This isn't meant to be a slap at anyone, that isn't my intention,

[MarineCombatEngineer]

but, just out of curiosity, how many DUer's have actual combat experience?

[NewHendoLib]

1. Are you asking us to guess?

[MarineCombatEngineer]

7. No, I'm just curious as to have many members here have combat experience. nt

[essaynnc]

2. And Why are you asking?

[MarineCombatEngineer]

8. Just curious.

As I said, this isn't meant to be a slap or a slight at anyone.

[underpants]

3. Served 3 years but missed Gulf 1

Didn’t volunteer either.

[MarineCombatEngineer]

26. Thank you for your service. nt

[Aristus]

4. Closest I got was coming under attack from an Iraqi SCUD missile.

Deployed to the Gulf in 1991 as an M1 Abrams tanker. The ground war started and ended during our desert warfare train-up, so I didn't serve in combat. But I did take hostile fire.

[MarineCombatEngineer]

11. Thank you for your service,

I served in the Gulf war also, saw first hand the destruction of the Iraqi Army as they tried to leave Kuwait.

[redwitch]

5. I don't but there are lots of vets here.

Hi!

[MarineCombatEngineer]

12. +100. nt

[obamanut2012]

6. I have been under fire

Not in combat.

[MarineCombatEngineer]

14. IMO, that counts.

[2naSalit]

39. Same here.

[Glorfindel]

9. No. I was in Vietnam for a year (1967) but nowhere close to combat

Thank goodness.

[MarineCombatEngineer]

16. Believe me,

you didn't miss anything.
Thank you for your service.

[leftstreet]

10. Why would anyone think it was a slap?

You could have just asked without the qualifier

[MarineCombatEngineer]

19. Because some might take this the wrong way,

so I wanted to make it clear that it wasn't meant to be that.

[MineralMan]

13. I'm a veteran, but not a combat veteran.

I was on the intelligence side.

[MarineCombatEngineer]

21. Thank you for your service. nt

[Silent3]

29. On the intelligence side, with intelligence on your side

A good combo. I don't always agree with you, but you definitely strike me as a smart guy.

[MineralMan]

36. That's very kind of you to say.

[marie999]

50. Same

[MarineCombatEngineer]

52. Thank you for your service.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

15. Served but never saw combat

I was in the Army post Vietnam 1970's. The closest this country came to war when I was in was an incident in the Korean DMZ.

[MarineCombatEngineer]

22. Thank you for your service, nt

[Ohio Joe]

17. I do not

I've never been in the military and so naturally never saw combat.

[MarineCombatEngineer]

23. Thank you. nt

[634-5789]

18. I've been married 47 years. 'Nuff said.

[MarineCombatEngineer]

24. LOL.

Yeah, you've been in combat a few times.

[Abnredleg]

20. I was under fire during Gulf War I

Which was nothing compared to Hay Street in Fayettenam.

[MarineCombatEngineer]

25. Thank you for your service. nt

[pwb]

27. Yes.

But it is not a discussion?

[MarineCombatEngineer]

30. Thank you for your service. nt

[Iggo]

28. Here it comes.

[MarineCombatEngineer]

32. Please clarify. nt

[Skittles]

31. thank you

yes indeed

[MarineCombatEngineer]

33. Thank you for your service Skittles,

if I remember, you served in the USAF?

[Skittles]

34. I tell you

Last edited Thu Mar 10, 2022, 05:59 PM - Edit history (1)

I am almost glad my English mum is not around to see what is happening in Ukraine, she survived bombs as a child in WWII....it is something people never truly get over. Me, I know what it feels like as a kid to suddenly lose home, family, school, country......that is traumatizing even without war.

[MarineCombatEngineer]

35. +100. nt

[Skittles]

113. may I ask

were you part of a military family growing up

[MarineCombatEngineer]

117. Yes,

my late dad fought in the Pacific, island hopping.
He was supposed to be in the first wave of landings for the invasion of Japan, but turned out that he was in the first wave to occupy Japan.

He was actually against me joining the Marines and volunteering for duty in Vietnam, he wanted me to head for Canada, but I just couldn't do it, so the rest is history.

[Skittles]

125. wow

I was recently talking to a coworker who said he lived in the same house on the same street while growing up, before going to college.....I cannot even imagine, we moved every couple of years, sometimes overseas

[2naSalit]

41. +1

[bluecollar2]

110. Dad was in Portsmouth when the bombing started

Eventually he and his sister were evacuated to Petersfield.

Mum was evacuated from Burma to India when the Japanese invaded. Very similar to present Ukraine in that my Grandmother, Aunts and children were all evacuated to India by train and boat while the men stayed with the British Army to prevent the Japanese advance.

My mum passed before this but I'm glad she didn't have to see it.

[Skittles]

112. I remember walking through a shoe department in a store with mum

she suddenly grabbed me and said, we have to get out of here! She hurried us out, I was like, wtf is going on.....it was a rubber smell in the shoe department, it reminded her of wearing a gas mask as a child....she had asthma and would sometimes choke.....this incident was DECADES later

[bluecollar2]

114. After the war my Grandad moved to London

I vaguely remember visiting his home in Kingston. There was an area still fenced off that hadn't been fully cleared by the bomb squad.

Some of us crawled under the fence to get apples off a tree. All hell broke loose when adults saw us playing in there.

The war left a strong impression on our family as it appears it did yours..

[DetroitLegalBeagle]

37. 21 months in Iraq

Mainly Baghdad and Ramadi, with exception to 3 months in Mosul.

[MarineCombatEngineer]

53. Very rough gig.

Thank you for your service Army.

[DashOneBravo]

38. No I was lucky.

The ground war was over in Desert Storm before we went. So I never left Bragg.

We did however run an assault course at Benning. Where we low crawled while they shot M60’s over and exploded some demo (I think) in sand bagged pits beside us. No way of getting hurt.

[MarineCombatEngineer]

54. Thank you for your service.

[Wounded Bear]

40. 7 years active service in USMC, no combat...

and that was at the end of Viet Nam, '70-77.

Just lucky, I guess.

[MarineCombatEngineer]

56. Thank you for your service.

[Sneederbunk]

42. Does this include activities on Black Fridays?

[Ferrets are Cool]

43. I will on the very day that my home town is invaded.

[sarisataka]

44. Present

8th Marnines Desert Storm, cross attached HHBN 34TH ID Operation OIF






And thanks to all who have served whether you have "seen the elephant" or not

[MarineCombatEngineer]

58. ...

And thanks to all who have served whether you have "seen the elephant" or not

A big thumbs up.

I was with the 2nd Engineer Battalion, 2nd Marine Division operating an M-9 ACE, we, and a company of Naval Seabees, watched the destruction of the Iraqi Army trying to leave Kuwait City, Naval and Marine air assets destroyed the column.

It was aptly named the Highway of Hell.

We may have run into each other during our careers, the Corps isn't all that big.

[sarisataka]

70. We definitely walked the same sand

I was a Hollywood Marine less than a year out of boot camp when I was sent to 8th Marnines.

We headed to Wafra and engaged Iraqi forces at the second mine belt. After that I was part of a recon team (small r) that became entangled in the tank battle in the oilfield south of the city. We were stuck on the wrong side of the line taking potshots with LAWs when we could get away with it. We arrived at the Highway just as it finished.

If you were involved in cutting the minefield paths I very well may have been providing overwatch for you.

Here's to the time we passed at Lejeune without knowing

[MarineCombatEngineer]

73. Us and the Seabees were involved in clearing mine fields

and this Marine and, I'm sure the Seabees, greatly appreciated you guys providing security for us.

Small world.

[MarineCombatEngineer]

77. M-9 ACE (Armored Combat Earthmover)

Basically a dozer on steroids.

[sarisataka]

83. Holy Chesty Puller

I may have a picture of you- at least in the ACE. I snapped a shot of one approaching the first belt.

I was about 100m to starboard laying on a berm with my 16, right behind me was a open back hummer with a Mk 40 mounted on a homemade contraption like the Rat Patrol. We had the seabees reinforce the cargo deck and build pintles so we could mount heavy weapons to our vehicles.

[MarineCombatEngineer]

85. That would be quite the coincidence.

You may very well have gotten my ACE.

Loved those Seabees, a crazier bunch of sailors I've never met.

[sarisataka]

90. That really would be amazing

If you were the driver.

Corpsmen, SEALs and Seabees- always got along with them. I think that fact that we all ate dirt at some point meant we could understand each other

[MarineCombatEngineer]

91. +100. nt

Here's to time in the Corps, some good, some not so good, but I wouldn't have it any other way.

[Shanti Shanti Shanti]

45. 7 months in Iraq, 2003 Baghdad airport, convoyed in from Kuwait, RPGs, mortar attacks, small arms

Tracer fire over our heads every night on the perimeter of BIAP. Mostly RPGs, on the flight out leaving our plane shot off it's flares ,BANG, BANG, BANG, on evasive twisty flight path. yeah that was crazy.

Many trips to Kuwait for Southern Watch, no-fly zone

Not to mention contra-guerilla units in South America in the jungles of Colombia


Why do you ask?

I hate war

[MarineCombatEngineer]

60. Thank you for your service.

Anyone who has ever experienced war hates it, I like saying that I went to Vietnam as a Repuke, I came home as a Democrat.

[hlthe2b]

46. Served but no to combat--unless you count the past two years dealing with COVID-deniers and

rabid Trumpist anti-vaxxer combatants.

(only about 90% sarcastic in that comparison).

[MarineCombatEngineer]

61. Thank you for your service,

and I would count that as combatants.

[dumbcat]

47. Thailand in '72 and '75

and a few other places in Asia in between. Did commo stuff for certain 3 letter agencies. Never got shot at directly.

[MarineCombatEngineer]

62. Thank you for your service.

[UTUSN]

48. '67-'68 on an LST supply ship in the rivers Vietnam. 3 episodes of rockets, 1 serious damage to ship

and one enlisted seriously wounded. Not like out on the ground. I was the loader for (.50 caliber? .40 caliber?) gatling gun type thing. Our big BIG "cannon" pounded back at the smoke at the horizon where the rockets were coming from. All crew got Combat Action Ribbons (3 times). Does that count?

[MarineCombatEngineer]

63. Thank you for your service.

Absolutely that counts.

[UTUSN]

78. Sincere you're welcome. I filter the thank-you-service through my sincerity filter.

Last edited Sat Mar 12, 2022, 11:43 PM - Edit history (1)

When wingnuts started that during Shrub/CHEENEE/Iraq, it was to butter up the all-volunteer military, since the the lesson they took from Vietnam was not to use the Draft that would rile up objections. And I would either dismiss it or slap it down when wingnuts said it to me and my filter for sincerity was finely honed.

Then came Drumpf and his zombies, and those were eager practitioners. One time in the grocery store parking lot, me wearing my Navy ship ball cap as always, one of the zombies came running to me from his monster truck and with his MAGA cap, whole arm outstretched to shake hands and said it. And I said, "No Drumpf for me." And he stopped dead in his tracks in absolute SHOCK. When he recovered himself, he said with dripping contempt, "No AMERICA for YOU!!!!!!!!"

That one really showed me how they conflated Drumpf with all VETERANs, like ALL the military and ALL veterans were supposed to be Drumpf-sters.

*****And when the VA started peddling how it had CHANGED and IMPROVED, what occurred to me was that the main difference was that they answered the phone with the thank-you thingy.

***But as I say, when it's SINCERE (as in your case), I graciously accept it.

[MarineCombatEngineer]

80. Thank you.

[CrackityJones75]

136. Hear Hear

[mahatmakanejeeves]

49. Not me. NT

[MarineCombatEngineer]

64. Thank you for your reply. nt

[Irish_Dem]

51. Only an AF brat, but we were told the military is always under civilian command.

No matter how much combat experience someone had.

Most of our Commanders In Chief have no combat experience, and they make military decisions. Edit to add: My father said this is the way it is supposed to be, the military does not take over civilian command in a democracy.

(This was said to me directly from my father who flew combat in three wars and was very proud of that fact. And my mother who was an AF nurse during Korean War.

Edit to add: Dad flew combat in WWII (Burma Hump), Viet Nam and Korea.

[Demovictory9]

55. Army brat here. father was in fox holes in VN, shot twice

[MarineCombatEngineer]

66. Thank you.

Tell your father welcome home brother, he'll understand it.

[MarineCombatEngineer]

65. I've always said that familes of Military parents serve

also.

A salute to your Father and Mother.

[Brother Buzz]

57. This dumb draftee was in basic training on 28 June, 1972

Nixon announces no more draftees would be sent to Vietnam, June 28, 1972.

A red letter day, for sure, for this conflicted West Coast pacifist.

[MarineCombatEngineer]

68. Thank you for your service.

I enlisted in '64 instead of waiting to be drafted, that way I could choose my MOS, which was a heavy equipment operator.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

72. I had enlisted about one week earlier.

Delayed enlistment, so basic didn't start until September.

No combat; didn't even leave the country.

[maxsolomon]

59. I don't.

I am lucky enough to be too young for the draft, and I graduated HS in 1981 after Reagan was inaugurated.

I never wanted to fight in unjust Republican wars: Grenada, Panama, Iraq 1, Afghanistan, Iraq 2. Did I miss any?

[rgbecker]

67. I was too old to avoid the draft except by enlisting.

I never wanted to fight in any of those nor Viet Nam...not after I saw it for the waste war is.

[MarineCombatEngineer]

71. Nope, nailed them all. nt

[Mr.Bill]

69. I've been married for 27 years.

Does that count?

[MarineCombatEngineer]

74. LOL.

Oh yeah, that counts.

[Mosby]

75. Looked at your profile.

Thanks for your long service! Quite an accomplishment.

DU trends older, so there are probably more veterans here vs the general population. Lots of teachers and professors here as well.

[MarineCombatEngineer]

81. Thank you.

[maxrandb]

76. I served 29 years in the United States Navy

Other than some minor concern about Iran having some Chinese Silkworm missiles while we patrolled the Gulf, and once time I had to dive under a desk while in the sandbox with a Flag Officers, I saw no combat.

About 90% of folks that serve never see a shot fired in anger, so asking about "combat" experience limits you to a small group.

And then, of course, it depends on your definition of combat.

I worked on a flight-deck launching aircraft to bomb Afghanistan from about 1100 miles away, but I don't think that counts as combat.

We haven't done trench warfare since the 1900s. In Iraq, we so softened the ground before ground troops advanced that what remained of the Iraqi military couldn't surrender fast enough.

So, what is the question you really want to ask?

[MarineCombatEngineer]

79. Yes, that is considered combat ops.

Thank you for your long service in the Navy, we worked with the Naval Seabees quite often, in Vietnam, those guys were crazy, but a lot of fun to be around.

I asked the question I wanted to ask and I really appreciate all the answers.

[MarineCombatEngineer]

82. And let me add this,

thank you to everyone who also took to the streets to protest unjust wars, you are wonderful and deserve a big shout out.

[Brother Buzz]

86. And a hat tip to President Carter for pardoning the "draft-dodgers"

On January 21, 1977, U.S. President Jimmy Carter grants an unconditional pardon to hundreds of thousands of men who evaded the draft during the Vietnam War.

[MarineCombatEngineer]

87. A move I wholeheartedly applauded.

[IBEWVET]

84. Yes

Vietnam 25th inf divison

[denbot]

88. Naval Expeditionary, Persian Gulf.

Fired on but my ship wasn’t allow to engaged.. so almost.

[MarineCombatEngineer]

89. I would call that experiencing combat.

Thank you for your service.

[radicalleft]

92. I served in Desert Shield/Storm while in Turkey

But saw no combat experience. Based on what I saw from our support area, I had no desire to join in the fight, but would have if needed.

[MarineCombatEngineer]

95. Thank you for your service.

[radicalleft]

96. Thank you!

[treestar]

93. Me none

Family members have been in the military but not in wartime.

[hunter]

94. The Navy wouldn't have me. I was sent to the "Group W" bench...

... for something similar to Arlo Guthrie's littering, I assure you. Something to do with asthma and my explanation of the knife scar on my arm.

They did offer me a civilian job in Germany but I decided to teach science instead in one of those scary U.S.A. "urban" environments. That was a different sort of combat.

It turned out for the best. That's how I met my wife.

We've lived and worked in those scary U.S.A. urban environments ever since.

My dad and my wife's dad are veterans and pacifists. My father-in-law was a Navy corpsman assigned to the Marines and my dad was a nearsighted Radar O'Reilly Army medical clerk. It was just dumb luck that neither one of them ended up in Korea during that war. My father-in-law did get to see an atomic bomb test up close as a guinea pig in the Nevada desert.

[MarineCombatEngineer]

99. Thank you for your reply.

Teaching is a vital job and you should be highly commended for it.

[niyad]

97. Just tried to help put people back together mentally and emotionally who did

have that experience (PTSD counselor).

[MarineCombatEngineer]

100. Thank you for this.

I suffered PTSD from my experiences in Vietnam, unfortunately, back then, your vital services weren't very available, it wasn't considered "being a Marine" asking for help, we were expected to suck it up and be Marines.

I'm very grateful for you and all the counselors who have helped so many of our military get through their PTSD.

[niyad]

106. You are most welcome. I only wish we could have done more, could do more.

I grew up with it (father and many of his fellow soldiers from WWII and Korea), no real acknowledgement or treatment for them, many self-medicating with alcohol, and all the attendant problems. I wanted to spare as many as I could what I, and so many others, had experienced.

I continue to work for the day those services are no longer needed, meaning that the world had finally come to its senses. I don't think that will happen in my lifetime.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

98. Nope, the Army sent this draftee to Germany

It was my duty to support German products during Octoberfest and Mayfest.

[MarineCombatEngineer]

102. Thank you for your service.

It was my duty to support German products during Octoberfest and Mayfest.

Been there, did that, supported my share also, nobody makes a better beer than Germany, IMO.

[fightforfreedom]

101. If you have worked in America you have combat experience.

I have over 40 years of combat experience.

[MarineCombatEngineer]

104. That's a fair point.

[Diablo del sol]

103. None, was in that gap time after Viet Nam

Where we didn’t even have to register. No wars going on, minor issues in some areas, but little to none US involvement.

One of the reasons I don’t think people in my age group belong with the Boomers.

Only battles we had was with the College Young Republicans. In hindsight, we should have beat the crap out of them.

[MarineCombatEngineer]

105. Thank you for your service.

Only battles we had was with the College Young Republicans. In hindsight, we should have beat the crap out of them

No disagreement from me.

[Lady Freedom Returns]

107. You know there is a board for veterans on the DU site, right?

[MarineCombatEngineer]

120. Yes,

I just thought that I would get more replies here and that seems to be the case.

Thank you for your reply.

[Zorro]

108. One year in a hostile fire zone

Not fun having someone shoot at you. Wasn’t a grunt, just remote deployed to a dangerous region.

[WarGamer]

109. I do not.

I grew up in a generation "without" a war... which is good, I guess.

Too young for Vietnam, already in college for Gulf War 1 and too old for Iraq/Afghanistan.

However, having said that...

My grandfather made up for it.

He was on a Cleveland Class light cruiser in WW2.

He was there for ALL the big battles from 42-45.

Kamikazes, torpedo attacks, artillery barrage of islands pre-invasion... he saw it all.




Oh and my son is USAF veteran, served front line with the "Bone"... (B1-B)

[bluecollar2]

111. Cold War Navy here

We were doing everything possible to avoid getting into a combat situation.

Only time it got tense was when Korean Airlines 007 was shot down. We went to no drill General Quarters and full offensive weapons load.

Fortunately cooler heads prevailed.

[Elessar Zappa]

115. None here.

I’d be a coward in a combat situation, I admit it. I thank you and all others here who served our country.

[BeerBarrelPolka]

116. USMC

Started in Parris and saw the shit in the early/mid 80's. Miss my guys who bought it in Beirut.

[MarineCombatEngineer]

118. Yeah,

I lost friends in the Beirut bombing also.

Thank you for your service.

[BeerBarrelPolka]

119. .

Semper Fi

[MarineCombatEngineer]

121. Semper Fi Devil Dog.

[BeerBarrelPolka]

122. Yep

Devil dog. Do or die. Ruuf Ruff!! Oorah

[EarthFirst]

123. Veteran; no combat nt

[MarineCombatEngineer]

124. Thank you for your service.

[Patton French]

126. A very personal question, my friend.

Charlie Company, 1st Tank Btn, 1st Marine Division.

[MarineCombatEngineer]

127. It is and if you don't feel comfortable answering, then no problem.

Semper Fi Devil Dog.

[Patton French]

129. Semper Fi, brother (n/t)

[electric_blue68]

128. Thanks to all of you who have served.

[llmart]

130. Not me.

I've been a pacifist all my life. I come from a long line of pacifists.

I agree wholeheartedly with Marvin Gaye that "War is not the answer..."

[MarineCombatEngineer]

131. I couldn't agree more,

war is not the answer, especially when the sanctions are beginning to show real promise.

Thank you for your reply.

[albacore]

132. USMC M-3-7 0331 Southeast Asia War Games... our motto: "Hey... we came in second!" nt

[MarineCombatEngineer]

133. Oorah!!!

Semper Fi Devil Dog.

Welcome Home Brother.

1st Eng. Btn. 7th Marines, Chu Lai

[CrackityJones75]

134. Navy here so not combat per se

[MarineCombatEngineer]

135. Thank you for your service Navy.

Without the Navy, our equipment would never have gotten to where it needed to be.

[CrackityJones75]

137. Cheers!

Thank you as well!

[Straw Man]

138. Not I.

The closest I ever came to being under fire was when a careless deer hunter threw a shot over my head while I was walking in the woods.

That was bad enough. Can't imagine the real thing.

[MarineCombatEngineer]

139. Close enough.

Thanks for your reply.