Random Thoughts Showing 15,251-15,300 of 17,689

[happy]

Terri wrote: "happy, the ladies do like a bit of sexy facial scarring and a tale to tell. Maybe instead of dueling..a sniper grazed you when you were laying down some suppressive fire as a door gunner?? When you..."

That would explain why if I ever have to ride in a helicopter it would be too soon :)

When I was in the Army, we went everywhere on them, they flew NOE (nap of the earth -120 mph and 15ft off the ground) with the doors either off or pined back. I don't like rollercoasters and I am given to understand it is one of the best :D

IMnotsoHO, if God had intended copters to fly he would have put wings on them like any sensible airplane!!!

[Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd]

May wrote: "Terri, is that the plot line to your next book??? 😉"

Haha. Hmm. It could be. If I ever get bored with the 11th Century, I may give it a go. :-D

[Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd]

I tend to agree about choppers, happy. I get a bit weird about something that can drop out of the sky in the blink of an eye. Bending rotors. Thin air. Updraughts.
Nope. Give me fixed wing for sure.

[Bobby]

Flew many times in Hueys in Vietnam. Due to their ability to autorotate if the engine or fuel line got hit, a good pilot could bring them down in one piece...usually! Hard landings but walked away from them.

[May]

Thank you for your service, Bobby

[happy]

Bobby wrote: "Flew many times in Hueys in Vietnam. Due to their ability to autorotate if the engine or fuel line got hit, a good pilot could bring them down in one piece...usually! Hard landings but walked away ..."

Bobby, I echo May, many thanks for your service

In my mind, I know helicopters are at least as safe, if not safer, than fixed wing ac, my heart tells me another story :)

I had few friends who where pilots when I was in, they said it SOP to come back with branches stuck in the landing gear of their UH-60s. I was in just as the Army was replacing their Hueys with Blackhawks. The Aviation BNs all had Blackhawks, but he Inf Bdes, DivArty and Med Bn still flew Hueys in their aviation sections.

[Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd]

You were a door gunner weren't you, Bobby? Or am I remembering that wrong..

[Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd]

I suppose that is the thing with choppers vs fixed wing. Fixed wing you're at higher altitude and less likely to be shot down. Choppers are such sitting ducks a lot of the time. But if you are shot down...wouldn't we all rather be in a chopper than fixed wing!? As Bobby says, hit hard and rattle you, but fixed wing. Yikes. You're done for. :-)

[Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd]

Of course, there is another alternative. Try not to get in either...or take a boat. Lol
My Uncle is a Vietnam Vet. Armoured vehicle, He'll tell you to stay on the ground as much as possible. :-)

A couple days ago there were two Blackhawks circling the hill right behind our house. They must have circled it ten times. They were right on top of the trees. So low and so close to the house that they would have seen me leaning on the back fence with my Jack Russell giving them the "are you fellas right?" Look.

Cattle were a bit weirded out. Then just left. (The Blackhawks not the cows).
It was strange.

[Margaret, Sherlockian Sheila]

happy wrote: "Terri wrote: "happy, the ladies do like a bit of sexy facial scarring and a tale to tell. Maybe instead of dueling..a sniper grazed you when you were laying down some suppressive fire as a door gun..."
A friend of mine is an ex Nam vet. Their contention is that helio pilots aka rotor heads are not exactly sane.

[Margaret, Sherlockian Sheila]

Terri wrote: "Of course, there is another alternative. Try not to get in either...or take a boat. Lol
My Uncle is a Vietnam Vet. Armoured vehicle, He'll tell you to stay on the ground as much as possible. :-)

A..."

SAS on manouvers again?

[happy]

Margaret wrote: "...A friend of mine is an ex Nam vet. Their contention is that helio pilots aka rotor heads are not exactly sane. ..."

There is no question about that. My father was in flight school in 1963 and says the best thing that ever happened to him in the Army was washing out!

[Margaret, Sherlockian Sheila]

There's a company offering helicopter flights up the Thames in London. My response to that is a great big nope.

Same goes for the duck rides up the Thames. Too many of the bloody things have sunk for my liking.

[Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd]

It may have been SAS.

[Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd]

Steer clear of chopper joy rides. *shivers* a few of those gone bad lately.

[happy]

Esp over the Grand Canyon - they lost one last year. it seems every year one goes down.

[Margaret, Sherlockian Sheila]

Terri wrote: "Steer clear of chopper joy rides. *shivers* a few of those gone bad lately."

Choppers just completely give me the willies.

[Adrian]

They move too slowly to stay in the air!

It's like you're hanging by a thread like the sword of Damocles.

Of course, my wife loves them (and would have loved to have been a chopper pilot in a different life), which can put rather a strain on things sometimes. I've never said no to a chopper ride but she knows how much I hate them so doesn't ask often. Mind you, she's booked us on a cruise ship next year which has its own chopper...

So I'm reviewing my will.

[Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd]

I actually flinched when I read cruise ship and chopper together. Nope. No way. You couldn't pay me.

[Adrian]

I would have been the same a few years back. Cruise ships were one of my concepts of hell...floating RSLs that get hosed out once a week.

But there are cruise ships and cruise ships. The good ones are amazing, but you need to save your pennies...hence, next year.

[Jerry]

Adrian wrote: "They move too slowly to stay in the air!

It's like you're hanging by a thread like the sword of Damocles.

Of course, my wife loves them (and would have loved to have been a chopper pilot in a dif..."

Can I put in a good word for helicopters? During my time in mountain rescue in the UK, they were really useful and could get you into some tight spots pretty effectively, so long as they had reasonable visibility. We seemed to have about one fixed-wing aircraft crash about every five years, and on one occasion the copter crew flew us into the crash site and waited while we extracted the three passengers who were all still alive -just. Sure enough, the mist descended again but the pilot flew them out by hovering just above the guy with the brightest waterproof jacket as he led it down a path that kept it clear of nearby cliffs until it was below cloud level. One excellent piece of flying.

They can be mighty useful things in the right circumstances.

[Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd]

Thanks for sharing that story, Jerry. They certainly are useful. Can go all the places fixed wing can't.

I still won't get on one if I can avoid it though. :-)

[Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd]

Adrian floating RSLs that get hosed out once a week is exactly how I see cruise ships. Lol. Good description.

[Andy]

To my Anzac friends I believe the proper greeting on this day is "lest we forget"

[Adrian]

Onya, Cobber Dingo Blue!

[Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd]

It was, Andy. A special day of remembrance for our country.

I see they held an ANZAC service in London, which Harry went to.
Nice to see.

[Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd]

Well, I am back on top of the world...or at least..getting there.

I had a small surgery a few weeks back, but had my big surgery last week. Came home on the weekend to recover. Now I'm healing.
The good news for me so far is that my results from surgery were benign. :-)
So, once I am all healed up, look out! I'll be fighting fit and ready to take up my place in the shieldwall again. :-D

[May]

So very glad with the benign news!!! Wishing you a complete & healthy recovery!! Your shield is waiting & ready!! 😉

[Allison]

Yay!!!! So happy for you! You were due for some good news.

[happy]

Terri wrote: "Well, I am back on top of the world...or at least..getting there.

I had a small surgery a few weeks back, but had my big surgery last week. Came home on the weekend to recover. Now I'm healing.
Th..."

Great News!!

[Andy]

Grand news for you Terri, made up for you! Positive thoughts see :)

And yes we have quite a few Anzac day parades/salutes in blighty, even my local town (Weymouth - former naval port) has a small ceremony as many 1000's of Anzac's recuperated here although over a 100 didn't survive their wounds from Gallipoli.

[Margaret, Sherlockian Sheila]

Terri wrote: "Well, I am back on top of the world...or at least..getting there.

I had a small surgery a few weeks back, but had my big surgery last week. Came home on the weekend to recover. Now I'm healing.
Th..."
That is wonderful news. <3

[Marilyn]

Glad to hear things are looking up, Terri. 😊
Please, for this Yank here, what is ANZAC Day? Cheers and good tidings to all. We are buddies.

[Margaret, Sherlockian Sheila]

Marilyn wrote: "Glad to hear things are looking up, Terri. 😊
Please, for this Yank here, what is ANZAC Day? Cheers and good tidings to all. We are buddies."

ANZAC Day is similar to your Veteran's Day, Marilyn.

It is a commemoration of the Battle of Gallipoli fought during WWI.

The day is primarily celebrated in Australian and New Zealand. ANZAC standing for Australia New Zealand Army Corps.

All battles Australians and New Zealander's have fought in are now commemorated on that day. We wear the Flanders Poppy in remembrance.

[Ace]

Marilyn wrote: "Glad to hear things are looking up, Terri. 😊
Please, for this Yank here, what is ANZAC Day? Cheers and good tidings to all. We are buddies."

Australian and New Zealand Army Corps commemorates the battle of Gallipoli, a failed attempt by the allies to control the Dardenells. Many brave soldiers died on all sides of this fierce and bloody fight and suffered fear, cold and hunger in the trenches. Lest we forget.

[Jane]

Ace wrote: "Marilyn wrote: "Glad to hear things are looking up, Terri. 😊
Please, for this Yank here, what is ANZAC Day? Cheers and good tidings to all. We are buddies."

Australian and New Zealand Army Corps c..."

The movie Gallipoli with Mel Gibson [I believe it was he] is worth viewing. It was the first this Yank heard of this battle.

[Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd]

Thanks folks.
Feeling chuffed with life! :-D

[happy]

Jane wrote: "Ace wrote: "Marilyn wrote: "Glad to hear things are looking up, Terri. 😊
Please, for this Yank here, what is ANZAC Day? Cheers and good tidings to all. We are buddies."

Australian and New Zealand ..."

He was indeed.

There has been a lot written on the campaign, by several excellent authors if you are interested.

[Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd]

My great grandfather was one of the lucky ones. He was shipped to Gallipoli and came home in one piece.
So few lucky ones and while those that came home may have been physical survivors, all were scarred in other ways by that terrible event.

[Margaret, Sherlockian Sheila]

Terri wrote: "My great grandfather was one of the lucky ones. He was shipped to Gallipoli and came home in one piece.
So few lucky ones and while those that came home may have been physical survivors, all were s..."

And WWII had similar results. My dad was a veteran of Greece/Crete & got invalided out with major injuries after El Alamein.

[happy]

I think all wars do - I've recently read a couple of accounts of Jimmy Stewart's, the actor, participation in WW II. They all make mention of the emotional toll combat took on him. He almost totally refused to talk about his experiences in public. At that he stayed in the reserves and actually flew a B-52 Arc Light mission in Viet Nam.

David Niven was another actor who rarely, if ever, talked about his WWII combat experiences.

My father was in Viet Nam and even now some 51 yrs later, rarely talks about it, even with his sons who have served in the Army.

[Margaret, Sherlockian Sheila]

My idiot father, despite his injuries, tried to volunteer for Korea! The army medics, in the nicest way possible, told him the bugger off, he'd done his share!

The nightmares he had from El Alamein were bastards. I was the only one who could get him out of them, because a child's voice had no place in them. So standing at the end of his bed calling "Dad, Dad, come back etc" used to wake him up.

[happy]

To my knowledge, Dad never had the nightmares, but somethings could put him back there. I remember one time right after he got home (I was 10) we were on our way to his next duty station and a truck backfired right next to us. He literally tried to go underneath the steering wheel and Mom had to reach over and guide us off the road.

He still flinches at unexpected bangs and loud noises.

[Allison]

My dad was a Vietnam Vet and would talk about it but spoke like it hadn’t an affect or was a big deal. “They called my birth date, I flew out to the rice paddies, and I eventually flew home” kind of thing but I know he used to drag his first wife out of bed and across the room thinking he was getting her to safety and meanwhile she’d be hollering for him to wake up.

He did open up in depth one time for a school report of mine. I learned some real lovely ways to torture people 😳 and he did teach me a bunch of hand to hand combat techniques or “Army Karate” when I was younger in the hopes I could defend myself although I barely remember anything now.

Luckily, loud noises or surprises or anything of that nature hadn’t any affect on him. He took his time and experience there in stride. Honestly I think the toughest experience for him was coming back to America. Americans didn’t recognize Vietnam Vets like they do members of the armed forces now. Some were down right nasty in protest of the war and unfortunately took it out on the soldiers who had no choice in their going anyways.

[Margaret, Sherlockian Sheila]

That wasn't isolated, Allie. The same thing happened to Vietnam Vets from Australia and New Zealand. I have a cousin who served in Nam. He's still bitter and I don't blame him one bit.

[Margaret, Sherlockian Sheila]

happy wrote: "To my knowledge, Dad never had the nightmares, but somethings could put him back there. I remember one time right after he got home (I was 10) we were on our way to his next duty station and a truc..."
I think dad had the nightmares purely because El Alamein nearly killed him. He got through Greece & Crete okay, and through the battle at El Alamein... to be led into a mine-field by their scout. A mine blew up behind dad as they were edging out. Doctor's said that saved his life. If one in front of him had blown it was about 99-1 the concussion alone would have stopped his heart.

Dad's nightmares always started the same way - with him cursing the scout who lead them.

[Marilyn]

My uncle was single and 27 when he got drafted early in WWII. He was the “old man” in the outfit. He fought in North Africa, Sicily. (with Patton) and all the way up through Italy ending up in Austria. He went in as a private and came out as a private and he was never wounded, not even once. Hard to believe but true. He sauntered into my parents gasoline (petroleum) station one day in 1946, no notice beforehand just as cool and causal as you please. He never talked about the war and we kids were strictly forbidden to ask - ever. I’m sure he had problems, tho. He disappeared from the family about 1950 with nary a word, postcard or whatnot. He did mention once that between 1946 and 1950 that he had been to Alaska once and that he liked it. In 1973 my mother flew to Alaska for a vacation. Once unpacked at the hotel in Anchorage, she picked up the phone book and found him listed! So, the mystery of his whereabouts was solved and they had a happy reunion. I think that during those years he was missing he did not consider himself fit company for anybody.

[happy]

All of us kids are trying to get Dad's memories and stories (not just Viet Nam, but his entire life) down on paper before the fade away. He's 82 and they are really starting to fade.

One thing we've found out recently is that he has survivor's guilt to this day. One of his protogee's (SP) was killed about 2 weeks before he was due to rotate home. (Mom staring out the kitchen window at the mountains with tears streaming down her face and Dad's letter saying Fred was dead crumpled in her hands is probably my most vivid memory of that time period)

He still feels that there must have been some way to talk him out of going - Fred didn't have to go, he volunteered and the company he was with walked into at least a bn sized ambush. Dad was on the radio with him when it went dead.

For anyone interested, here's Fred's DSC citation that basically explains what happened
http://www.artilleryocsalumni.com/val...

[Marilyn]

Another casualty of the Vietnam War was the Poppy. They are not sold here any more. Sad, sad, sad.

[Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd]

When we looked into the history of our farm and the old house on it, we found the man was a veteran of the First World War.
He was here on the farm, cutting timber for the local railway track when WWI broke out. He signed up and he was 42 years old.
Was wounded and dischargrd after fighting for nearly two years.

Shows what the emotions of some were like in that period in regards to fighting wars. Didn't matter if you were a young man. Your country was at war and every community had men signing up left, right and centre to be modern day warriors.