Mad Medic; a secret veterans’ handshake
Our Buddy, Doc Baily “The Mad Medic” makes a good point in his post at his place that veterans should have a secret handshake so we can identify each other;
I think we Veterans should have a secret handshake that we have when we meet a veteran or Service Member we’re not familiar with. It would be a two handed greeting where one can pass either CAC card or folded DD-214, for the other to recognize. There might even be a secret tap code for conflict or years of service, and this code is only taught to troops that complete one full term of enlistment honorably (and aren’t shit bags). Hell we’re such a small percentage of society we might as well have a secret handshake (I’m pretty sure Ring Knockers already have one of those).
Well, with traitorous bunch like the IVAW, Jake Diliberto’s group and the Breanna Mannings running around, I don’t know how long a handshake would remain a secret. What we need is a national database with an iPhone app (or something that works). AKO does it’s job for me generally, but we need it expanded. And the NPRC knows it’s coming so they should be making preparations for it without being told.
And thanks to Doc for dredging up Willie Williams, he was the guy who started our beat on phony soldiers. Ah, the memories.
Category: Phony soldiers
I don’t know if this was tongue in cheek but indeed in this internet day and age no thing is a ‘secret.’ I mean, everyone can find out secret hand shakes and symbols of various organizations around the world instantly.
Besides, won’t infantry want to have their own handshake to differentiate themselves, and so forth?
I have become suspicious of vietnam Vets that I meet. “Man, I’d like to see that guys dd” was a thought I had even at the 46th 82nd. reunion this year. It is too bad that so many have used stolen valor for personal gaines, that the true vets don’t trust each other.
Doc, ask a Mason about Freemasonry, you’ll get all the handshakes you need.
That’s a great idea! We used to have a “dap” handshake in the old Berlin Brigade….depending on which platoon/ company you were in.
There are two kinds of Vietnam vets. The first is the in country vets, who were actually stationed in Vietnam,and whether they saw any action or not, they were there. The other kind is people like me, who were in DURING the Vietnam War, but were not sent over there. Those who were in country are generally called Vietnam veterans; those that were not are generally called Vietnam-era veterans. I am a Vietnam-ERA veteran, and there is a difference, because with two exceptions, the Navy did not send women to combat zones then. The two exceptions were WAVE line officers who were in public relations. Any other Navy women were Navy nurses stationed on a hospital ship.
I truly never thought until now that there would be cockroaches crawling out of the sewers claiming that they were involved in what was a very unpopular, divisive war, something that split this country in half. And I knew a doctor, a pathologist at the hospital where my mother worked, who got his draft notice and ran away to Canada because he was afraid he’d be sent to Vietnam, when he probably would have been sent to Mannheim or Philadelphia.
But now, you see, it is fashionable to be “a part of it”, and the dorks who would usually be Star Trek geeks are looking for a place to live out their fantasies. When it’s Star Trek or Star Wars, it’s harmless, but when it’s something like finding a garden slug on your shoe, it’s annoying.
I do think, however, that the best faker I ever saw was Eddie Murphy in “Trading Places”, when those two cops ask him where he’d been in Vietnam, and he rattles off something like: “I was in Wang Bang, Quang Lang, I was all over the place”.
no it was actually meant to be tongue and cheek. I was F**king pissed after Tim Poe. I didn’t mention him by name because I was hoping to do an interview with him for Ranger Up, the goal being to get him to admit that he lied. Missed my chance though. gar.
Still there’s a pandemic of SVA violations.
Talk about timely! Last night I was at our local watering hole with a bunch of friends when I was introduced to an “ex-Marine”. I’m sorry to say I automatically became suspicious. The guy looked like he’d been on a three day drunk. I started to grill him and it turns out he was legit, I felt bad for doubting him.
Something has got to give. I doubted this guy until he ‘proved’ to me he had really served. Turns out he joined 1st FSSG just as I was getting out. A few years ago this never would have happened. Forkin’ posers!
Regarding Comments Nos. 2, 5 —
“I have become suspicious of VIETNAM VETS . . .”
“But now, you see, it is FASHIONABLE . . .”
(TRANG BANG — is real,
NOT, that I was there)
Yes, I know — I usually have a folded copy of my DD-214, and, of my Certificate Of Achievement, in a pocket — just in case a man (or lady) wishes proof.
I’m waiting for my DD-215.
Yeah, but you missed the point: the movie script (Wang Bang, Quang Lang) was a spoof.
Sooner or later, DHS would find out about the handshake. The next thing you know, they would be equating it with gang signals…
I’ve often wished for something like this when I was working in tech support, calling a tech support line: a secret phrase or something that simply meant, “Yes, I know what I’m talking about and I already rebooted–the problem is on your end.”
I worked with veterans’ for over 30 years and we always found guys who padded their resume. The problem with Viet Nam is that I have received 1 DD214 and 3 separate DD215s to update awards and correct insufficiencies. Recently a Gunny Sergeant (who was my Platoon Commander) got in touch with me and found out that personal awards for which he and members of my platoon recommended me had never been processed or was lost in submission. Also when the paperwork was going through it was found that due to military bureaucratic errors my rate was not changed at the appriopriate time so there is an issue there. I guess my point is that I have seen the “Viet Nam” (not Era) veterans who were no closer than Balboa or not even in the service. I’ve also seen veterans who should have been awarded citations that were lost or the potential nominees were killed or medevaced prior to being able to do the paperwork. I’m like everyone else. It’s become habit to cross examine veterans’ when they say they’ve been in-country. Afghan and Iraqi (OIF/OEF veterans’ get ready for the wanna-bes).