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A Salute on OUR Day....Veterans Day

dennisdarrow

#4869 Earned Lifetime mem
Wanting to reach out to all my brothers that are or have served OUR country. We have another day to celebrate those that paid the ultimate price, so let's stand tall today and take the thanks from those that have the decency to honor us..........God bless these United States

SSG Dennis K Darrow ret.
U.S. Army Security Agency
6-4-65.....7-9-75
 
Wanting to reach out to all my brothers that are or have served OUR country. We have another day to celebrate those that paid the ultimate price, so let's stand tall today and take the thanks from those that have the decency to honor us..........God bless these United States

SSG Dennis K Darrow ret.
U.S. Army Security Agency
6-4-65.....7-9-75

were you part of the radio research units. I was a 33 at Bragg 75-77
then spec 5 now 04(retired)
 
Wanting to reach out to all my brothers that are or have served OUR country. We have another day to celebrate those that paid the ultimate price, so let's stand tall today and take the thanks from those that have the decency to honor us..........God bless these United States

SSG Dennis K Darrow ret.
U.S. Army Security Agency
6-4-65.....7-9-75


+1! :thumb
 

I put this thread up as kind of a test of OUR thinking as a group, hopefully to see some patriots stand up and salute. Are we patriotic followers of our national ethic? The ethic that has made this country the greatest in the history of the world. Helped to this standing by the sacrifice of those that have served in uniform. Not those that paid the ultimate price; but those that gave a few years perhaps of their youth or those that made it a career....THEY SERVED/SERVE...........

For me ,I just shake my head at what this club has become......CHRISTmas, Easter, Veteran's Day, Memorial Day, and even the 4th of July are shunned or ignored. Yes, I know we are a non-political forum. We can though, as other forum's that I visit, at least give a heartfelt thought or two about these subjects/days..............

Perhaps it is the fact that I authored this thread and certain folks on here choose to shun and ignore my thoughts. Even belittle. BUT THIS SUBJECT????......I hope not; but it is what it is.....all I ask is, what has this once fine club become????? God bless these United States
 
I missed the thread because I haven't been by the site for a few days. I'm a retired Army Chaplain. I was enlisted for two years before that. 31 years total. :usa
 
Though the MOA is diverse, it's diversity does not dilute its patriotic thread.

For what's it's worth I'll take the time to honor a few folks that set the bar high and will never see what I'm about to write.

My grandfather, John Reece Mullins army technical seargeant WWII who volunteerd for the Army with his three brothers on December 8th, 1941.

My father Roger Dale Mullins US Air Force Vietnam Vetran, Retired Tecnical Sergeant.
My mother Elizabeth Mullins US Air Force SSG missiles 8 years in the airforce missile command when women in the military were routinely shunned. She set a standard that couldn't be denied. Got hired at Redstone by the Army, 30 years as a department of the army civilian teaching electronics.
My brother Christopher Steven Mullins US army Desert Shield/Desert Storm veteran SSG US army.
My Uncle Donnie Mason Korean War veteran.
My uncle Wilis Mason army/airforce Vietnam Veteran.
My 1st cousin Scot Mason US army Infantry veteran.
My 1st cousin Eddie Mason US Army veteran.
MY second cousin, Daniel Garner US Army Vietnam veteran, Army Ranger LRSD, SOG, Purple Heart recipient, and probably much more, he doesn't say.
His brother, also my second cousin, David Garner USMC Vietnam veteran Silver Star recipient, Bronze Star recipient, Purple Heart recipient.
My first cousin, Steven Blue US Army Veteran fifth special forces group, side by side with me on almost every deployment since 1990. Mentioned by name in the book, Hunt for Bin Laden
His brother, also my first cousin, Jeff Blue USMC infantry Desert Storm veteran.
My Daughter, Shelby Mullins US. Airforce second Liutenant. [Active duty, carrying the torch]

To all the Veterans on this site, and to all those on this site and in this organization that respect the sacrifice made by fellow citizens on their behalf, thank you.

Roger Reece Mullins
US Army CW4 retired.
Campaigns: Just Cause, Iris Gold, Desert Storm, Joint Guard, Iraqi Freedom.
:wave
 
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For what's it's worth I'll take the time to honor a few folks that set the bar high and will never see what I'm about to write.

My grandfather, John Reece Mullins army technical seargeant WWII who volunteerd for the Army with his three brothers on December 8th, 1941.

My father Roger Dale Mullins US Air Force Vietnam Vetran, Retired Tecnical Sergeant.
My mother Elizabeth Mullins US Air Force SSG missiles 8 years in the airforce missile command when women in the military were routinely shunned. She set a standard that couldn't be denied. Got hired at Redstone by the Army, 30 years as a department of the army civilian teaching electronics.
My brother Christopher Steven Mullins US army Desert Shield/Desert Storm veteran SSG US army.
My Uncle Donnie Mason Korean War veteran.
My uncle Wilis Mason army/airforce Vietnam Veteran.
My 1st cousin Scot Mason US army Infantry veteran.
My 1st cousin Eddie Mason US Army veteran.
MY second cousin, Daniel Garner US Army Vietnam veteran, Army Ranger LRSD, SOG, Purple Heart recipient, and probably much more, he doesn't say.
His brother, also my second cousin, David Garner USMC Vietnam veteran Silver Star recipient, Bronze Star recipient, Purple Heart recipient.
My first cousin, Steven Blue US Army Veteran fifth special forces group, side by side with me on almost every deployment since 1990. Mentioned by name in the book, Hunt for Bin Laden
His brother, also my first cousin, Jeff Blue USMC infantry Desert Storm veteran.
My Daughter, Shelby Mullins US. Airforce second Liutenant. [Active duty, carrying the torch]

To all the Veterans on this site, and to all those on this site and in this organization that respect the sacrifice made by fellow citizens on their behalf, thank you.

Roger Reece Mullins
US Army CW4 retired.
Campaigns: Just Cause, Iris Gold, Desert Storm, Joint Guard, Iraqi Freedom.
:wave

Great post & great family history. Mine:

My grandfather, William A. Kelly, EM2c, USN - USS NORTH DAKOTA (BB-29), WWI
My dad, EN2 David J. Kelly, USN - USS ORION (AS-18) 1950's
His brothers, Bill and Jerry - US Army, Korean War vets
My son, CPL David J. Kelly III, USMC - currently deployed.

David J. Kelly
CDR, USN (Ret.)
USS GRAYBACK (SS-574), USS OMAHA (SSN-692), USS TUCSON (SSN-770), USS FULTON (AS-11)...
 
Great post & great family history. Mine:

My grandfather, William A. Kelly, EM2c, USN - USS NORTH DAKOTA (BB-29), WWI
My dad, EN2 David J. Kelly, USN - USS ORION (AS-18) 1950's
His brothers, Bill and Jerry - US Army, Korean War vets
My son, CPL David J. Kelly III, USMC - currently deployed.

David J. Kelly
CDR, USN (Ret.)
USS GRAYBACK (SS-574), USS OMAHA (SSN-692), USS TUCSON (SSN-770), USS FULTON (AS-11)...

Went to navy dive school on Ford Island for fun summer of 2001. Few sub guys in the course. My dive buddy was LTCDR Proudy... Great man! Perffed a lung on tanks in 3 feet water. Came up spitting pink. Instructors high speed zodiaced him to the compression chamber at Hickman, he was back diving the next day. I had a baratrauma on my left ear on open water dive day 2 I think. I wanted to cut my head off to stop the pain. They wouldn't let me dive the next day but I got cleared after that... Sorta.
Got to do a hull inspection of the kamahmaha before she was decommissioned, and mighty mo's underside was nice. Later I got to dive the Utah, and the Arizona in a marine biology support dive with the navy. God I miss those days.
 
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Best souvenir ever!

image.jpg

In about 33 feet of water on the bottom of pear harbor, this bad jhonston comes floating by. I reach out and grab it and put it in my BC pocket. It was about 3 months after "The Incident". As it turns out navy divers are superstitious. I cleaned it up and wore for a dive with MUDSU1 master diver Told me to take that unlucky gall durn hat off. With the MOA relocating to Greenville SC and me being from TN (no not Greenville TN) I'll wear the hat at upcoming MOA events, as the connections are just too solid.
 
That's great stuff...I spent 13 years in Pearl Harbor, including 3 years on Ford Island in the mid '80's before there was a bridge. Took a boat to work every morning. Must have been incredible to dive the UTAH and ARIZONA.

And the diving Navy...so many good stories. My sea dad went to mixed gas school at the Washington Navy Yard many, many years ago. The old MK5 hard hat rig - dinosaur stuff.

In our little museum at work we've a lot of the gear, artifacts etc. from the rescue of 33 men from the sunken USS SQUALUS (SS-192) in 240' of water in 1939. If you want a good diver story, read THE TERRIBLE HOURS by Peter Maas. I met a couple of SQUALUS survivors years ago; they're all gone now. Just an amazing story.

I retired on the conning tower of SQUALUS/SAILFISH in 2009. Lots of history there.

Yeah, I miss those days too.
 
Guy with the blue gloves
Guy third from right
I need to digitize the grad pic yet.

I'll have to look you up at the national drink a beer or two, tell war stories and lies.
 
No grape smugglers to be warn in close proximity to Sub commanders when the beer flows: check!
Yes I still have mine from school. Yes they still fit. Yes, I wear them in the backyard pool, when I'm sitting on the bottom trying to break my static breath hold record of 4' 16". I'm weird, what can say.
 
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