Independence Day military GAW for current and past service members - winner Shadow213

USNS 12/18/1962 until 12/12/1967 Electrician's Mate 2nd Class. All five years on the USS Suffolk County, LST 1173. (Go Gator Navy!) After discharge, signed on to a Merchant ship in New York city loaded with Ammunition headed for Camron Bay Viet Nam. Didn't get to Nam in the Navy, but wound up going there after my discharge.


Blessings,

Omar
 
USNR '75 - '77 NROTC Texas A&M
USNR Active Duty '77 - '81 USS DENVER (LPD-9) / USS CONSTELLATION (CV-64) (San Diego)
Augmented to USN '81 - '88 USS CONSTELLATION (CV-64) San Diego / USS BLUE RIDGE (LCC-19) Yokosuka Japan / JEWC Kelly AFB San Antonio TX / USS MERRIMACK (AO-179) Norfolk
Back to USNR '88 - '97 COMNAVSURFGRU Westpac Philippines/Korea - COMNAVLOGPAC Singapore/Korea

Most exciting Day was in the Indian Ocean during the Iran Hostage Crisis when, due to 3 unrelated mechanical failures an A-7 lost an engine in flight, A-6 lost all electrical power in flight and an SH-3 lost an engine on take-off, put it's tail rotor into the fresnel lens (pilot landing aid device), missile director and a row of life rafts.

We had an E-6 computer tech on the helo headed over to a cruiser to work on a system and the last thing the CPO and I told him (jokingly) was "He'd better come back with all his tools, THIS TIME." Someone had light fingered a tester on a previous excursion.

When we got him back aboard, he was worried that he had lost ALL the tools. He said he bailed out of the helo with both arms wrapped around the 30+ POUNDS of tool box so he wouldn't loose it. He said that when he saw the keel of the Connie go by in the wrong direction (he was going down and the keel going up - 32 feet down), he thought "F... this" and let go and pulled the CO2 inflation lanyard. When he hit the surface, according to the other flight crewmen, his feet cleared the water by 3 feet.

connie engineer patch.jpg
 
Heck, I'll jump on in! U.S. Navy, Aviation Boatswain's Mate 3rd Class, 1985-89. (USS Nimitz, Air Department, V2 Division, Arresting Gear.)

Below are two knives that belonged to my grandfathers: both had the distinction of being military issue.

The first is an old Camillus TL-29, that my mother's dad carried for years. The family knows he carried a TL-29 pattern in WWII, in both Europe and later in Japan (he was in the Army of Occupation). The tang stamp on this knife indicates 1950's mfr., so this was a later one he carried after the war.


The other knife is a Schrade-Walden that was issued to my dad in the navy in the early 1960's. He was a missile tech on Boomer subs, and didn't need a Rigger's knife, so he gave it to my grandfather, who carried it for years as his fishing knife. When my grandfather died, my dad found it in his tackle box.


Here's my son, after he helped me hang our flag a few years ago for the fourth of July. He was sure proud of his new camo outfit. He wasn't too happy right about then because we were on our way to get his haircut.


~Chris
 
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Thanks for the GAW!

USAF (AD 1998-2013) (ANG 2013-present)

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Me - Exec officer for USAF 2-Star at HQ ISAF, Kabul, AFG. This was my last active duty deployment, normally I'd be wearing a flight suit at 30-thousand feet - this one was an eye-opener.. Much respect to the guys on the ground!

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Augmenting security team for movements around the "city", the groucho edit is apropos - a bunch of goofballs, helped keep me sane while babysitting the general..

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Spent a lot of time and aggravation ensuring security for guys like this (then CSAF, Gen Norton Schwartz) when they came to see my boss..
 
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SSGT USAF 1970 - 1978 97th AMMS BLYTHEVILLE AFB AR AGM -28B Hound Dog Elec/Mech Tech and 44th MIMS ELLSWORTH AFB SD MINUTEMAN II Elec/Mech Tech

Nothing flashy - Cold War Nukes... All stateside

Shadow213, that BUFF brought tears to my eyes... On the inside pylons hung the AGM 28B Hound Dog, long since cut to pieces. A SAC troop forever!

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All during my service time I used my now 39 year old Case slimline trapper in yellow delrin, and it's still part of my EDC.

Thanks for the GAW, a great idea.
 
USN 2011-present Electrician Mate currently stationed in Charleston SC.

Can't post any pictures from my phone. On my way into work

Thanks for the GAW.
 
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USN 87-07 Electronics Technician

My last ship

USS Chosin (CG-65)
c7614c5319e0991dbe9b166383522bc6_zps1a909900.jpg
 
US Army 75 Ranger Regiment 3rd Battalion, don't have any pics, I burned almost everything I had after I got my medical discharge, If my number is chosen I will donate my winnings to a soldier currently serving active duty in our nations Military if he's okay with me mentioning his scree name I will ....RLTW this Video makes me smile everytime I watch it, what I wouldn't give to go back for a day or 3....
[video=youtube;DGMcUVLRaqI]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DGMcUVLRaqI[/video]
 
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to any and all vets please email me at ginrickie1@juno.com and I will email you 3 pages of places you get discount just for being a vet. do you have a cell phone?? did you know by law you get a 15% discount on you cell phone bill for life?? that adds up money saved for all the years that you have one.
 
USN 1991-1999, Cryptologic Technician Collection (CTR). I was stationed in Fla for a year of training, then off to Iceland, Germany, and finally San Diego.

Now, one may wonder why I am posting this pic as something "patriotic",but to me, nothing is more American than family, football, and the ability to pursue what we enjoy. This pic is several years old, but my son sure loved those cheereleaders! They are as American as it gets.

DSC03075.jpg
 
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Ran this one on Random.org, 2-32. I was planning on re-running it if it picked a non-entry post, but fortunately, that didn't happen.



Lucky number 6, Shadow213!

Please PM me your contact/shipping info, and I'll get your prize to you as soon as I get it completed. Cheers!
 
Congrats! Thanks for the chance.
 
Wow....thank you for the great contest and your generosity for this giveaway!!

I'd like to also thank all of my fellow Vets, both former and current military members, for their service.
 
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Congratulations to the winner!

I also want to give special thanks to Crimsonfalcon for doing this GAW!

This GAW was not only incredibly generous and thoughtful, but I had a really good time reading about everyone's service, seeing their pictures and learning a little bit about each of them.

Just entering and posting my pic's brought back a bunch of great memories.

This GAw gave me an opportunity to reminisce, learn a little more about my fellow BFC members and most of all, think again about what it means to serve and live in the greatest country in the world!

To Crimsonfalcon , for doing this GAW, my sincerest heart felt thanks!

To the winner Shadow, and my fellow veterans, thank you for your service!
 
^^^^THIS!!! Congrats to Shadow, and, as with all of us, I extend my thanks to CF for the chance and to all of us, both here and abroad, who have served.....
 
jakemex said:
.....Shadow213, that BUFF brought tears to my eyes... On the inside pylons hung the AGM 28B Hound Dog, long since cut to pieces. A SAC troop forever!........
Click to expand...

The BUFFs will always have a special place in my heart, just like the SAC days at Andersen before it was transitioned to a PACAF support base and the 43rd MMS was dissolved.

PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH!!! :cool:

SAC patch0001.jpg43 MMS patch0001.jpg
 
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