basic.

[Zaelath]

Jesus Christ, Nick. I don't even know what to say.

Are the causes/effects/results of WWII and Vietnam the same? Of course not. But the soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines that participated in either conflict were just pawns. Their experiences were very similar: Live combat with people trying to kill you.

As for you... it's easy to be a soldier when there's no war going on. Or in other words, you're quick as hell to bag on all kinds of shit, but other than whining about it on a mostly US message board, I doubt you're putting you neck out for any of the causes you believe in so strongly. If you're so concerned with the shit going on in the world, get up out of your fucking computer chair and take some action instead of sitting at home and whining about whatever the US is doing on that particular day.

Honestly, I've always liked you, but don't fucking bag on Vietnam veterans or any veterans. Impoverished kids from the South, mid-West, etc. who were drafted or joined the service because they felt like they had to deserve your pity not your anger. If you want to be angry at the policymakers who put them in that position, I'll line up behind you, but leave the servicemen and women alone.

Yeah, that...

Honestly, I don't ever recall reading any hate for the servicemen in Namraq from Nick, so I figured this was more stupid Funk had just made up from whole cloth.

That said, I still kinda hate Nick less for his misunderstanding of the serviceman's situation than the Neocons and the retards that support these farcial wars and get the servicemen killed/maimed in the first place.

[rhyae]

Army brat
Raised on base:
Ft Sheridan, IL
Ft Huachuca, AZ
Ft Ord, CA
Hamilton AFB, CA
Patrick Henry Village, Germany
ended in Washington D.C.

[Funkmasterr]

Jesus Christ, Nick. I don't even know what to say.

Are the causes/effects/results of WWII and Vietnam the same? Of course not. But the soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines that participated in either conflict were just pawns. Their experiences were very similar: Live combat with people trying to kill you.

As for you... it's easy to be a soldier when there's no war going on. Or in other words, you're quick as hell to bag on all kinds of shit, but other than whining about it on a mostly US message board, I doubt you're putting you neck out for any of the causes you believe in so strongly. If you're so concerned with the shit going on in the world, get up out of your fucking computer chair and take some action instead of sitting at home and whining about whatever the US is doing on that particular day.

Honestly, I've always liked you, but don't fucking bag on Vietnam veterans or any veterans. Impoverished kids from the South, mid-West, etc. who were drafted or joined the service because they felt like they had to deserve your pity not your anger. If you want to be angry at the policymakers who put them in that position, I'll line up behind you, but leave the servicemen and women alone.

Yeah, that...

Honestly, I don't ever recall reading any hate for the servicemen in Namraq from Nick, so I figured this was more stupid Funk had just made up from whole cloth.

That said, I still kinda hate Nick less for his misunderstanding of the serviceman's situation than the Neocons and the retards that support these farcial wars and get the servicemen killed/maimed in the first place.

In regard to your first paragraph - you must not be reading many of his posts in this forum, or you have a severe problem misinterpreting things.

[Xyphir]

Navy Brat.

My father met my mother while stationed on Okinawa. She didn't speak a lick of english and I'm surprised a gaijin boy from the hills of West Virginny was allowed to marry the eldest daughter of a Japanese family. My father was a mineman for most of his Navy career, so he had shore duty. There was one stretch where I went to a different school every year from 4th - 9th grade. Six schools in six years if you're counting. I learned to make friends pretty quickly. The most interesting place we lived was Guam for two years when I was 10 - 11. I never want to live on an island again. It always interesting when people ask me where I'm from. I don't feel attachment to any one place, and feel like my nomadic roaming is a result of the moving we did when I was growing up. My sister, on the other hand, never moved further than 2 hours from where my parents settled and where we spent most of our time in the states.

My father was a lifer (30 years in the Navy), ret. Lt.Cmdr. He'd probably still be in the Navy if they didn't kick him out. On my father's side, my grandfather was in the Navy during WWII, and my grandmother helped build bombers. I figured between them, they served enough for me, but I have dedicated my life towards public service. On my mother's side, my grandfather actually fled to Okinawa to avoid the draft during WWII. My mom's pretty embarrassed by it, so it's like pulling fingernails to get her to discuss it. My father-in-law was in the Navy, even stationed on Japan at some point. My brother-in-law was also in the Navy as well, but he didn't meet my sister until he was discharged.

[Morgrym]

My father was in the Army and in 'Nam but he was not active when I was brought into the world. His Father was in the Navy during WWII and my mothers father served in Korea.

I have been Active duty for 15+ years and would not want it any other way.

[VariaVespasa]

My dads father was career RAF, ending up as a Group Captain. His career spanned both sides of WW2. He served on the HMS Eagle (British aircraft carrier) pre-war too, so he was sorta amphibious. My dad and his brother, and my mothers father all did short stints in the canadian air-force, but that was all before my time.

[masteen]

I grew up in a big Navy town (3 bases on a 15 sq. mile island), so I always had a couple friends who were military brats. Their dads always had the best pron stashes and the most fully stocked bars. Pretty sad that I went to college knowing how to mix well enough to tend bar, but had never seen a vagina IRL.

[Siji]

I joined the military and served 6 years as a reservist.

I don't know why, but I read that as , "joined the military and served 6 years as a rapist". Had to do a double take.

[Ashur]

I joined the military and served 6 years as a reservist.

I don't know why, but I read that as , "joined the military and served 6 years as a rapist". Had to do a double take.

Um, nope. No raping, not even when out of the country....