Category: South Korea

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The Hardest Thing a Soldier Has to Face is the Loss of a Buddy.

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Military news…

GI Go Fund Organized Weekend Fundraiser for Homeless, Jobless Veterans

A group of U.S. Navy SEALs teamed up with veterans and military supporters to swim across the Hudson River for a good cause.

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15-Year-Old Minnesotan Teenager Raises $77,000 To Build Veterans’ Memorial

Eagle Scout Dom Claseman of Olivia, Minnesota, realized his hometown needed a veterans memorial. Dom painted his town with flyers, met with veterans, and appeared in local media. In total, he raised $77,000 to build one.

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‘He Lives Up To His Marine Corps Motto’: WWII Veteran Celebrates 102nd Birthday

Harry Kone, a World War II veteran of the Pacific Campaign, celebrated his 102nd birthday Tuesday with friends, family, and fellow Marine veterans at Semper Fi Bar and Grille in Woodstock.

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Kissimmee WWII Veteran Honored With French Legion of Honor

U.S. Navy veteran Stephen A. Nemeth served as a gunner aboard several armed merchant ships that sailed across a stormy, deadly, cold, Nazi U-boat- and underwater mine-infested Atlantic Ocean, to deliver vital supplies and soldiers for the war in Europe.

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Animal Shelter Honors Military Working Dogs With Memorial

The memorial consists of a life-size granite sculpture of a 12-year-old German shepherd, known as Chyba, who served as a U.S. Army military patrol and security police dog in Kuwait and Germany.

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That time the Air Force delivered a heart transplant on a supersonic bomber
In 1986, a U.S. Air Force FB-111A ferried a heart transplant from Oklahoma to Connecticut in two hours to save a patient.

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US aircraft, artillery pound militants in Syria after rocket attack

U.S. forces struck back with airstrikes and artillery, killing at least four Iranian-backed militants in response to rocket attacks in Syria that injured three Americans.

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I was thinking of what to share today about my military times. Immediately I thought of my time in Korea.

What hit me the hardest was the fact that two buddies and I joined the military, and were sent to Korea, and only two came back alive. That still gives me bad dreams today.

Another very hard time is when a good buddie, I got to know in Korea, went out to the local village and got totally drunk. He tried to make it back to our base, but he stumbled into a honey bucket, (A hole that the locals filled with human waste for fertilizer,) and suffocated. We were in shock when the company commander told us about it the next morning in formation.

I know about the loss of a buddy. If you are there too, I feel for you.

I have these two bad moments written in my upcoming book, Signs of Hope for the Military: In and Out of the Trenches of Life, so keep coming back to get caught up on the progress of the book. Better yet….go to the top of this page and click on subscribe. When you do all future posts go directly to your inbox.

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Checking in on you. How are you doing? Is everything going OK, or are you fighting back memories?


FEAR NOT!


There are over 15,219 Veterans on this site who have your back.


If you are battling mentally, but you are losing, GET HELP!!


Here is a toll free number that you can call 24/7. There are highly qualified counselors there to help you, and they will not hang up until they know you are OK.
1-800-273-8255…texting 838255.

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Remember:


You are never alone.


You are never forsaken.


You are never unloved.


And above all…never, ever, give up.

+Now there is an easier way to get help. Just dial 988, and you will have help ready for you.

________________________________________________________________

+If you like what you see, please subscribe at the top of this page where it says, “subscribe.” When you do, all future posts will come directly to your inbox. Also, if you know some else who could benefit from this site, please let them know.

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After Sixty Five Years Nothing Much Has Changed in Korea. There Still is the DMZ.

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Military news…

The war in Ukraine is risking a potential nuclear disaster
Current shelling near the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant has international watchdogs worried.

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Scammer headed to different kind of big house for bilking US veterans, retirees out of $310M
A California man who orchestrated a nationwide Ponzi scheme that targeted military veterans and other retirees was sentenced by a federal judge in South Carolina to 10 years in prison.

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US announces $775M in additional military aid for Ukraine ahead of country’s independence day

The United States is sending Ukraine another $775 million in military aid, including new drones and other equipment from U.S. weapons stockpiles to replenish Ukrainian forces battling Russia’s months long invasion, the Defense Department announced Friday.

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A Russian soldier’s journal: ‘I will not participate in this madness’

A war-wounded soldier, now in hiding, writes that Russia’s leaders “simply decided to shower Ukraine with our corpses.”

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A year after one son died in Afghanistan bombing, California mother copes with loss of second son

As the first anniversary of the death of Marine Lance Cpl. Kareem Nikoui approached — he was killed in a bombing at the Kabul airport during the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan — his brother died by suicide.

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Russia’s ‘most hidden crime’ in Ukraine war: Rape of women, girls, men and boys

Rape as a weapon is as old as war itself. The objective, say those who deal with such cases, is to humiliate and degrade, to break the spirit of defenders, to shatter families and communities, to instill a sense of hopelessness and despair.

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A Chernobyl tour group secretly helped track Russia’s invasion

The group represents a key weapon in Ukraine’s wartime arsenal: The will of everyday people to risk their lives to defend their nation.

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I am sharing another excerpt from my upcoming book, Signs of Hope for the Military: In and Out of the Trenches of Life. It speaks about my time in Korea, and how it affect me and many others.

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What Are They Thinking?

On one of my off days in Korea, I was invited to ride with a courier to the DMZ (Demilitarized Zone.)

I thought that would be very interesting so I accepted the invite. We had to go through several villages, and of course the people didn’t seem to like us. They were shouting things at us I probably didn’t want to hear.

We got to the DMZ. What a depressing place! It was a very small outpost with guards watching the North Koreans on the other side of the DMZ. They let me look through one of their binoculars, and I could see a North Korean soldier looking through his binoculars back at me. It was a very odd feeling. He was just another guy like me, but he would probably shoot me if he could.

There is still strife between the two countries. There is still the DMZ zone. There are soldiers still looking at each other with binoculars. Nothing much has changed, except the lives of those who had to serve in Korea.

They came home and then they had to try to cope in the private sector. They had/have to adjust, and survive. I feel for them, because I was there with them. I know the frustrations. I know the disappointment. I know the feeling that no one cares.

I can say that it is hard to block out the negative aspects of our military service. It is hard to change thoughts into a different world in the private sector. It took me a while to clear my mind and concentrate on the future. I had to realize that I needed to move on and start a new adventure. I needed to think about the next day of my life.

I never have regretted serving my country. I would do it again if I was able. I have learned that I just need to be thankful that I have another day on this earth, and should seek what I can do to better my live and those around me that I love. 

IWILL

Some of the soldiers, in the private sector, have some issues still lingering with them from their time in in the service. I understand this. I have had to re-group myself. The key is to do something about it. Don’t hide your feelings. Get the right help to get you back on track in life. There are many resources in the back of this book to help you on your way down your new path of life.

There is always help for you 24/7 at: 1-800-273-8255

Think about this

Isn’t it funny that so much of what we fear is only the fear of the unknown?

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I will share more in later posts, so keep coming back to see them. Better yet…go to the top of this page and click on subscribe. When you do all future posts will go directly to your inbox.

_______________________________________________________________

Checking in on you. How are you doing? Is everything going OK, or are you fighting back memories?


FEAR NOT!


There are over 15,219 Veterans on this site who have your back.


If you are battling mentally, but you are losing, GET HELP!!


Here is a toll free number that you can call 24/7. There are highly qualified counselors there to help you, and they will not hang up until they know you are OK.
1-800-273-8255…texting 838255.

________________________________________________________________

Remember:


You are never alone.


You are never forsaken.


You are never unloved.


And above all…never, ever, give up.

+Now there is an easier way to get help. Just dial 988, and you will have help ready for you.

________________________________________________________________

+If you like what you see, please subscribe at the top of this page where it says, “subscribe.” When you do, all future posts will come directly to your inbox. Also, if you know some else who could benefit from this site, please let them know.

Posted on

There Wasn’t Bad Days Every Day in the Military, Some Were Funny and Fun

+If you like what you see, please subscribe at the top of this page where it says, “subscribe.” When you do, all future posts will come directly to your inbox. Also, if you know some else who could benefit from this site, please let them know.

________________________________________________________________

Military news..

An Air Force captain with top secret security clearance vanished. He resurfaced 35 years later
Former Air Force Capt. William Howard Hughes Jr. disappeared in 1983, and was found in 2018, but the exact details for why he deserted are still unknown.

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Here’s how the US military can win a war against China
To win against China, the United States must develop its ability to project power far from established bases using small, mobile teams.

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‘What did our service mean?’ Taliban rout still evokes raw emotions for US veterans and Afghan refugees
It’s been a year since the Taliban swept into Kabul. For many U.S. troops who tried to help Afghans flee their homeland, the last two weeks of August 2021 remain indelibly seared into their consciousness.

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House Republicans blast White House for Afghanistan withdrawal, calling it a ‘strategic failure’

The Biden administration was at fault for the chaotic withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan last year, according to a GOP report.

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New study on tinnitus adds heft to findings on scourge of US vets

A meta-analysis published Monday in the Journal of the American Medical Association Neurology says that 14% of all adults have the condition, which causes ringing, buzzing or roaring noises inside their heads that only they can hear.

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New Iowa military memorial dedicated by former, active sailors from USS The Sullivans

On a weekend when sailors from both the decommissioned and active ships USS The Sullivan’s reunited at Iowa Irish Fest, a new memorial depicting the original Navy ship was unveiled in Waterloo.

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Not every day in the military was bad for me. I am sharing and excerpt from my upcoming book, Signs of Hope for the Military: In and Out of the trenches of Life, of one day that funny and fun.

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I Hope I Can Swim!

There weren’t always serious times in the military.

One day after we were done with shooting at the range in basic training, the regular platoon leader had to go to headquarters, and he asked a Warrant Officer to march us back to the buses.

The Warrant Officer had never led a march before and it was very clear that he was not in control. The men whispered to each other that we needed to follow his commands completely, but only if they were Army regulated.

Well, the Warrant Officer had no idea what the Army regulations were for marching troops, so he just told us to start marching. We didn’t move. He shouted, “Let’s go!” We still didn’t move. Then a passer-by soldier told him the wording was “Forward march!” 

He said “Forward march!” We started marching. He wanted us to do a turn at a street corner, and said “Turn right!” We kept going straight. He was heading us toward a boat ramp leading down to the ocean. He saw what was happening, and yelled, “Stop!” We didn’t stop! He shouted “You’re going into the water, stop!”

By this time the front of the platoon was in the edge of the ramp and had water over their boots. He was again getting desperate. He ran over to some other soldier watching “the show,” and begged them to tell him what he is supposed to say. He said yell, “Platoon halt!” He did, but by that time there were some men swimming, and laughing I might add.

The platoon leader didn’t get mad when he heard what happened. He even chuckled to himself, and then he called the Warrant Officer to apologize.

Have you ever gotten confused with some orders you have received in the military? Were they in such a way that you had to question them? Let me tell you that it is OK to question a command or orders if you stay with the guidelines of the Army manual.

If an officer asks you to do something you aren’t comfortable with you could say, “No disrespect sir, but could you explain that order to me?” You could also say, “I would like to say “Respectively sir that I will do what you say, but I am not comfortable doing it.”

Any good officer will not chew you out for statements like that. My son, who was a colonel, had times when he had to give soldiers commands, and I am sure if they questioned him, he didn’t punish them or he didn’t become angry. I met many of his soldiers when I visited him on base, and every soldier I met said that my son was a soldier’s soldier. Meaning, they knew he was in charge, but they also knew that he would listen to them if they had a disagreement.

In your life it is wise to be open to others who may disagree with you. It may make you uncomfortable, but in the long run, the other person will respect you for listening to them even if you stick to what you first advocated.

IWILL

It is so easy to demand things for yourself, but that approach may only lead to the loss of friends and family. The “my way or the highway,” philosophy doesn’t seem to fit well with most people.

Think about this

Isn’t it sad that when someone tries to “bully,” someone into agreeing with them, it only hurts them?

Checking in on you. How are you doing? Is everything going OK, or are you fighting back memories?


FEAR NOT!


There are over 15,219 Veterans on this site who have your back.


If you are battling mentally, but you are losing, GET HELP!!


Here is a toll free number that you can call 24/7. There are highly qualified counselors there to help you, and they will not hang up until they know you are OK.
1-800-273-8255…texting 838255.

________________________________________________________________

Remember:


You are never alone.


You are never forsaken.


You are never unloved.


And above all…never, ever, give up.

+Now there is an easier way to get help. Just dial 988, and you will have help ready for you.

________________________________________________________________

+If you like what you see, please subscribe at the top of this page where it says, “subscribe.” When you do, all future posts will come directly to your inbox. Also, if you know some else who could benefit from this site, please let them know.