What unit were you in?

Fr those with military service. Give us an idea of what unit or units you were attached to and what they were about.

Fir me it was VMCJ-1 and 2

! was stationed in Japan but we flew our missions over Nam and 2 was stationed at Cherry Point NC.
http://www.bluejacket.com/usmc/insignia/vmcj1_insig.jpg I still own this one.

http://www.bluejacket.com/usmc/insignia/vmcj2_insig.jpg

Yes we were known as the Playboy squadron.

And heres what I worked on

Phantom RF-4B

I think I worked on almost every one of these the Marines had being I was in two of the three squadrons who operated it and as you can see from the link they were moved around. I jnow I certainly worked on everyone in those two squadrons.

http://rf4bphantom.ms11.net//lgimages/fl66.jpg

I was a Marine Aviation Photo Electronics Tech. If it had anything to do with photography I did it. We also handled installed and fixed all the computers and cameras in our aircraft. We also made the composite maps from the photos our planes took. I was told the the Airforce used 29 seperate MOSs to do the same job we did. I think there were less than 100 people in the Marines with my MOS. We were a tight knit group.

Question. Since you were stationed in Japan during the Vietnam War, does that mean you saw zero combat ? You essentially just fixed the camera's on planes, correct?

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Question. Since you were stationed in Japan during the Vietnam War, does that mean you saw zero combat ? You essentially just fixed the camera's on planes, correct?

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No it does not. We were sent TAD all over West Pac including Nam. The only combat I saw was when ourDa Nang attacked. I have some nice shots of the ammo dump at Da Nang being blown up. Did I ever have to shoot anyone? The answer to that thank god is no. Was I shot at. Yes if motars and rockets can be considered being shot at.I did my shooting with a camera. Taking pictures of the dead was not very much to my liking however. They wanted me to volunteer to be a tunnel rat since I am only5 ft 6. I told them to go to hell. I was also offerd Officer candidate school. I asked if my aviation garuntee would stay in effect. When they told me no I said forget it. Im not leading anyone through any jungle. Again most Marines dont get involved directly with combat unless their a grunt. However all Marines remain profficient with their weapons and all are trained to fight as infantry and in Nam many a time were called upon to do just that. I was lucky I never spent more than a few days there. Still not my favorite place to visit.

Also I did a hell of a lot more than just fix cameras on planes. I took photographs of anything I was asked to from promotion ceremonies to as I mentioned deaths. I also fixed the cameras and developed the pictures and made the maps. I even went up in choppers a few times to take pictures.

Believe me one battle even a small one is all you have to or want to ever witness.

Interesting, thanks for clearing that up. I was just being curious. I enjoy listening to any vet who has a story to tell. It usually takes a bit of prying to get them to spill the beans as most don't like to talk about it.

I'm not part of any unit(and maybe this isn' t the thread for it) but my grandfather fought in WW2. He was a part of the Highland Light Infantry of Canada. Here's is a list of their/his Battle Honours:
Normandy Landing, Caen, The Orne (Buron), Bourguébus Ridge, Faubourg de Vaucelles, Falaise, The Laison, Chambois, Boulogne 1944, Calais 1944, The Scheldt, Savojaards Plaat, Breskens Pocket, The Rhineland, Waal Flats, The Hochwald, The Rhine, Zutphen, Leer, North-West Europe 1944-1945.

i am to young to be in the military but if i can't get into a good college quick then i am heading strait to the army (much to my mothers distress). any way my grandfather was 101st airborne, D-day and bastogne to his honor. i can't say specifics as otthers have as he passed away before i was born but i know he went to those two.

Altho never in the military, I have had military units under my supervision; the Oregon National Guard (from whom I have a Certificate of Commendation) and the USMC 3-5 (who gave me a challenge coin). Good guys from both units, some great memories. What struck me was how much in common our terminologies, command structures, and tactics were.

One day I was introduced to a Marine Colonel whose troops were working for me. I must admit that when I'm on the line I look rough, and that summer I had been out for almost 100 days. I hadn't shaved or even taken a shower in weeks, and had lived in the clothes I had on for almost as long.

The Colonel was crisp, sharp, creases in his pants and a shine on his shoes. You could set your watch by his haircut.

He looked me up and down, sneered, and said "I'll assume your very competent, otherwise I can't imagine why they would keep a guy who looks like you around"

I took it as compliment.

At the end of the tour a gunnery sargent told me that what we did was as hard as anything he'd ever done. Again, I swelled with pride.

ichi :bow:

Well I spent my first 3 years in the Big Red One - in the 4th Battalion 5th Field Artillery, 2nd Brigade, 1st Infantry Division

Spent 6 monthes in Korea with the 6th Battalion 37th Field Artillery, 2nd Infantry Division - Camp Essayons.

Then 4 years in Ft Lewis with the 210th Field Artillery Brigade and then to the 1st Battalion 37th Field Artillery, 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division.

Then with the 75th Infantry Division - a TSD training the National Guard

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped..._Inf_Patch.jpg

I have fired or directed the firing of the following artillery pieces

http://img.thefreedictionary.com/wik...8_howitzer.jpg

http://www.sfu.ca/casr/artysp1-2.jpg

I have eaten lunch in an American military base.

I'm too young, but my granpa was a WWII veteran. About 8 decorations ~D

The planes, I forgot to mention. Scouting and light bombarding unit.

Marines (not US). My piece of gear. Yeah, for those new guys that wonder, I am a pretty big mofo. Interesting times.

http://files.turbosquid.com/Preview/...E.jpgLarge.jpg

I was at Karjalan Prikaatin(Karelian Brigade),Kymen Jääkäri Pataljoonassa(Kymi´s Jaeger Battalion),Ensimmäisessä Panssarijääkäri komppaniassa(First armored Jaeger Company).Here is a link sorry it´s in Finish but there are few photographs from equipment.Here is a picture of Finnish soldier in his natural enviroment.Here is another one this time in winter. And here this Finnish infantrys main tool.

So you weren't a Sissi, Kagemusha?

No.Jääkäri Kessu=Jaeger Sergeant.I had some recon training in petty officer school but i wouldnt dare to call myself a Sissi. :bow:

Joining either Army or RAF one day, but my dad served in the RAf as a Technician (no combat though, lucky sod) and my grandad served in the Army (before and during WW2, meaning he want a conscript) My Grandads story is very interesting, when i have time (i'm eating ice cream ATM) i'll tell you it.

Gawain, have you read Phantom Over Vietnam ?

Its one of my all time favourite books, I've read it I don't know how many times. A book about Phantoms, by a USMC pilot who did 2 tours at Da Nang, sounds right up your street :bow: He flew with VMFA-314 "Black Knights" btw.