ARMY VET (A Marine Story)

[Jarhead]

God Bless all my Brothers...to include the Army, Navy, Coast Guard, and Air Force. We all had a job to do and a contract to honor. I saw combat with some Army and Navy brothers and will never forget thier professionalism. I was walking the streets of San Diego on Thanksgiving Day with a fellow Marine before I shipped out, and a returning Army Vet, stopped his car and asked us if we would like to have dinner with him and his family. We were just kids (18) and away from home for the first time. We were a little reluctant, but we went with this Army fella to his home. Beer and all we could eat...he even gave us a ride back to the main gate. I'll never forget this Army Vets kindness and wish I could look him up and thank him.

We were just Kids, and he clearly understood that. He'd been there and done that...

[Ysabel Kid]

My take is that the intra-branch rivalry is kind of like siblings fighting. They will call one another names, compete on just about anything, and fight like cats and dogs with one another most of the time. But let someone from the outside step in and insult or hurt a sibling, and it is family first, 110% of the time. Same with the military branches.

It was how I was with my kid brothers - I could beat them up daily, but if anyone else laid a hand on either of them, they had to answer to me. I got thrown off the bus for a month after punching some kid in the face that was picking on my little brother (turning 40 this week - OMG! ).

[donw]

i am an army veteran, my dad was an army veteran, my now deceased ex-father-in-law was an army veteran, my current father-in-law is a marine veteran as is my wifes only son, my brother is a veteran of the USCG, my uncle was in the normandy invasion as a soldier...i could go on.

i never understood why there was tension (if there is/was) between the services.

we all have had our own piece of hell no matter the branch of military. we each had our jobs to do...rode a river boat or helo in the delta or over the thick jungle carpet, drove an abrahms thru the iraqi desert, parachuted into the phillipines, panama or grenada, fought horrible fires in nothing more than jeans and shoes on burning warships, rode a burning b-17 onto an english airfield, rode a higgins boat into inchon or okinawa...none of them was easy or fun, but we, nevertheless, did it.

i slogged the paddies and flew the skies in huey's, of se asia, and IMO i feel the sailors of our USN have the worst and hardest jobs of all in our U.S. military.

wherever there is a soldier, there will be a marine, sailor, coastguardsman and airman to back him up! likewise, wherever there is a marine, there will be a soldier, airman, coastguardsman and sailor to back him up! wherever there is a sailor, there will be a marine, soldier, airman and coastguardsman to back him up! wherever there is an airman, there will be a soldier, marine, coastguardsman and sailor to back him up! wherever there is a coastguardsman, there will be a marine, sailor, airman and soldier to back him up!

we are all comrades in arms. we share a special bond, those of us who have donned the uniforms of our country.

[jnyork]

I have always felt the intersevice name-calling and "my service is better than your service" is a fun thing for the Junior High boys out on the playground or the old drunks down at the Legion hall.

Those of us who have experienced the situation know that when it's time to knuckle down, we are all in the same service, that being the service of our country and we all have the same duty to our comrades, whoever they may be.

[Jarhead]

I have always felt the intersevice name-calling and "my service is better than your service" is a fun thing for the Junior High boys out on the playground or the old drunks down at the Legion hall.

Those of us who have experienced the situation know that when it's time to knuckle down, we are all in the same service, that being the service of our country and we all have the same duty to our comrades, whoever they may be.

One of my best friends served in the Air Force and lives in Idaho...we kid each other, but know it's all in fun. I have a very good friend who served in the Navy too, and we kid each other all the time. All in fun...My Dad, a Navy Veteran of three Wars, gave me a hard time, but he was very proud of me. I know a Coast Guard fella too, and he calls me a Jarhead all the time and I kid around with him too...we laugh and enjoy each others company. Just a matter of perspective I reckon, but we would fight side by side and give our lives on the battlefield for each other. When I was in the Corps(infantry), the other Marines (non-Infantry) would give us grunts a hard time, but not for long ...they were just jealous...Nothing like a 20 mile force march in full combat gear or a firefight to humble a man, etc. Infantry ain't no fun, and they were just thankful they had a better job. They would see us when we would come back from the field, and say, " Man, I'm glad I ain't wearing your boots brother." The Corps is rough and tumble for sure...good times and bad.

[jeepnik]

Yea, we sometimes had to take care of the odd Marine, Navy or Army air crewman that couldn't seem to avoid getting holes in a perfectly good airplane. But the good ones bought beer.