Show Your ID.

Coming back to the world in November of 1968,with a 2:30am landing at El Toro MCAS, greeted by armed MPs. Ok, everything was not great but at least I could see round-eye again. Antiwar hippies, Kent State and sit-ins. Try being a Marine Veteran at UMass in 1970. (Read William Manchester’s Book “Goodbye Darkness, A memoir of the Pacific War) Now, I receive greetings and discounts from the same people who hated us in the sixties. An yes Communist Vietnam is now the USA’s trading partner. Posers too weak to serve, too envious of our service and when their are needed they will hide again.

As far as the throw-away phrase goes. A long time ago I dropped that throw-away phrase and began using the more appropriate “Thank for putting your ‘ass’ on the line…. …And no, I was not in the Corps…but I am the youngest living son of a Naval Aviator who flew ‘HELL-Cats’ in the Pacific…..Dad only said this about his time: “Lord… we didn’t think we was gonna make it!”. That was so chilling that I spent a number of years to find out what that meant. Okinawa, May 4, 1945, his ship, the USS Sangamon, CVE 26 was crash-dived by a Kamikaze ,7-30 at night. All the aircraft below deck but one was destroyed. The radio in that lone aircraft was their only way to communicate with any other ship. Twenty six guys were instantly blown overboard, took two hours to put out the fires, Both of the 19-ton elevators , which bring the aircraft from the hanger bay to the flight deck, were blown upward and came down sideways. So you can see that ‘arse’ on the line has more meaning than that other phrase.

Grrrr… Ok, so you “served” as a contractor, but jumping Ron because he jumped on the posers is gonna get you absolutely nothing, but hate and discontent from me and from many other Marines. You may have “served”, but you did NOT “earn” the title, therein lies the difference. Since you were over 50, you obviously had plenty of opportunity to “earn” the title, you didn’t, ’nuff said. Thank you for making Marines lives better & easier, but quit bitching about your well-paid, contractor job. You made 5 times the pay that Marines made, while those Marines humped and fought, miles upon miles upon miles… You didn’t sit, alone, for many days and nights on end in that FOB, waiting for the “one with your name on it”, to come crashing through the helmet you wear, just about 24/7. No, you volunteered to be there, but THAT is where the difference ends between you and a Marine. Ask your corporate boss if he can get you discounts for “stuff”. You have the respect of Marines for doing your job, that isn’t enough? What else do you want?

Am in total agreement with you on showing a Military ID which I’ve not always insisted on but after reading this article will from now on. THANKS.

Way back when “Thank you for your service” was unheard of I was having a discussion with this auditor when as a tangent I said something about serving in the Navy. She immediately said thank you and I was bewildered. It must have been a decade before I heard those words again. Here in Eugene Oregon the home improvement places have begun requiring the VA medical card. I know that because when I got mine the person said there had been a rush on those cards recently for that very reason..

I see this subject come up from time to time here and have refrained from commenting now for a long time, but you know, Ron … I take exception to your blustery BS about what makes a vet, or who is “deserving”. While I fully agree that punks who did not walk the walk should be flushed out and take their lumps (posers), there were plenty of us who went and served as contractors who got right in the mud, the sh!t, the fight with the enlisted, … who came home without any military ID (or benefits). Only the pride of having gone and served. I make it clear to all who ask that I was a contractor, Proudly assigned after asking for Deep South assignment, with the USMC, and I’ll be damned if some wound up, over-zealous Marine is going to roll what I did in with some loser who just wants attention back home. I’ll be the first to admit that there were plenty of contractors only interested in a check, and I got to fight that BS my whole time over. But there were some of us that really understood the mission and support, and loved the Marine Corps way. I proudly wear my garrison cover (given to me by my first Gunny) and I’ll happily take whatever some business wants to offer me as appreciation for the three years I spent building FOBs and similar work. I turned 50 while I was over there (the recruiter said “You’re golden, but we got this one ‘grandpa’”) so I went in the back door to NOT be just another sh!thead running his gums about the military or our country. Maybe you never met guys like me during your time in ? But I volunteered three years of my life to risk my ass, eat bad food, sleep in the dirt, enjoy 130º+ heat and bitter cold, get shot at, have vehicles blown out from under me, to build bridges and showers and chow halls so that Marines could come off patrol and not have to hang their ass over a cut-off 55 gallon drum to take a sh!t. You’re damned right I love the Marines and you Sir, need to take a closer look at who you are running your gums about before pulling that trigger. Semper Fi.

#I was in Nam between April of 67 and May of 68. I live in Texas. I have my “V.AMedical Center’s”Patient ID. However,now I have the word Veteran on my Driver’s License. I just showed “DPS” my DD-214 and they gave me the”Veteran’s”Driver’s License.I also walk around in Stores wearing Sgt,Grit’s Marine Shirts. Sunday Nov.13,I will wear one in my Church so”I can stand up proudly when they ask Veterans to stand up to be identified” It’s the only time&day when people Applaud me & all the other Vets. Semper Fidelis !.*

I reduced a PDF scan of my DD214 to 2 1/2 by 2 inches and, while small, it’s legible. That, laminated, should be proof enough for anybody (and you can put an Eagle, Globe, and Anchor on the reverse)! If you don’t have a copy, go to http://www.archives.gov and search dd214.

I do agree on what you are saying, when I ask if this place offers a veteran discount, and they say yes, I automatically pull out my id, most people just glance at it not paying to much attention to it, so I make sure I hold it up for them to see properly, I take alot of pride in making sure they this person actually see’s my I’d card. In PA, with your DD214 Pendot will put the US flag on your license to show that you are a veteran. SEMPER FI. Sgt 87-00

Semper Fi…. I am in the same boat like Matt. I cannot get a VA card. But I do have a veterans identification card. Which you can get at your Dept. of Veterans Affairs. Which has no picture. And also…Go to your Dept. of Veterans Affairs with your DD214. The should give you some information about going to the Dept. of Motor Vehicle with some kind of paper. And they will put the work Veteran under your picture on your drivers license. MOS 1381 which was changed to 0481 Landing support Battalion (red patchers). 1980 to 1984..Cpl of Marines. And if anyone who is from LSB Bravo Company California. Please Contact me.

Matt makes an excellent point. I, like many veterans, am fortunate enough to have never needed to use VA benefits and do not have a VA Benefits card. I tried to obtain a VA ID card, but was told I was a Class 8 veteran and was not eligible for any benefits and therefore can not get an ID card. I do, however, live in Texas, a State which honors it’s veterans by denoting “Veteran” on it’s licenses such as drivers, CHL and automobile plates. In Texas, just show a copy of your DD-214 or DD-256 when you renew your driver’s license. Fred Kinder, SSgt, USMC, 1965-1969

I once met a guy at the flea market that was wearing a utility blouse with all the badges and patches, I talked to him for a while asking him what unit he was with, had he been to Vietnam, he said he was over there in 66-67 the same time I was there, anyway, I noticed he had Sgt. stripes on his sleeves and Maj. oak leaves on his collar, I asked him about that and he said ” Oh yeah, I’m a Sergeant-Major” After I called him a few choice names, I told him to take off that shirt, or I would take it off of him myself. Now I don’t condone violence but I hate a poser. He took it off and I carried it away. Simper-Fi my brothers and sisters and Happy Birthday to all Marines. D Allen, Sgt of Marines 1963-1969 Viet Nam 1966-1968

Ron, you make some good points. I use the “three number test”. Every Marine knows his serial number, MOS, and the unit he served with. If a phony vet gets even one answer wrong, he’s no vet. SF, Mike Cunha

Semper Fi Ron, I agree with the point you make. But what do you say to us veteran’s which don’t have a service connected injury. I don’t have a military ID., just an Honorable Discharge. 1975 – Matt D. (Cool Breeze) H&S 3/4 (Attached Lima Co. Radio Operator)

Hey Ron ,I know you are just trying to make a point but, I don’t think it is a good idea to post your ID without blacking out your ID Number any hacker, even small time, has enough info to obtain your records. Just sayin.