Memorial Day - Don't Be Dumb

Do no support wounded warrior project.
Huge mis management of money.

But yeah, this day honors the dead. Rip to al the real Heros who ga e their all.
A great uncle passed storming Normandy. Another uncle who lived to be 97 was injured there and had some wild stories toward the end of his life. He shared a lot with my oldest brother. I was a little too young for that, but he did show me his wounds. I never knew he had half his foot blown off (plus destroyed hip from shrapnel)

 

My brother, a naval aviator (F-4 Phantom pilot), went through Pensacola/Miramar top gun training in 1964, was assigned to the USS Midway. When he left to go to Vietnam (I was 14 then) he said to me, "When I return, we will go hunting again to Mona Island" (off of the west coast or PR).
He never came back. Missing at sea. I am still waiting..........

 

I'm sorry, Barry.
Is that the same midway that is the museum in San Diego?

 

True that they don't get the help or the attention that is needed, but they still should be honored in our thanks, thoughts and prayers.

 

Good luck with your message in this country of entitlements and entitled people. I support your thoughts ,

 

Yes, it is. I am told I should go visit it; I will someday. I owe it to my family.

 

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sorry Barry! I wish I could of thanked your brother, REALLY! CHRIS KYLE! I literally just finished American Sniper a hr ago! not my first time so when my wife heard TAPS at the end she came in the room and threw a kleenex box at me! fkn senseless!

 

Wars are political disagreements wherein old men & women politicians send valiant patriotic young men & women to die or be maimed.

Make politicians fight in the front lines of the next war. There won't be any more wars after that.

I always take out-of-towners to The Tomb of the Unknowns, Changing of the Guard. Mandatory. Also mandatory is that we walk the entire way up to that hallowed ground. You will not take the trolley for fat lazy asshats.

Saw a good slogan on a Navy vet's shirt this wknd at the Lincoln Memorial:
'If you can read this, thank a teacher. If you can read this in English, thank a veteran.'

On a related note, when the WWII memorial opened in 2004, that was one of the most powerful Memorial Day wknds ever in DC. Those guys, that incredible generation, came pouring in, what was remaining of their numbers. As well, the impromptu ceremonies at the Vietnam Wall that wknd had a lot of people in tears.

cooter, I'm sorry about your older brother going that way. Some things are universal.

 

Thank you.
And you are right about your definition of war. Exactly right.

 

In February of 1969 5th Special Forces Green Beret Lieutenant David M**** (my dad) led his B-20 Mobile Strike Force (Mike Force) personnel 30 clicks S/SE of Bam Me Thouet for a mission into “Happy Valleyâ€. On the third afternoon the platoon size element encountered a stream crossing and the mixed force of Americans and Montagnards quickly spread out and went on line to cross.

As they stretched out the distance of a hundred or so meters and crossed, the smaller "yards" were having difficulty. The stream banks were steep in sections and the water was deepest in the section of the squad in the center. The squad on the right flank navigated the water in a broader section and thus had only a waist high bank to scale before exiting. As the right flank led by Sgt. Maurice V. Gabriel cleared the bank and small brush and trees near the waters edge they came under fire.

Lt Moley hurriedly threw a few more yards up the slope and crawled his way up and over the bank to see a mixed force of NVA and VC firing at them from a few thatched structures and from a small trench only 40 meters directly ahead. He began firing his CAR-15 and picked up one yard by his gear that went prone to fire and kicked another in the a$s who was also prone. He yelled at them to get up and move. Capt. Moley noticed several of the NVA had started to flee as the entire Mike Force group cleared the banks. He looked to his right to see the Sgt. Gabriel out ahead of his yards running and firing. He fired at the NVA fleeing and looked again to see Sgt. Gabriel reach the small trench and jump completely over it while firing his CAR-15 down and directly between his legs. He then shoulder rolled on the other side back to a standing position.

They area was quickly cleared and Sgt. Gabriel appeared with a Springfield 1903 rifle as Capt. Moley asked about him what he just saw. Sgt. Gabriel said he could see the VC pop up and fire a round then drop back down. He closed the distance between him and the VC so quickly that the VC never got a chance to pop back up as Sgt. Gabriel ran. The VC was shot by Sgt. Gabriel from above as leapt the small trench.

The rifle was found next to the VC with a different caliber round chambered than what the 1903 fires. The VC had wrapped paper around the casing of the round that was in the chamber at the time. Sgt. Gabriel received a Bronze Star for his actions and later gave the rifle to my dad.

Tragically Sgt. Gabriel died re-entering a submarine off the coast of Korea during a training exercise many years later.

RIP Maurice V. Gabriel.


Memorial Day.

 

forgot to post a pic of the rifle......fvck

 

You dad was in thick of it, thank him for his service, since a click is a thousand yards, 30 clicks would put his
"Mike Force" near Laos border where most 3rd and 5th SF operated. Ask your dad if he ever crossed paths with Charlie Beckwith (RIP) with SF, he lead a group of Montagnards ambushing VC crossing the border.

 

I am sorry for your loss Barry.

I never knew my grandfather as he died and was buried in France during WW11 when my dad was just 12 yrs. old. My dads family were to poor to have his body sent home, in fact they lost everything (their farm) when his father died.When my old man retired he visited his fathers grave which happen to be France version of Memorial Day. Some older Frenchmen asked him why he was there. He told them he was visitng his fathers grave for the first time. They insisted he and my mother come to their house and fed and thanked him for his fathers, and his familys sacrifice. I think this finally helped my old man let go of some of his anger and to heal at least a little.

 

Awesome story!!! And thanks for sharing it, as well as thinking of my brother.