Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Veteran's Day Story (vanity)
Firsthand witness related it to me. | 11/12/2016 | Me

Posted on 11/18/2016 3:08:35 PM PST by CardCarryingMember.VastRightWC

A young Norwegian man I know well, and who is married to a relative of mine, happens to be a veteran of Norway's armed forces - our staunch NATO allies. The day after Veteran's Day - seven days ago - he and his wife and their tiny daughter arrived in LAX to spend Thanksgiving week with US relatives.

Though he's had no problems before in traveling to the US, this time was different. His first problem resulted from his checking "Yes" in the wrong spot on the questionnaire. The question had the word "Court" in it, and he was thinking about a Civil Court case he was once party to, whereas the TSA was obviously thinking in terms of Criminal Courts.

So he was shunted aside for further scrutiny, and had to bide his time while they ran his fingerprints through the pertinent databases. This is where the 2nd problem occurred: his fingerprint images were of too poor a quality to be matched to anything. This aroused further suspicions, and he was moved to another room where he sat and waited with a group of men whose dubious appearances made him a bit apprehensive.

After a second long wait, with his wife and in-laws growing ever more frantic, he went into an office to be grilled further. After more questioning, the TSA person asked him to hold out his hands, for the purpose of scrutinizing his fingertips to see if he had messed around with his prints in some way, which of course he hadn't.

It was at this point the TSA guy noticed that one of his rings (the other is a wedding ring) looked similar to those that US military veterans wear, and asked him about it. The young Norwegian confirmed his veteran's status.

The TSA agent stood up, reached out to shake his hand, and said, "Thank you for your military service! Welcome to the USA".

My esteem for the TSA as a whole went up a few notches when I heard of this.


TOPICS: Military/Veterans
KEYWORDS: tsa; veterans
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-22 next last

1 posted on 11/18/2016 3:08:35 PM PST by CardCarryingMember.VastRightWC
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: CardCarryingMember.VastRightWC

There is no “ring” that US Veterans wear...


2 posted on 11/18/2016 3:11:12 PM PST by 2banana (My common ground with terrorists - they want to die for islam and we want to kill them)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: CardCarryingMember.VastRightWC

We did quite well before there was a TSA...and a DHS

Drain the Swamp.


3 posted on 11/18/2016 3:13:19 PM PST by spintreebob
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: 2banana

4 posted on 11/18/2016 3:13:56 PM PST by CardCarryingMember.VastRightWC (Folks ask about my politics. I say: I dont belong to any organized political party. I'm a Republican)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: CardCarryingMember.VastRightWC

Berger... Norwegian, perhaps you would like to buy this ting.

5 posted on 11/18/2016 3:15:32 PM PST by Tijeras_Slim
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: CardCarryingMember.VastRightWC

And maybe .001% wear them.

And out of the 100s of veterans I know, none wear them.


6 posted on 11/18/2016 3:16:12 PM PST by 2banana (My common ground with terrorists - they want to die for islam and we want to kill them)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: 2banana
"MADE IN AMERICA - PERSONALIZED WITH YOUR INITIALS AND YEARS OF SERVICE"
7 posted on 11/18/2016 3:16:38 PM PST by CardCarryingMember.VastRightWC (Folks ask about my politics. I say: I dont belong to any organized political party. I'm a Republican)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: 2banana

Guess it’s different in Norway.


8 posted on 11/18/2016 3:17:15 PM PST by CardCarryingMember.VastRightWC (Folks ask about my politics. I say: I dont belong to any organized political party. I'm a Republican)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: 2banana

One of my classmates wears his West Point class of 2012 ring permanently.


9 posted on 11/18/2016 3:21:47 PM PST by MeganC (Ik ben Geert Wilders!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: 2banana

My son has a Marine ring. He wears it all the time when he’s of duty.


10 posted on 11/18/2016 3:25:50 PM PST by Excellence (Marine mom since April 11, 2014)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: CardCarryingMember.VastRightWC

http://wmhsteegh.wixsite.com/veteranring/_p/prd1/3363293311/veteran-ring-norway


11 posted on 11/18/2016 3:35:06 PM PST by stylin19a (obama = Fredo smart)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: 2banana

My father in law was a combat medic in Korea and a 30 year retiree. He always wore his US Army emblem ring. It was obvious what it is.


12 posted on 11/18/2016 3:49:23 PM PST by Sasparilla (I Am Not Tired Of Winning)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: 2banana

I’m still wondering how I can get a veteran ID or a copy of my DD214, otherwise I’m whatever


13 posted on 11/18/2016 4:02:23 PM PST by Undecided 2012
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: Undecided 2012
EBenefits.gov is the VA web portal for all of your veteran's information. You should try to get a premium account which will allow full access to all your military records. I was able to provide sufficient proof of ID online.

With that account you can request anything from your service records. With the request the website contacts your service and they upload the records, usually within a couple hours. That includes DD-214s.

I think that is the easiest way.

14 posted on 11/18/2016 4:55:04 PM PST by USNBandit (Sarcasm engaged at all times)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: MeganC
There is a reason they are known as "Ring Knockers". :)
15 posted on 11/18/2016 4:57:04 PM PST by Harmless Teddy Bear (Not a Romantic, not a hero worshiper and stop trying to tug my heartstrings. It tickles!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: 2banana

That is absolutely correct. No rings. This story is BS.


16 posted on 11/18/2016 5:43:42 PM PST by Bodega (elective, therapeutic abortion sequelae)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: 2banana

Well, with that and a quarter I might have been able to have bought you a cup of coffee 80 or 90 years ago.

The rings shown can be bought by anyone and worn by anyone. Engraving years of service or honorable discharge or anything else on them is up to the purchaser.


17 posted on 11/18/2016 5:45:51 PM PST by Bodega (elective, therapeutic abortion sequelae)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: Harmless Teddy Bear
Hmm. The twin topics of "TSA" and "rings" jogged my memory back to my first ever "Post-9/11 Airport Experience".

I had a metal detector run over me by someone obviously in the very earliest stages of training.

Each time she got down my legs to the lower shins, it started beeping. She had me roll up my pants cuffs. Nothing to see. Then she had me take off my shoes, and she held them while running the wand over them. Still nothing. She went back to my legs , but it still beeped as she approached my ankles. It was then that a more experienced TSA-er intervened, telling the newbie, " It's the FLOOR". Sure enough, Denver Intl had a fake marble floor with shiny pieces of metal mixed in to the pattern.

Then the newbie investigated a beep outside the jeans pocket containing my wallet ... perhaps a rivet? She had me give her my wallet, and sure enough, each time the wand got close to the wallet - be-bee-beep! I was worried that my hugely overstuffed wallet would have to be emptied, one paper scrap & business card & photo at a time. But I was saved by another intervention: The experienced TSA-er returned to tell the newbie, "It's your RING!" Sure enough, it was detecting the wedding ring on her left hand, which was holding my wallet. They let me go.

Funny thing is though, I don't remember them asking me, "Would you like to complete a survey afterwards to describe your experience?" Aren't they supposed to do that? :-)

18 posted on 11/18/2016 5:47:09 PM PST by CardCarryingMember.VastRightWC (Folks ask about my politics. I say: I dont belong to any organized political party. I'm a Republican)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

To: Undecided 2012

Go to archives.gov. or to the following

https://www.archives.gov/st-louis/military-personnel/dd-214.html

DD Form 214, Discharge Papers and Separation Documents

A Report of Separation is generally issued when a service member performs active duty or at least 90 consecutive days of active duty training. The Report of Separation contains information normally needed to verify military service for benefits, retirement, employment and membership in veterans’ organizations. Information shown on the Report of Separation may include the service member’s:

Date and place of entry into active duty

Home address at time of entry

Date and place of release from active duty

Home address after separation

Last duty assignment and rank

Military job specialty

Military education

Decorations, medals, badges, citations and campaign awards received

Total creditable service

You are welcome.


19 posted on 11/18/2016 5:51:02 PM PST by Bodega (elective, therapeutic abortion sequelae)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: 2banana

My father had an Air Force ring that he wore until the day he died. He was a veteran of WWII and Korea and he was very proud of that ring. Since he wore it all the time, part of the design was worn smooth.


20 posted on 11/18/2016 5:51:40 PM PST by Old Grumpy
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-22 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson