veteran
It's imperative to look up to and learn from army veterans; only then can we truly understand the sacrifices made by men and women in uniform.
RAF Days part 2
My adventures at RAF Cosford in early 1970 continue with anoither excerpt from my biography 'Do or do not". 404 entry were a smaller group, and seemed to be a lot more amicable which suited me as 217 had a few unsavoury characters. Military life is designed to be uncomfortable in order to mould you in the image they want you to be, and that includes marching you up and down a parade ground many hours a week, insisting that your boots and brasses are shiny, uniform razor sharply pressed and your hair short and neat with NO whiskers showing through. At least once a week you’d be on your hands and knees scrubbing the bathroom, corridors and polishing the wooden floors of the billet. Every morning you had to make your bedding into a specific exhibition that the billet corporal would inspect, and you would be personally checked on parade by Sgt Geraghty who enjoyed such little comments as “Did you use a mirror when you shaved this morning lad?”, “Yes Sergeant”, “Well next time use a razor it’s sharper”, and the classic from behind “Is your hair hurting you Davies?” “No sergeant”, “Well it should be I’m bloody standing on it”. Being honest these guys were chicken feed compared to the US Boot Camp Drill Sergeants, but my 16 year old mind didn’t enjoy it so much as I wanted to concentrate on the subjects.
Len DaviesPublished 3 years ago in ServeJust Look Up.
For over a decade, I've had a seemingly uncharacteristic passion for war history and remembrance, especially during the Remembrance Day/Veterans Day season. You wouldn't exactly think a foul-mouthed, opinionated, and sometimes downright difficult woman would be one for so passionately and seriously observing respect and silence for past and present military personnel, and yet here we are. In large part, this passion is due to growing up in the strange little rural Alberta town I grew up in; home to the world's largest horse and rider statue, sports teams appropriately all called "The Broncs", some redneck overt racism, and a teacher with the most passion for respect for our troops I think I've ever met, Mr. Labrie.
Remembrance Sunday: Scaled-back service
United Kingdom: People across the British Isles, because of Coronavirus pandemic precautions, will see a scaled back Remembrance Sunday.
Shain ThomasPublished 3 years ago in ServePoppycock!
Last week, here in the UK, I saw a social media post that sarcastically anticipated the onset of poppy-themed face coverings in the UK, as if such things were something to sneer at. And, even though I understand the various issues the writer has with poppies, I found it quite a condescending and deeply ignorant statement, if I'm honest, and an example of the yearly culture war that goes on every year, centred on the wearing of poppies/not wearing of poppies/colour of poppy warn/attitude to war etc.
Matty LongPublished 3 years ago in ServeTouching Lives One Heart at a Time!
Our music is only one tool being used in this great and amazing thrill ride that we have been given to accomplish and what a privilege it is to be doing what we do. Meeting so many wonderful people who change our lives in this process. I tell everyone, we are on a Journey! When I Look back on everything that happens and see what has been accomplished and happened and if we have not enjoyed and Learned from all the Ups and Downs of Life which we use to Help others along the Way, of what Worth is It? And what have we really accomplished and what do any of the awards or accolades really mean anyway? They have no significance they are empty. This is why we will never no matter how far we end up going forget those who stood with us long before we held any of those. For those are the ones you know will stand the test of time. I am sure you know those people in your life, maybe they are a teacher who took an interest in you when nobody else did. Or it could have been a Sunday School teacher who was there who had time for you because your parents both had to work so many hours to make ends meet. I come from a blue collar family so I know what a hard days work is like and everything I have.
Eric HaynesPublished 4 years ago in ServeXXII
My arm says twenty-two in roman numerals, a number that has changed the lives of many but only a few understand. When I was seventeen I joined the Army. It seemed like the thing to do for a girl who had so admired her grandfather’s history and felt that her life was headed in no particular direction. Lost, like a child in the forest waiting for someone to come and tell them which way to go, but life doesn’t tell you which direction to turn to or where you will end up. My ultimate hope was that I would eventually be a helicopter pilot just like my grandpa so that I could make a difference in people’s lives. After all, what path could be more clear than one that had already been paved? Little did I know, the people I would meet along the way would be the ones to make a difference in my life, and the places that I would end up, would take me far from the path that had been laid out. I only spent three and a half years on active duty, a long time for people who cannot fathom joining the military, but a short time for those who have never known life another way. Like more people than you would think, I never deployed. Deployments were not happening all the time when I was in and the only one I could have gone on happened shortly after I had a major emergency surgery which made it so that I was unable to go. I served my time stateside as a mechanic. My journey started in South Carolina where I went through basic training and while I was there, I learned that I could do things that seemed impossible. Next, I ended up in Virginia where I learned how to be a mechanic and where I watched so many people give up and take the cheap way out of the promise they had made to their country and their buddies. After that I moved to Colorado where I learned how to be a part of a more permanent team and where I experienced one of the greatest losses of my life. Finally, a bit broken and a bit begrudgingly, I ended up in Texas where I met my first Twenty-Two.
Sara SplendorePublished 4 years ago in ServeWar Buddies
In the trenches of the Western Front, two young soldiers sit leaning against each other. They are cold, tired, but most of all frightened. The enemy is right on top of them. Grenades(sp) are exploding all around. Joe turns to Thomas and tells him that he is like his brother, and he loves him. The two men embrace. Joe sees a grenade headed towards them. He throws himself on top of Thomas.
Michelle CaffreyPublished 4 years ago in ServeThese Boots
The statement that I have heard 102 separate times. "I bet you are so excited to get home" the typical response, "yes I cannot wait".
Veterans and PTSD
If you enlisted in the military or are a veteran, you may have seen combat. This is part of what it means to be in the military. While serving, you probably have been on missions exposed that have you to life-threatening experiences or other horrible events that could have led to your PTSD.
Matthew AngeloPublished 4 years ago in Serve5 Examples Of Veteran Focused Businesses
Some help them to find jobs, others give them the tools to become entrepreneurs, while a few offer assistance in getting the benefits they’re entitled to.
Benefits That All Veterans Can Pursue
After spending years on active duty serving the United States, you become eligible for certain benefits. These VA benefits kick in during your years of service and continue on into your separation or retirement from the uniformed services. Armed members of the military as well as technical and traditional members all qualify for various VA benefits. Of course, the most difficult part is figuring out what your benefits are and how you begin to take advantage of them. If you’re feeling stuck on how to begin, now is a great time to learn more.
Robert CordrayPublished 4 years ago in ServeScars
Corporal James McElroy slowly climbed the front steps of his childhood home in a small midwestern town. The afternoon was bright and sunny and he stopped for a moment to soak in the silence. Well over six feet and broad-shouldered, he filled the doorway. He ran his hand through his short sandy hair and looked down at the battle fatigues he still wore. He was reluctant to go inside the house; reluctant to let his parents know he was home. He had burn scars on his face and torso, and was still healing from several broken bones. So he leaned on his cane and stood quietly for a moment, listening to the world he once knew so well, but which was now completely foreign to him. It was all so surreal, this new/old reality of his.
Roberta Carly RedfordPublished 4 years ago in Serve