Real Vets? Can History Be Rewritten?
Prompted by some of the comments here.
And shaded by 40 odd years of occasional melancholy and a more current exercise.
I always figured that much of the negativity associated with REMFs and FOBBITS was sorta like the inter-service rivalry we all enjoy. Sure there are shitheads who engender less than collegial feelings, but isn’t much of it less than real animosity?
As for the broader divide of combat vs non-combat – I have struggled with that some but pretty much relegated such thoughts to being a waste of time. You sign up, take the oath, and do what you are told to the best of your ability. Used to work for me quite nicely too.
Now for some background on my current effort that may belie all I’ve said. The Navy introduced the Combat Action Ribbon in February ’69 and I was discharged in May of ’69.
I have this:
Click to enlarge
So I’ve begun a process (thanks TSO) of seeing if I earned the CAR. With luck I might complete the bureaucratic song and dance before I die.
There were other ships, and other events that would be even harder to verify even though they are in my memory, but I’m going with this one.
Which brings us to… Why bother?
Posting here has dredged up feelings I thought long gone. I sincerely doubt any here cares much, but I guess I DO care about the combat/non-combat divide after all?
Category: Geezer Alert!
Not at all sure that it really matters one way or the other. If it is something important to you – as in something which perhaps just needs to be completed, then go for it! The fact of the matter is simply that you were there, you earned it. Most of the rest of us didn’t, which has nothing whatever to do with any of our relative worth.
Acknowledging who you are and what you did does not indicate an unnatural or unhealthy view of the combat/non-combat divide. Those of us who make the decision to do so can quite happily play somewhere in the middle of that divide.
What are you talking about does it matter? You should get it so we can put in on a single ribbon mount and pound it into your chest eight hundred times.
Oh and I have a account on the Wiki so I can add additional info on the USS England (DLG-22) entry.
Inter-service rivalry? What inter-service rivalry?
Fuck that, Zero; if you earned it, you deserve to get it, period, end of story. Good luck in your trek, my friend.
You know, I pick on one of my friends who joined the Air Force. I know two guys who were like brothers in high school, one joined the Corps and one joined the Navy. They go on and on. However, at an event a few years ago at the Newport Loyalty Days (a weekend to honor those currently serving), we all got together to help out a fellow service member.
Some douche was drunk and didn’t understand that no meant no when he was trying to pick up a female Coastie. Well, he went hands on and saw what four members of the U.S. Armed Forces (all in a different version of the same uniform) could do. The bouncer at the bar just laughed as we picked him up and remade the 4-on-1 dwarf toss with a full-sized douche. The Coastie bought us all a round of shots and we invited her to our table. And yes, we all had permission to drink in uniform (beer in Newport is free in uniform on that weekend).
I don’t care what uniform you wear or when you wore it. We are all brothers and sisters in the same family. I might toss some shit at you, but when it is tossed from outside the family… Well, then things get interesting.
I know what I did and people who know me know what I did and that is all that matters to me. I didn’t do it for awards or ribbons and that is all I have to say.
JPJ #6: I rather strongly agree, but you’ll please forgive me for being curious about my time? [grin]