2017 Veterans Day

[Jeff Smith]

Don't know if we've ever done this. I'd like to take a moment to thank all of our veteran members for their service. If you would take a moment to "stand up" and be recognized, give us your branch, dates of service, whatever you feel like sharing. I'd be particularly interested to know if there are any here who served in Military Railroad jobs or units.

I'll start: US Army and Army Reserved, Retired, 1979-2003, Operation Desert Storm, 9/11 Duty in New York.

[Jeff Smith]

Here's a railroader/veteran: http://wikiofbrothers.wikia.com/wiki/St ... _W._Martin" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

It doesn't say what railroad he worked for.

[Dave D]

US Navy (IC3) 1958 - 1962, US Army (SP4) 1962 - 1965 and Army National Guard (SSG) 1980 - 1996.

[gokeefe]

Maine Army National Guard (Retired), December 2005 - September 2017

SPC 2005-2008
SGT 2008-2017

96B/35F: Intelligence Analyst

OEF 2010-2011 (Kabul) &
2013-2014 (Bagram)

[gokeefe]

I'll start: US Army and Army Reserved, Retired, 1979-2003, Operation Desert Storm, 9/11 Duty in New York.

You are one lucky SOB to have avoided being stop lossed for overseas ... I have a lot of respect for the Operation Noble Eagle folks like you. No one knew what the hell was going to happen in those days and some those guard details lasted for months if not years.

Thanks for your service.

[Gilbert B Norman]

Sgt. USAF 1965-1969

HQ 7th AF, 1967-68

VSM, VCM

[NHV 669]

SPC, US Army, 2010-2013. OEF, Afghanistan, 2011.

One thing about being a truck driver in a support unit, was getting to load the vehicles down at the railhead for training purposes. There's nothing like watching folks guide a tank along a string of TTX flats in a blizzard in the Rockies in January.

[JB283]

Spc. E4, US Army Tanker. 1-63AR, 3rd BDE, 1st Infantry Division Vilseck Germany. Served in Iraq 2003 - 2004. I have also loaded many tanks onto and off of German railcars

[Jeff Smith]

Maine Army National Guard (Retired), December 2005 - September 2017

SPC 2005-2008
SGT 2008-2017

96B/35F: Intelligence Analyst

OEF 2010-2011 (Kabul) &
2013-2014 (Bagram)

You were a Bravo? I was a 97E. Loved that job. Did you go to Huachuca?

[Jeff Smith]

I'll start: US Army and Army Reserved, Retired, 1979-2003, Operation Desert Storm, 9/11 Duty in New York.

You are one lucky SOB to have avoided being stop lossed for overseas ... I have a lot of respect for the Operation Noble Eagle folks like you. No one knew what the hell was going to happen in those days and some those guard details lasted for months if not years.

Thanks for your service.

They exempted me from stop-loss for TIG/TIS limits, and medical. I wanted very badly to transfer to my old CT USAR unit and deploy, but my last unit wouldn't allow it because frankly they were a bunch of a-holes. I'll tell you more someday. So they let me retire.

As for 9/11, I was on AT purely by coincidence on Long Island. It was very surreal. I grew up in the Bronx and Westchester. You never imagine you'll end up driving in a Humvee on the Cross Island Parkway trying to get into the city hanging out the windows with a sidearm and 16. That's where I grew up. Combat is supposed to be OVERSEAS.

[Jeff Smith]

Sgt. USAF 1965-1969

HQ 7th AF, 1967-68

VSM, VCM

Thank you Mr. Norman for your service. And thanks to everyone else as well.

[Roger Hensley]

US Navy 1959 - 1963.
A Berlin Crisis when I was aboard ship in the Med and the Cuban Missile Crisis when I was at Sanford Naval Air Station in Florida.

[ExCon90]

US Army, 1953-1956
Hq US Army Europe (USAREUR), Heidelberg. G4 (Logistics) Div., but no direct involvement in transportation. Plenty of it around though--Heidelberg was all steam until mid-1955.

[Jeff Smith]

Loved Heidelburg, I was up the Autobahn in Darmstadt. Our HQ for 42MP (Customs) was in Heidelburg. As was Old Coleman Stockade LOL. No, never spent a day there!

[Roger Hensley]

1959-1963 US Navy
Serving at sea on the USS Mississinewa in the Mediterranean during one Berlin Crisis. Came back to Sanford Naval Air Station in Florida. Then went through the Cuban Missile Crisis.