Here we are again, Veteran’s Day. Another year further away from all of it…the incoming mortars and rockets, the @#$% unloading an AK, or an RPG at us, the mines/IEDs, the MREs, the sand/dust, trying to get by on my Arabic or Dari, and the distance from everyone and everything at home. But you had your buddies, people at home supporting you, and definitely knew the other side were right bastards (I’m looking at you Talib, HIG, AQI and Jaish al Mahdi).
Unlike Fourscore, most of us served in an era of support and encouragement. I daresay the material and equipment we worked with was quite amazing too – phones or email home being the first thing that jumped out. (Of course, if you were in Somalia, Afghanistan or Iraq, there was a distinct lack of beer). Lifesaving technologies like the hemostatic bandages were newly in our hands too.
So, while I sit and enjoy being alive, pretty much whole and hale;
Whee!
I do remember that my forebearers had it harder off.
Thus, I will raise a glass to those that came before me, and another one for those that were with me.
Dad in 1946, Uncle Jack in 1943, Grampa in 1945
“You put your weed in it.” Outside Charikar, Afghanistan 2004
Grandfather was a Pearl harbor survivor
Dad enlisted in the Marines in ’57 and did 4 tours of french indochina, amazing guys.
I appreciate all of my army and marine friends who were in the Gulf War, and my father in law and several other friends who were in Vietnam.
Also cheers to Swiss, Fourscore and any others here on Glibs!
A shout out to Ozy!!!
Hes got some stories to tell
Hey I know that guy from the zoom meetings! Thanks Swiss and all the rest of the Glibs veterans. I appreciate and respect every one of you.
We have tons of vets in my family:
Late Uncle: Army, 1940’s France
Dad: US Army, early 60’s
Brother In Law: USAF, Panama
Youngest Kid’s Birth Dad: Navy, nuclear tech on a sub
Youngest Kid’s Birth Mom and Uncle: Army
Youngest Kid’s Husband: Navy
Wife’s High School Buddy: USAF
Plus several of my hockey teammates from all the branches (even Coast Guard)
With my kid being a Navy wife, we’re learning a lot. These days they are much better at communication. She talks to him almost every day, except when they’re doing shooty things. Care packages get there in a few weeks, and sometimes they can get Amazon orders on the ship. This is a lot better for morale.
I’m a bit melancholy as my Vietnam veteran uncle is currently suffering from heart failure and slowly declining.
It reminds me that the Vietnam veterans are going the way of the Korean veterans (my wife’s now deceased father) and the few WW II veterans left.
One of my regrets is not getting a chance to talk to my Grandpa about his time in WW2 and Korea. Was even a POW of the Nazis at one point. A machine gunner. Loathed Patton. That’s all I got to know as he decidedly refused to talk about it…at least when I was younger.
Don’t know if he would have shared anything when I was older or if he just didn’t want to touch on it all. Didn’t see him much after moving to Florida.
My grandfather was a bit too old to serve in WW2. He was commercial airline pilot and wound up as a civilian pilot flying unarmed PBY and PB2Y from the manufacturer to various bases within the US. They were armed at the bases. The stories he told me were ones acquainting new Navy pilots with the equipment.
After the war there was such a glut of pilots he had to look for other work.
I have known a lot of WWII vets. None of them would talk about it at all. That should tell you what you need to know.
I take that back. There was one. He talked about it a lot. He was a stone-cold sociopathic killer and proud of it. I asked him why none of his fellow vets would talk about it. He said it wasn’t just what they saw but also what they had done. He assured me that if you were not there you were not qualified to judge.
Not just in the war, he became a cop when he got home and killed a few people doing that. When they finally had to cut him loose he ran for Justice of the Peace and won. He killed a few people doing that as well.
In the end he lived alone way out in the woods away from everyone and was extremely paranoid, afraid that someone would come looking for him. Some brother, father, friend of his many kills. He ended up having a stroke in his yard while picking up pecans. it was a month before anyone found him.
A fitting death for his likes.
My great uncle was a gunner in a bomber in WWII. He never talked about it at all.
Was killed several years ago at the city recycling center when a kid in a forklift backed over him.
In high school I did a project where I interviewed my uncle about the Depression and WWII. He talked about the war, but just some non-combat parts. I remember he was a machine gunner in France. I really wish I had talked to him more. But I was a dumb high school kid, and had dumb high school kid things on my mind.
Forgot another one, for a few years I was in a church choir and my fellow bass was a guy of German ancestry who was a marine in the Pacific. Once I asked which battle, and he said “all of them”.
Like TOK I did an interview with a WWII vet, mine was in the 90s. Guy was a waist gunner in a B17, the only one to have a confirmed kill on a Me262 jet.
Had three B17s shot out from under him and lost ten fellow crewmen. He was OK until he started talking about watching the bombs hit German cities. He couldn’t handle that, which he brought up.
The only real case of shell shock I have seen.
I was in a Warrior Transition Unit in 08-10 having a bunch of surgeries at Ft Campbell. None of the guys I know that claimed to have PTSD in my cohort group of soldiers had PTSD.
Charlie had PTSD.
Suthenboy – one of my teachers was a ball turret gunner on a B-17 in WW2. He was an Augustinian Brother in my HS. He never said one word about his service.
He was such a nice guy compared to the other religious there that I had no desire to even ask him. I think he likely drove his desire to join the religious life.
I had a great uncle in the South Pacific. He only ever said one thing about it.
“400 days never outside the sound of gunfire.” That was it. He never said anything else. He also refused to hunt or even touch a gun.
My dad’s wife’s uncle fought in Iwo, he talked about it, as did a girlfriend’s grandfather. Both had similar stories of having their ruck shot through several times and losing most of their units.
DWU was in his late 20s. I believe he got a field commission on Iwo, one line I’ll never forget him saying was that he found a Garand on the beach, threw away his thirty carbine and spent the rest of the war with the Garand.
I have known several veterans, from multiple wars (and peaces). Some of them carry it close to the surface, but to others it was just a thing they did and a place they went for a while.
What does that mean? Damned if I know.
Thanks Switzy for this. Great reminder to give my old man a call, on two counts.
Am I the asshole?
Possibly
I do not have direct line military in my family last 4 generations, but dad did have 3 uncles who served in ww2, one army, one navy, one airforce… probably on both sides… all survived the war.
My father served in the Marines between Korea and Vietnam. No shooting involved. His brother was in the Navy, but spent all his time in airplanes (technology of some sort or another). My sister serviced in the Army after Vietnam and before Iraq.
I never served.
Our dads were in at the same time (my dad was Army). If he had re-enlisted he’d have been sent to Vietnam. He was in during the Cuban Missile Crisis, and when Kennedy was shot. Typical of my dad, during the Cuban Missile Crisis he was pissed because the base was locked down and the wouldn’t let him go home for the weekend.
My father was out by summer of 56. Hence, my birth in spring of 57.
Same here TOK, but my dad was in Key West at a Naval base during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Got out before the VN war. His Dad was never in WW2 due to the strategic importance of mining to the war effort.
My Mom’s dad and all of his brothers were in WW2 except one and he was in Korea. Only one brother never returned (Marine died at the battle for Saipan). My Grandfather never talked much about WW2 except that he would never go to the VA for anything, he hated the VA hospital. He spent a long time in the hospital after being injured fighting in Italy. He finally went to the doctor for the first time in 40 years after he had severe jaundice in the late 80’s. Tough old bird that he was.
My father served with the USMC during Vietnam, and I had members of my high school friend group go into each of the different branches (yes, even the Coast Guard).
I was self aware enough that the military would not have been a good fit for me, but the USMC recruiters kept calling asking me to enlist all through high school. They only stopped when I advised them I was 120 pounds and 5′ 10″.
God I feel old.
Look at me.
Are you looking?
You’re welcome for my service.
Missed opportunity
The summit will be attended by European heads of state and China’s President Xi Jinping is expected. Its theme — which the U.S. State Department has objected to — is “solidarity, equality and sustainability.”
“South Africa is doing very bad things,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio posted on X in February. “Using G20 to promote ‘solidarity, equality, & sustainability.’ In other words: DEI and climate change.”
Maybe Gavin Newsom will go and represent the People’s Republic of California after he’s done getting his ass kissed in Brazil.
I fully support the rest of the world embracing DEI and Global Warming. I also support the slimy grifters here pushing that shit to leave here and push their scam elsewhere.
The Africans are finding out very fast that the Chinese aren’t the benevolent developers they presented themselves to be.
…and the Chinese are going to find out why everyone else eventually threw up their hands and left Africa.
I love that NPR is there – again – to tell us not to believe what is in front of our eyes. What would we do without them?
I am always thankful that my enlistment was during a time of relative peace (late ’80s). We were training to fight the Russians, but never had to.
For all of you who had to engage in combat, you have my utmost respect and gratitude.
https://x.com/libsoftiktok/status/1988264053429403896
Chinese bridge go boom.
Some of that quality Chinese engineering.
It was clearly labelled as built by white people though. Hongqi
Filming in portrait mode.
That’s almost as bad as the bridge collapse.
I served as a weekend warrior during peace time, too young to get the shit the Vietnam guys got, too old to get the kudos the Gulf guys got. Never had to dodge a bullet, rocket, or IED, thankfully. I remember the first time someone said they wanted to thank me for my service, I was like, “Why?”
Dad was an attack helicopter pilot in Vietnam, 2 tours. Distinguished Flying Cross, Bronze Star, and a bunch of other awards. Didn’t talk about with me much, but had stories I’d eavesdrop in on when him and his buddies were drinking beer. He was once downed three times in one morning, two due to enemy fire, one due to equipment. He broke into the officer’s club and started drinking and when his XO found him and said he had to fly. He replied, “can’t, drinking.” Said he got in shit over that, but didn’t regret it.
My uncle was flying helicopters in Vietnam for the Marines.
He sent out an email years ago about one of the battles he fought in. He was shot down twice in one day (his copter bringing troops in and then the rescue copter that tried to get him out). Had to spend the night on the ground with the troops. The next day they fought their way out to a spot that was safe enough to get evacuated by choppers.
Sounded like a pretty hairy deal. I am glad he made it back. He was one of the few relatives from that side of the family tree that was worth knowing.
When I get a “thank you for your service”, my usual response is “I’m no hero”.
These guys, on the other hand:
https://platedlizard.blogspot.com/2025/01/gallows-humor-battle-of-buna-gona-1943.html
suggested music
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JcYMfhV8454
I got a few salutes at the parade even though I was just spectator. Must have been from the WW2 jacket and helmet I was wearing. Army green will always be my favorite color.
That photo you linked was the first photo showing US dead released by the USG during the war. Even though no person can be individually identified, the photo caused a bit of an issue.
It is well composed and tells a small tale of loss and sacrifice.
I thank people for feeding us.
Thank you for your foodservice.
My grandfather was part of the Invasion of Sicily. He died before I was born but my dad told me that the war kind of messed him up and he rarely discussed it.
BREAKING: Turkish military cargo plane C-130 crashes on Georgia-Azerbaijan border, Turkey’s defense ministry says
https://x.com/TheInsiderPaper/status/1988227844301029510
The wing and fuselage separated from the nose and tail sections. I’ve never seen anything like that before.
True.
https://x.com/thenewarea51/status/1988277172486766918
That’s wild.
I wonder how old the airframe is and if it had anything to do with it.
That’s exactly what climate change predicted.
I’m currently reading about the battle for Okinawa, written by an Army artillery major who witnessed the carnage. Story after story of incredible bravery in the face of horrific fire from hidden Japanese machine gun nests. Lots and lots of medals won ( most awarded posthumously). How did these heroes dig down and take foolhardy risks? I think I would have spent every battle huddled in a deep foxhole with perpetually soiled shorts.
Dad’s dad was in the 69th Flying Tigers in WWII. No combat, helped the trucks deliver supplies over the Burma Road. Top Gear covered in the Burma Special.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a0/Ledo_Burma_Roads_Assam-Burma-China.gif/330px-Ledo_Burma_Roads_Assam-Burma-China.gif
Mom’s dad was in France in ’45, no combat. Apparently, he spent a lot of time dancing with French gals.
Dad, b. 1949, got help from Poppee and was in the Nat’l Reserves. I wouldn’t be here if he went to VN. Got out of a lot by being a “faggoty queer” cuz he could type. Still thinks his time at Ft. Leonard Wood was *the* crucial time in his life, exposing him to different people, ones Abingdon, VA didn’t have. He took us there in the 90s. We stole a human-shaped target, simply drove on out with Charlie in the passenger seat.
Dad would forcibly conscript all males into military service if he could, never for combat, but for the experience *he* had in Basic. He’s obsessed with the camaraderie. He’s also obsessed with “maleness,” or “guyness,” so there *is* an odd Aspie link to his gaydom.
The family kinda jokes about it. He certainly doesn’t ‘understand’ women. He’s straight, but other than kids, I swear he’d love to be a fag. Like, *really* like it.
Dad’s grandpa was in WWI and perhaps his biggest regret, other than See Above, is not talking to him about his service.
The wing and fuselage separated from the nose and tail sections. I’ve never seen anything like that before.
Straight line separations, like they forgot to rivet the ends on.
well, Turkish maintainence……..
I wonder if a propeller went through the front of the fuselage?
Plenty of torque and force to do so
Since the tail section was not visible in the video, I will guess that it separated first (and separated completely). The aerodynamic forces on the airframe then separated the nose section which was falling basically in parallel with the wings and center fuselage.
The weird part is usually the wings would detach/fold up under those sorts of stresses.
Its a strange mix of total airframe failure, but not enough force to detach the wings.
And here in NYC they’d be bringing charges against this vet.
https://abc7.com/post/vietnam-veteran-describes-deadly-confrontation-naked-intruder-studio-city/18142561/
Trying to ‘talk someone off the ledge’ is very admirable. But best practice is to do it from outside the range of contact weapons.
Yes, and until these DA’s are held responsible for their evil that kind of shit will keep happening. I dont know how everyone else does it but here DA’s are elected. I am unaware of any of it happening here.
NYC is elected. (I believe the state too, but I’ll let folks that know respond.) NJ is appointed. The appointment process worked well in NJ until roughly 20 years ago and was generally apolitical. Team Red prosecutors got nominated by Team Blue governors.
Now it is exactly as you expect.
I joined in 04.
Big army support
Took a year to get to to Iraq.
My entire unit existed to get the Sr NCOs a meritorious bronze Star and another rank.
Huge waste of time.
I got run over by another solider in 07 and didn’t get to go to Afghanistan, which was OK as I was going to be stuck on tower duty all deployment because my chain of command hated me. The feeling was mutual. If I ever run into any of those traitors I’ll be doing hard time but the world will be a few bastards lighter.
Sounds like a nice place to hang out
Ford has built a simulation lab in an office complex there. It holds a new dealership design that Ford dubs “Ford Signature 2.0” that the automaker hopes all of its 9,000 dealerships worldwide will eventually adopt.
Ford Signature 2.0 is more than just a freshening to curb appeal or new art and furniture for a dealership. It involves a totally new concept and approach to selling and servicing cars. With it, comes training for dealership staff to work within a new environment to emphasize hospitality and lower sales pressure to customers.
In fact, you’ll hear Ford leaders repeatedly saying “hospitality first” when they talk about Ford Signature 2.0. It’s because the entrance to the dealerships is redesigned to feel more like you’re walking into a hotel than a car store.
Gone will be a reception desk, replaced by an open-concept showroom with lounge seating, a center area with food and beverages and a person to greet the customer. Whether the customer is coming to buy a car or get their car serviced, they will each experience the same greeting and access to the open showroom with food, beverages, Ford vehicle displays, Ford accessories and clothing also exhibited throughout.
I have absolutely no idea what Ford dealerships are like currently. The only dealership I have been in in forever is the local Honda dealer, for the parts counter. It’s large, clean and reasonably inoffensive.
Large.
Lots of glass.
Showing you that they don’t make any money at all, nope they advertise their opulence.
They should focus on quality, ease of maintenance, and price but that won’t happen.
Nothing makes you feel more like a man than a Thundercougarfalconbird.
I like the cougar and the falcon/t bird based rancheros.
‘Nothing makes you feel more like a man than a cougar.’
That… does make sense.
It’s really a giant question mark. The whole protected state by state dealer model determines your buying experience.
The fact that Ford and essentially any non EV dealer can’t sell direct is what determines a good portion of the customer experience.
They can try to mandate certain things as part of the franchise agreement, but that can be a state by state and possibly franchise by franchise contract fight.
Yeah, I’m not there to pay for an experience. Get me in and out at a reasonable price and don’t play games trying to upsell me. Thats all I ask of a dealership.
This is why I buy cars off of Craigslist.
My grandfather served in WWI, but he got overseas in September and the war ended in November, so he never saw any action. My father was a mechanic in the Army Air Corps working on B24s, mostly in El Paso. He was supposed to get shipped to England but some beauracratic snafu occurred and he never left the states.
Since we’re swapping stories… Our friend went to nursing school, then entered the USAF as an officer. They put him on C-130’s transporting severely wounded people from Iraq and Afghanistan to Rammstein. That was right about the time many of my hockey teammates lost limbs. I often wonder if they had crossed paths.
Levi – Revolutionary War
Thadeaus – Civil War
Grandpa – WW2
Grandpa – Korean War
Dad – Vietnam
Uncle- Vietnam/GW1
Me – GWOT
We are a warlike nation regardless if we think otherwise
Looks like we have our own Lt. Dan.
Given I am of Scandinavian blood…I could go back further. I am surprised I am even here
Germanics/Scandies are so warlike. Britain conquering a quarter of the world by sea makes a lot more sense when you realize they are themselves of somewhat Viking stock.
I haven’t watched news much lately. I see another drug boat shot in the eastern pacific.
I am reminded of Brad Pitt’s line in Fury.
“How long will you keep going?”
“Until you people quit.”
I agree with Trump. The Chinese, Venezuelans and drug gangs are waging war. on us with dope. Shoot them all.
Issue letters of marque then. You know some good ole boys would defend the shores
Only if they play this on repeat.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dEjXPY9jOx8
I thought itd be this
Trying to attack the supply side of the drug market has failed abjectly. Trying to attack the demand side? I would say that we haven’t really made a serious effort at it.
‘ Trying to attack the demand side?’
How would you do that? Arrest all people who are on drugs? mandated rehab?
You are both right…which leaves us where?
Trying to attack the demand side? I would say that we haven’t really made a serious effort at it.
Do you D.A.R.E. to say it?
Legalization and tariffs against imported drugs. Let’s develop and protect a domestic drugs industry.
Again, big obvious problems exist because people, especially those in charge, want them to exist.
Yes, D.A.R.E. is a perfect example. It is about the money. No one gives a fuck about the drug problem, they just want their budgets expanded.
If the drug problem goes away so does their budget.
I would posit that we have done everything possible to maximize the number of drug addicts out there.
Devalue men and men’s work. Devalue families. Rampant inflation. Etc. etc.
They can try to mandate certain things as part of the franchise agreement, but that can be a state by state and possibly franchise by franchise contract fight.
I’m sure all those small town Ford dealers are just chomping at the bit to throw a couple million dollars at “upgrading” their showrooms.
I seem to recall GM using forced showroom and facility upgrades to run a bunch of Hummer dealers off. Maybe that was an urban myth.
The manufacturers can try to force spending on dealers. It depends on the contract. For example during the electric push Cadillac was trying to push major spending and dealers either sold them back to GM or litigated.
But if you live in a state with that has protectionist laws and you are the only Ford dealer in 50 miles by law you aren’t going be feeling like you need to spend millions on your already functional showroom.
If the sales vultures still work on commission, then any facility change they make is just window dressing. The high pressure part will not go away.
Be only dealt with one dealership on a purchase. A second that called me to tell Me they sold a pickup for less than i offered and drove it to Montana for a guy. Joe hall Ford I will never darken your door as long as I live.
It seems to me that the middle management guys are the real scum. They must get a cut of the sale that the salesmen are trying to negotiate.
Ford should put cocktail lounges in their showrooms. Have a few beers with the salesman before you put that GT3 Mustang through its paces.
Shout out to Swiss for helping me understand that stateside service is still meritorious and worthy.
Nothing like joinging up and sitting in an American desert while friends and foes alike shipped off to the sandbox; some to return, others not.
They should focus on quality, ease of maintenance, and price
Haha, you slay me.
I got to where it only took
Me two
And a half hours to change the radiator in my 14 Raptor. Failed like clockwork every 20,000 miles.
Oh ya, my grandma knew Rosie the Riveter, or her standin, personally.
There is a cemetery in Pineville, Louisiana with a section of about 60 graves, every one of them, some of them with no name listed, died over Dresden. I assume they were known us airmen but unidentifiable as individuals. Most just read “Died over Dresden, Germany February 1945”
I am guessing the feds purchased those plots because it is just down the road a bit from a federal cemetery…there was no room left in it because it is chock-a-block full of both Union and Confederate civil war dead.
Threedoor made me think of that.
I keep thinking of the guys shaking their fists in the air and screaming “The Fatherland demands sacrifice!” before going back to their palace to have their boots polished and dine on steak.
We are not civilized and we are led by evil people.
Since the tail section was not visible in the video, I will guess that it separated first (and separated completely). The aerodynamic forces on the airframe then separated the nose section which was falling basically in parallel with the wings and center fuselage.
Maybe the nose blew off like a champagne cork after a few flat spins.
https://www.theautopian.com/someone-just-paid-30000-for-a-1985-chevy-cavalier-and-i-want-to-know-why/
Insanity.
Maybe someone had sentimental memories of the first place they got laid?
huh. I keep looking at that 1917 Browning…..one would make a nice conversation piece for the living room.
Love makes us do funny things, and sometimes that funny thing is being willing to pay way over market value for a pristine Chevrolet Cavalier. Then again, we don’t exactly know why the winning bidder of this Cavalier shelled out $30,000 on it, but so long as they’re happy, maybe it’s not so crazy. There are worse ways to spend $30,000, aren’t there?
Yes, flaming douchebag autopian loser, there are. On a brand new Miata, for instance.
LOL, not a Miata fan?
Brooks is missing out. Miatas are gobs of fun on a track.
I am imagining some long, tangled tale of fuckups wherein a car with its body packed with dope gets lost and ends up at the auction with two competing dealers bidding against each other to get the car back.