Vet Of WWII, Korea, Vietnam

[WateringHole]

While I was in my doctors waiting room yesterday, there was a elderly man in a wheel chair wearing a baseball cap that had "WWII, Korea & Vietnam Veteran". I asked him if he was a vet of all three and he said "yes". I asked what outfit he was in Vietnam, and he sounded like he said "mc vee" in 66/67. He said it was an artillery outfit. I wanted to ask him again to repeat his outfit, but that's when his name was called and the man that was with him told me he's a retired Master Sergeant before he wheeled him away.
I was wondering if any of you Vietnam Vets ever heard of such an outfit or one similar to that pronouncitation.

[DMZ-LT]

Military Assistance Command , Vietnam. MACV. Only met one guy , while I was on active duty , that had served in all three but sure there were others.

[eriksale]

Lt

From what I know almost all of the "Dirty Thirty" were Vets from WWII, Korea and Vietnam.

My dad Maj Carl Erickson for example went in in 44 as WWII was winding down and recalled for Korea and stayed in after that retiring in 69

Dave

[DMZ-LT]

Dave , I am still very happy and a little amazed that you sons and daughters of the Dirty Thirty have found each other here. Hats off to you and your fathers !

[Boats]

W.H

It goes to say the WWII guys and gals are thinning out pretty quick. I too have run into a fewer each month at different gatherings. But I get a kick out of talking with them. They are so up beat and so great to know.

I see many more at the VA when I go - but lately I've run into them more and more of late. My Dad and Uncle were WWII boy's one Army and the other Navy.

As the years go by more and more the line thins out. Korean guys I know of three I've met and they too are thinning out. We VN vets are next in the food chain and I've notice we aren't dealing with old age real well. It's taking us longer to accept the fact we are in our 60's and some even later we'll say.

Our group it unique as we didn't make the follower power age - we were absent - at least I was - so I can't relate to those who were getting this free love stuff.

But back to the WWII folks I have only the greatest respect for those folks who fought the last full blown war to the very end. Short lived yes - as Korea was hot to trot and from then on its been hit and run - too bad.

I asked a neighbor whose Israil - what are you guys gonna do about Iran? His eye's were clear as glass and said - it depends? What? If the US backs us we have a chance if not its unlikely we will make the move. I said you gonna let them make nukes and then launch them at you? He said - it depends.

I left that alone as I know - if push comes to shove they will take out the two sites - they just can fight a sustained fight for very long. It must be tough living in an area where everyone around you wants to kill you. That's Rolaid country for sure.

[WateringHole]

I appreciate squaring me away what that retired MS meant when he said MACV.

Boats.....I know exactly whay you mean about talking to those WWll Vets. One I use to talk to all the time when I use to go to the local cafe and have coffee(when I use to smoke)use to tell me stories about being on maneuvers in the Philippines. He told me one story about they would be walking through the jungle when all of a sudden, two or three Japanese soldiers would pop-up out of nowhere and holler "don't shoot, don't shoot, we surrender". He said they would shoot them on the spot, because that's an old trick Japanese soldiers would use. He said they would walk towards you with their forearms in front of their upper arms with the palms of their hands facing you and their elbows pressed tightly against their ribs. When they would get close enough to you, they would raise their elbows and two grenades would drop from their arm pits.

[revwardoc]

One of my late uncles was in the Marines during WWII and he told me similar stories about the Japs, like how 2 would pretend to surrender and one would have a machine gun strapped to his back, then bend over and essentially act as a bipod for the 2nd man who would start shooting. On his first assignment he saw 2 Japs carrying a man on a stretcher and saying they surrendered. His gunny shot them. When they examined the bodies all 3 were carrying grenades. Tricky bastards.