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"Sorry, post and run is still frowned on."

Several of the most well liked posters of over 10 years ago lived by posting without commenting in their own threads.

But that's beside the point. So is talking about our own service, and I'll tell you why.

I have a relative (mom's cousin) who served in Vietnam, according to other relatives. I recently told him about going through initial training at Ft. Leonard Wood at the age of 31 (in '89) to give something back, even though I didn't have to register for the draft at 18 in the mid-'70s.

I didn't give much (a few years in the Guard), but it was something. Was disappointed that we weren't quite mobilized but proud of what I willingly signed up for. Proud of graduating at Ft. Leonard Wood and getting an honorable discharge despite the injuries (no compensation asked or received), the local, yocal politics of the Guard, the extra difficulty with marriage, jobs, etc.

My cousin started by saying that he went through an AIT to be a helicopter mechanic but was sent to Ranger school. That right there made me more than a little skeptical. I only know of volunteers going to Ranger school. Then, he said that he was then sent to be a door gunner.

He started ranting about how he "killed a lot of people" and went on to say that he was an alcoholic, cruel to his wife, it was a wonder he wasn't addicted to drugs and so on, all because Uncle Sam made him a trained killer. ...said that he has "PTSD." Then he hung up.

That's his contribution: propagandizing against all who did give the ultimate gift to us. I was angry, to say the least. Still am. Check his age with the 1970 draft, and what do you know. Look what we have here. He holds that against all of us. Rangers in the field in a war tour don't have enough time around alcohol to become alcoholics.

When I was an instructor assistant, I trained with Vietnam veterans. Two of them were combat medics in the field. Another one was infantry with the 101st. Not one of them shared my relative's attitude.

That cousin wouldn't see any value in someone risking their life for freedom. I do. And I give anyone who appears to be making such an effort the benefit of the doubt, especially if they're not spewing the crap that I heard from that relative. Still burns me.