SwiftVets.com

[Bill Faith]

http://smalltownveteran.typepad.com/posts/2004/12/rough_men.html

[carpro]

I was basically unaware of Russ Vaughan until a few weeks ago.

I am really becoming a fan fast.
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"If he believes his 1971 indictment of his country and his fellow veterans was true, then he couldn't possibly be proud of his Vietnam service."

[Bill Faith]

[blue9t3]

Its funny, I just caught myself. I thought that poem was written in the present scheme of time. I tasted those thoughts then, and it hasnt left. I will sleep well knowing many of our finest still think as we did.
Thank You.
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MOPAR-BUYER

[DLI78]

To blue9t3 and all the swiftees:

There is an unbroken thread through our military pointing in the right direction. When I was in, during peacetime, I took my inspiration from you guys and from our fathers and uncles who served in Korea and WW2.

I was privileged to serve in Korea for two years (peacetime). Great people in the countryside there. I missed out on Grenada, the only "combat" that happened during my service because I got another assignment a few months before that balloon went up.

But you know what? When I was a platoon sergeant in the mid-eightees, I could see that the majority of the people in my platoon were serious professionals. I had very few slugs and dirtbags. We weeded out the druggies (pun intended) right quick and tried to mold the others in the right direction. All of us led by example. All of us platoon sergeants tried to compete with the best people in our platoons. Of course we didn't match them (kids 10 years younger), but we tried, and they understood what we meant and where we were coming from. They tried to get the better of us, and I often lifted weights with my guys after duty hours. They were trying to best the "old guy". I pushed them to try harder. Again, I wanted to keep faith with you guys who served in Vietnam.

The guy who got my platoon when I left, Vince, had a lot more experience than I had. He was an E-7, I was an E-6. I was privileged to have him as an example of reasoned, experienced leadership in my career. My soldiers were lucky to have him as their new platoon sergeant.

I was REALLY blessed to have a couple of company commanders, captains Reynolds and Jones (DLI 1985, 1986), who understood the importance of our mission and our duty, even as peacetime soldiers. Those captains were really bright and really committed. They led by example, they were serious about looking out for their soldiers, and they trusted their sergeants. Even the few loser druggie wimps respected our captains. Somehow, those two captains managed to avoid the mandatory lobotomies that senior officers get.

What I'm trying to say is, sleep easy at night, guys. Our military is in the same kind of hands as we left them in. Maybe even better. Remember Tillman? He gave up millions, plenty of tail, and a cushy life to get his butt smoked in Afghanistan. As long as we produce guys like that, no country can F*** with us and survive.
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DLI 78
Army Linguist
1978-1986

[azTrish]