The "Rest Of The Story" About Mardi Gras

[WateringHole]

I live on the opposite side of the Mississippi River from New Orleans. My wife and I haven't been to a Mardi Gras parade in "koon days". I'd say about fifteen years or so, when our youngest youngen was old enough to go without us taggen along.
What I don't miss about going is having to tolerate the drunks, the fights, people relieving themself in public, the "pick pockets", your car being broken into, or the cops towing it to the impound lot.
Mardi Gras was intended for people to enjoy themself one last day before the beginning of Lent. But so many people intrepid Mardi Gras as being a day to "let it all hang out".

[revwardoc]

I've heard the same about Carnival in Rio and other places around the Caribbean. Tourists stand out like sore thumbs and are easy targets for local hoodlums. A couple from MA went to Carnival last year and, while sitting on the beach, were beaten, robbed, the woman raped, and the guy's throat was cut (fortunately, he survived). The local police had the fill out forms while they were bleeding and refused to transport them to the hospital or notify the US Embassy. They just want our money, not us.

[WateringHole]

revwardoc.......I'm a retired merchant seaman. I've had some of my shipmates from Panama, Honduras, Ecuador who said the Mard Gras you definately want to stay away from is the one in Rio de Jeneiro. Local cops are not really known for going "far and beyound the call of duty" to help a "Gringo"

[revwardoc]

Before I met my wife she went to Carnival in Rio. They told the tour group not to stray too far from the hotels and basically stick to Ipanema Beach. Even then you had to constantly keep an eye on your stuff.

[WateringHole]

BTW revwardoc........I don't see any recent messages by 39mto39. Has anything happen to him ??

[ussfa344]

Originally Posted by WateringHole

BTW revwardoc........I don't any recent messages by 39mto39. Has anything happen to him ??

He was exposed as a wannabe.

[WateringHole]

ussfa344

Whaaaat.......I'm shocked. He always came across as though he was real knowledgeable about Vietnam. There was times he would brag about how he outperformed others in his company, but I never gave that much though. Figured that was one of his ways of dealing with PTSD.
I wonder if he was even an Army vet ? Judging by the messages he posted, he came across as though he spent time on active duty, or was that a bluff also ?? How did he stumble and let the cat out the bag ?

[5thgrpguy]

watering hole....

I had a running gun battle with him over on the HC..and I believe he was in VN and the Army..He just embellished what he did and where he was...part of the time he would cut and paste information from the web. but you could always tell when he wrote somthing, as it appeared to be written by a third grader. According to the info I gathered, he was in A Company 1/35 as an RTO, but most of his stories from Basic thru VN leave a lot to be desired, he could not have been in many of the places he claimed..Time line did not match..I offered to trade DD214's with him, No response. I think the guy needs some serious help from his local VA...Also I believe ( don't quote me) he was banned fro this site....

Ron P.

[ussfa344]

Waterhole,

Just so you know, I agree with Ron P. in his assessment that that ronnabe is probably a real vet. He just embellishes his stories so badly that they become impossible to have been true. What a shame. Ronnabe is just like sid herndon. The guys had every reason to be proud of their service, but that wasn't enough. They felt the need to make things up. The lies bring shame to what was otherwise honorable service. I have not seen ronnabee's records, just read his stories that were not possible. In herndon's case, I have seen his service records so I know he is a real vet with otherwise honorable service. He just made up a whole different story about his service, which was lies from start to finish.

Robert

[WateringHole]

Ron P, Robert.........I can recall 39mto39 getting a little twisted whenever someone would mention there was flaws in some of his allege heroic actions in Vietnam he was telling. Those "wild hair" stories he use to tell about working for the fire dept left you believing "there's a white lie here and there in that particular story."
I remember he once mentioned he qualified "expert" with the .45auto in basic. Somebody told him if that's true, than he made history because he's the only basic training recruit to ever do it because the Army doesn't give any pistol training in basic.