The FReeper Foxhole -

Dec. 6, 2002

[Jen]

U.S. Military History, Current Events and Veterans Issues

Where Duty, Honor and Country
are acknowledged, affirmed and commemorated.

Our Mission:

The FReeper Foxhole is dedicated to Veterans of our Nation's military forces and to others who are affected in their relationships with Veterans.

We hope to provide an ongoing source of information about issues and problems that are specific to Veterans and resources that are available to Veterans and their families.

In the FReeper Foxhole, Veterans or their family members should feel free to address their specific circumstances or whatever issues concern them in an atmosphere of peace, understanding, brotherhood and support.

Veterans History Project
Keeps War Memories Alive

There are over 19 million veterans living in the U.S. today. With each is a personal story of battles fought, victories and defeats. Each story, though sometimes heartbreaking, is full of love, dedication and patriotism.

---

War correspondent May Craig
interviews a soldier, ca. 1945.

---

That's how Peter Bartis describes his work with the Veterans History Project. The grassroots effort that began two years ago -- and has now caught fire -- is hoping to keep those memories alive.

Bartis, a senior program officer for the project, said that each day some 1,500 U.S. veterans die -- and with them a treasured part of the nation's past. "These are some of the most amazing stories; when you put them all together you get a story of the nation," he said.

Over the past year alone, the project's staff of 16 has already collected more than 14,000 items, such as letters and other memoirs, and video and audiotape interviews.

"We're all just blown away by these stories," he said. "The information has been very rich, it's been emotional, and it's very heartening to listen to the stories, to learn how and why they (veterans) joined, their war-time experience."

With the idea that future generations could learn from the histories of the nation's veterans, the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress, began the effort to collect video and audio recordings of personal histories and testimonials of American war veterans -- men, women, civilians who served in World Wars I and II, and the Korean, Vietnam and Persian Gulf wars. The center needs contributions of civilian volunteers, support staff, and war industry workers also.

Bartis said the amount of regular mail and the number of e-mails and phone calls vary from day to day, "but the response to this project has been enormous." "We get to know a lot of these people personally. That's the fun part," he said. Aside from the thousands of items received from everyday Americans each year, Bartis said the project has gained tremendous support from the corporate community as well.

The Veterans History Project's official Web site lists more than 50 national partners and support organizations from every state. The military services contribute through offices such as the Army's U.S. Center of Military History and the Naval and Marine Corps Historical centers, as well as DoD's official committee commemorating the 50th Korean War anniversary. Major national veterans associations are well-represented also.

"This is not our project or the library's project. This is the nation's project," Bartis said. "We want people of all walks of life to feel ownership of this project."

Learn more about the Veterans History Project.

[SAMWolf]

Oh the mornings I fell out for formation and couldn't remember the night before!

[fishtank]

I don't want to be on this list.

Thanks.

[MistyCA]

Wow. Thanks for sharing that. I bet it was very funny, and probably even more so when you look back on it! ;)

[Rightly Biased]

Thanks for the ping.. and could you let me in your foxhole and add me to your ping list?
RB
<><

[Jen]

...Fort Harrison from early 1953 to 1955. Well before you were even involved!

Uhhhhhh, Bob... that's before I was even born! hahahahaha

I was an instructor at the Defense Information School.

[MistyCA]

I love the size! if you want help reducing it, I can freepmail you some hints. :)

[Jen]

Come on in! Grab a shovel and start digging! More troops are coming. hahahaha

Certainly, I will add you to the ping list! :-)

[Jen]

Thanks for your sense of humor about the double pings today! hahahaha

Great idea for a thread AntiJen.

Actually it was a joint effort by several FReepers including SAMWolf and MistyCA.

[Jen]

shoot fast. shoot straight. shoot safe.

I could probably handle the fast part. (I suck at shooting!) Will you cover my '6' in this Foxhole? hahahaha

[FrogMom]

Thanks for the ping, will watch with interest.

We returned home last night from saying good-bye to FrogDad's father. He was buried in the National Cemetary at Santa Fe on Tuesday. He was a DAV who was at the Battle of the Bulge.

The haunting strains of taps sounding over the windy hill overlooking the "garden of stone" with the snow falling is forever imprinted in my soul. Good-bye Pop, and thanks.

[Mike Fieschko]

'urbanized terrain' -- had to read that twice. oh well. :-)

[SAMWolf]

I don't drink beer much any more, although I'll have one of the local micro-brews everyone in a while.

[SAMWolf]

I thank you brother for his service, he beat me to Vietnam by 3 years.

[BobFromNJ]

OK I told you I was a "old guy who served"

Thanks for the response!

[SAMWolf]

We did the same thing in mortars, some one had to scout out the area, ammo bearers usually got the job.

[Darksheare]

Well.. We need to somehow get rid of that albatross that is the Stryker. And we need to weed out bad officers. Unfortunately, I have no ideas how to do that at this time. I've been out of the loop for two years, and I was only a "Little lowly SPC-4". (Another reason I was on Advanced Party. I was also seemingly barred from promotion by my dear captain. Yet another story. In short, I called him on something that he shouldn't have been doing.)

We also need to find the good soldiers and keep them in boots. Somehow, anyhow. Some people from my old unit will try to BS and say that I was a good soldier, but it's obvious how I feel about that. (Good soldiers don't want to Parcel Post their officers that are idiots.)
I also personally hold views about being personally called a veteran. (In my words, "That's like calling a race car without an engine a LeMans winner." I don't feel like a veteran because I never saw combat. The guys who did, or those who had a supportive role are the real guys with the "guts n glory".)

Like I said, it's been two years since I left the boots. But I'm darn jealous of the guys still in. I've been told to re-enlist. But my feelings about that are like an M-2 set on a chunk of steel. "Spinning".
I loved the military. I hated what was happening to it. And I hated being powerless, rank wise, to do anything about it.
I was sickened by the fact that my captain would've gotten us all killed with his antics during real combat.
I was angered by the mismanagement going on. The general malaise that effected/affected (Both!) my unit and the military in general.

But when we were doing actual honest training, and actually doing something other than driving in circles for an hour or five, it was great. Actually doing what artillery was meant to do, put steel downrange. (In joke, "Artillery! -Shoot first, Think later.")
You can always tell who is cut out for artillery the moment the first round fires. The artillery types will sit there and grin, hoot, holler, beat their chests, inhale the smoke and scream. Then do it again. It's what they live for.
The non-artillery types are first shocked by the noise.
Then they're shocked by the feeling in their chests as the compression wave rolls over them.
Then they're shocked by the fact that the ground moves visibly at times.. and your feet buzz.
And then they run.
Sometimes you have to grab them and tackle them. If they run out in front of the muzzle brake while you're firing, they can be seriously injured or killed.
Sometimes they run the right way and hide out by the FDC or BOC vehicle.
Kinda funny to watch. Had a guy inside the trails of an M119A1. He'd never fired the howitzer before, never been near one firing, and never been the number one man.
He was the number one man. He was handed the round to load, which he did correctly, and told to back up against the trails. He was a big guy too.
We were firing charge 5. The command to fire came down the landline, we did. This guy jumps from inside the trails, his helmet hits the netting overhead, and he stands back by the ammo vehicle.
His reason for escaping like that? "I didn't know the breach block would coma back like THAT!"

We also had some AirForce guys visit us one fine afternoon.
I was on the landline at that moment, my other job for my gun crew. I looked up and told this guy that he should put some ear plugs in. He waves a hand and says, "No. Don't need to." I shrug and go back to being the RTO and copying things down on the record of fire. The chief and I are verifying the numbers and such, quadrant, azimuth and such. We're a go, the command to fire comes down and..
There was nothing louder than that guy yelling. He had his hands over his ears and looked about ready to puke. His friend was grinning becaus he had his plugs in and thought this was just class.

Many odd things you see in artillery. (Most of the AF guys I met were cool. Just that one guy didn't listen. He must've been a newb.)

[GatorGirl]

Hi guys!

Congrats on the new thread. It looks great and is sorely needed around here. It is great to see all the vets--thank you all!!!

I have a houseful of rambunctious kids. I hear Legos being spilled everywhere in the playroom. I found a great way to pick them up-- a shop-vac. Wipe all the dust out, suck up the Legos and dump them back into their box. Voila!!!

I'll try to stop back by later. If not, definitely tomorrow. This is a group I will feel honored to hang out with, even though I'm not a veteran.

Keep up the good work! (((((((NHH)))))))))) GG

[lds23]

On the contrary, please keep me on this ping list!

[SAMWolf]

Any idea of what type of plane?

[betty boop]

Thank you so much for this post, AntiJen. I'm proud to say that both my parents recently have recorded their WWII oral histories and pictorial records with the Veteran's History Project. Both served in the Pacific -- Dad served with the Army Corps of Engineers (he was hoping for the Navy, just to get on board a ship; but his eyesight wasn't up to snuff), and Mom was a Navy nurse.

They answered their country's call in the darkest of times. I hope the present generation is as generous in their personal devotion to what America really does stand for in this world as my parents were back then, when it really counted.

To forget their experience and that of so many of their contemporaries is to imperil the future of our nation.