Please feel free to take part in our discussion– this forum serves as a guestbook for everyone, not just members. Offensive, spam, and inflammatory posts may be deleted.
If your comment does not show up right away, do not worry, it was probably temporarily marked as spam for some reason. However, your comment will be manually approved and later posted once an administrator has reviewed it.
Bill
I only met you once since the war but you have to be at least a 60 percenter…….
Gary,
I would say every grunt was afraid they might be exposed to a traumatic event! Not sure about thise rear guys. Maybe I will get my increase for PTSD which I applied for at the end of May. Currently at 10%. Most who know me would say I am totally crazy. Nutty as a fruit cake! Especially my wife………..would confirm that.
Johnnie Pearson of our company is coming out with a book soon that I have prordered. Johnnie was wounded along with several guys on March 16, 1970. Here is the information on his book:
Lee and Jackson’s
Bloody Twelfth
The Letters of Irby Goodwin Scott, First Lieutenant,
Company G, Putnam Light Infantry,
Twelfth Georgia Volunteer
Infantry
Edited by Johnnie Perry Pearson
Offering a fascinating look at an ordinary soldierʼs struggle to survive not
only the horrors of combat but also the unrelenting hardship of camp life,
Lee and Jacksonʼs Bloody Twelfth brings together for the first time the
extant correspondence of Confederate lieutenant Irby Goodwin Scott, who served
in the hard-ï¬ghting Twelfth Georgia Infantry.
The collection begins with Scottʼs ï¬rst letter home from Richmond, Virginia,
in June 1861, and ends with his last letter to his father in February 1865. Scott
miraculously completed the journey from naïve recruit to hardened veteran while
seeing action in many of the Eastern Theater’s most important campaigns: the
Shenandoah Valley, the Peninsula, Second Manassas, and Gettysburg. His writings
brim with vivid descriptions of the menʼs activities in camp, on the march, and
in battle. Particularly revelatory are the details the letters provide about the
relationship between Scott and his two African American body servants, whom
he wrote about with great affection. And in addition to maps, photographs, and a
roster of Scott’s unit, the book also features an insightful introduction by editor
Johnnie Perry Pearson, who highlights the key themes found throughout the
correspondence.
By illuminating in depth how one young Confederate stood up to the physical
and emotional duress of war, the book stands as a poignant tribute to the ways in
which all ordinary Civil War soldiers, whether fighting for the South or the North,
sacriï¬ced, suffered, and endured.
Johnnie Perry Pearson is a retired state service officer formerly with
the North Carolina Division of Veteran Affairs. He served as an infantry platoon
sergeant during the Vietnam War and lives in Hickory, North Carolina.
The University of Tennessee press order online at utpress.org | 800-621-2736
Short Round, Gary;
Yeah, I kind of thought that, too. There seems to be a lot of room for abuse.
I used to joke with people that pissed me off, that I hadn’t used my PTSD excuse yet, but now, maybe I should.
I used to go on water jacks with some of the grunts, and I always tried to make sure that they kept their canteens full. We did have a few heat problems, but none that were too severe.
gary–have to agree–the new “improved” PTSD thing is too open to abuse. i know of 1 arty guy that got 50% –saying –1 day while out on patrol, a buddy “disappeared” and he never got over it. should have asked him who was pulling the 105 or 155 on that “patrol” . crap like that irritates me–on the good days.
news mentioned 119 degrees in afghan. got me thinking–gets to 95 and humid here–cities get excited–if more people had some time in gruntville–they`d appreciate a bit more. also makes me wonder why we didn`t have more heat casualties.
Rick:
All the VA has done is drop the requirement for proving a stressor event. For someone to prove 40 years after the fact that they were in certain place at a certain time doing a certain thing can be quite difficult. At least we with a CIB didn’t have to do that already as it was accepted as prima facia evidence of having suffered the required stress. Now, that’s pretty much been extended to anyone in the combat zone.
But, there’s more to the new rules. Now, one can also claim PTSD as a result of being afraid they MIGHT be exposed to a traumatic event! In other words, the REMF who worried that he might be sent outside the wire can claim PTSD because of that worry!
I’m afraid that’s going to prove wide open for abuse.
All;
I just read a story about VA relaxing rules that cover PTSD. There is a paragraph in the article that states, “Under the new rule, claims adjusters will be instructed to accept any valid PTSD diagnosis as combat related if the veteran can prove they served in a war zone and provide evidence of their role there. The change would also apply to past wars, meaning Vietnam veterans could benefit from the change”.
I thought that you all would like to know about this. You can go to the nearest VA center to find out about the change. This could be huge for many Vietnam vets.
Clay,
That is the way it is. We can lick the world, know it all, and are going to live forever. Ever tried to pass on your wisdom to your kids to keep them from making a mistake? They go ahead and ignore your advice as you did your parents. The cycle of life.
Bill,
I agree. It just boggles my mind how naive I was back when. At least I didn’t buy the Brooklyn Bridge at any point. Probably didn’t get asked.
new bumber sticker–I’LL KEEP MY LORD-MY GUNS-MY FREEDOM–YOU CAN HAVE THE CHANGE. get some ideas about this one———–first year i watched the fire works on tv
Gary and Clay,
We all made the best decision for ourselves at the time and circumstances for each of us. We did what we thought was best for us at that moment in our life.
It’s hard for me to blame myself for being gullible back then. I see how ignorant I am now, even with all the life experience and education I’ve received, and its hard to believe I didn’t get fleeced every time I left the house back then. The level of propaganda today’s youth gets makes me sympathize with how cynical or apathetic many of them are. There is more bs flying around from the government, media and every group with an agenda or an ax to grind. How on earth they can come to a coherent decision on what to believe is beyond me. I guess our hope is that they get wiser quicker than previous generations and can figure out what works without to much trial and error.
Bill:
I went because I wanted to. Yes, I volunteered for it. Now I spend more time angry for allowing myself to be conned into “believing” than I do anything else.
Gary,
We all went for various reasons. I went because I had too! Not to fight Communist or to be a patriot. However once there I fought as part of a team to keep them alive and myself. Proud of my service and all the men who served. Still angry over the results of the war and how it was fought but proud of you guys. I work every day to let the anger go.
wiShing all my ‘nam brothers a safe 4th. WE ALL GAVE SOME BUT THIS DAY IS TO REMEMBER WHY SOME GAVE ALL. GOD BLESS AMERICA
“Perhaps, when we remember wars, we should take off our clothes and paint ourselves blue and go on all fours all day long and grunt like pigs. That would surely be more appropriate than noble oratory and shows of flags and well-oiled guns.”
Kurt Vonnegut–“Cat’s Cradle.”
Lt amen to that and happy 4th to everyone.
We fought for America which is represented by the US flag. It wasn’t Poland , Germany, Russia or China who sent us off to war but the US Government. You know what, I am proud of my service and those who served under me. I held my head high when I came home 40 plus years ago and I still do. You need to let go of any bitterness you still hold and get on with life. It is too darn short to go to your grave an angry man. Bill, I agree that we all fought to get us all home.
Bill:
Yeah, but that’s not why we went there to begin with, is it?
Gary,
As in all wars we fought for each other. Our fellow soliders is who we fought for.
LT:
Did we fight for Old Glory? Or did we fight and suffer for Sea-Land Corporation or PA&E or World Airways or LBJ’s pride or Nixon’s election or, worse yet, for some officers career?
Yes, I’m a cynic.
……Don’t drink a fifth on the 4th or you may not come forth on the 5th…….
When the flag passes by, stand up and salute proudly. YOU FOUGHT FOR IT! May celebrate the 4th safely and with loved ones if at all possible. Life is too short to waste!
Rick,
Amen to that!
I want to wish all of my C Co brothers a great Independence day. We all know the value and signifigance of this day.
All is quiet on the western front………………………
Fast Eddie Davis and Marie left for parts unknown this morning after spending 10 days with Judy and I. It will take years for the fish population to recover here in Creede, CO along the Rio Grande River. Ed and i are both really looking forward to the reunion in just over two months.
Lt, I am sorry for the loss of you brother- in-law. Please exppress my condolences to Tai. May he rest in peace.
Lt,
Sorry for the loss. No words can express what you and the family are going through. Give Tai a hug from Kay and me.
sry for misspell tai