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.

[nicmarlo]

Good luck on your need daily thread, AntiJen; and a bump for the vets! God bless our military.

[Darksheare]

Did they ever have the OC's during AT tell them that they had to be nice and 'neighborly like' woth the opfor?
I got told that and actually asked a small patrol if I could borrow some sugar. They cussed me out.

[SAMWolf]

I'm planning a Bulge thread on the 16th. Feel free to drop in.

[glock rocks]

Will you cover my '6' in this Foxhole

you needn't even ask.

[FrogMom]

Will do, thanks.

[Cindy]

A POWERFUL MESSAGE FROM THE BIBLE: "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." -from THE BIBLE: II Timothy 1:7

May God Bless and Protect Our Military. Please PRAY NOW for America and Our World!

[SAMWolf]

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".)

That's where I beg to differ with you. If you put on that uniform and do your time, I don't care if you pushed papers of counted ponchos in supply for the entire time, You've earned the right to be called a Veteran.

[conservativemusician]

Great idea!

My grandfather was an Army Air Corps Pilot in WWII. Lookin' at a picture of his P47 as I type.

Honoring all Vets past and present!

[SAMWolf]

LOL! Never had that happen. The OPFOR was always a pain in the ass!

[RikaStrom]

Oh very nice AntiJen. I'll have to go back and read it all instead of just skimming this time.

[BobFromNJ]

Thank you for your post which said anyone WHO PUTS ON A UNIFORM AND SERVES HIS COUNTRY deseves the thanks of the country. I served in the Finance Corps duting the Korean War and thank you for your words?

[MistyCA]

No problem. Thanks for coming by and letting us know. :)

[katze]

Thanks; I'm not veteran per se, but a civilian (Dept of Army) Vietnam veteran, 1968-73. I'm interested in all miitary issues, so please keep me on your list.

[ezo4]

thanks for including me on your list

[MistyCA]

I am so sorry for your loss. My uncle was also at the Battle of the Bulge. Their generation was something else! It's very sad to see them pass. Extend my condolences to your husband, please.

[LasVegasMac]

Big'ol_Freeper,

From the heart, "Congratulations and 'job well done', soldier!"

I checked your page, could not tell your rank - not that it matters. I just happen to have a huge amount of respect (from close up experience) for the Army Officer Corp. That might not mean much to most folks but those words come from a retired USAF E-7.

What was the line of work? Future plans?

Good luck!

LVM

[Darksheare]

Well. It's more about how I feel rather than what really is on that one.
I come from a long line of people that wore a uniform, and in one case didn't have a uniform because there wasn't one at the time.
Only in one war was there no-one in my family involved, and that's because no-one was old enough. Or they were doing something that got them exempted or such..

The family history is full of peole who told kings to p*ss off and fought for this country and too often died for it.
So I've got this in the back of my head. Filed away in the black hole I call a brain.
Like my grandfather who got a concussion in combat, got some R&R.. knocked himself out during R&R, and said "Heck, combat's safer. Send me back to the front!" (He also was in the OP one night when a German came up on him in the dark saying, "Joe, are you there? Joe?" The guy jumped into the foxhole and my grandfather gave him a gift. He gave him his knife. When asked if the guy said anything about that my grandfather said, "Yeah. He said auuuuuuuugh.")

I can't quite put my finger o it, but it's how I feel. I may be wrong, but it's how I feel about it. I tell people to talk to the guys who are still in, and who got out because they ets'd or discharged. (Like I said, i was pretty burned up because of my BC's actions towards me when my step-daughter died. I spoke with the Major about it and he understood what I was saying. So he basically let me go ING until I ETS'd. I owe him. But I can't think of how I might repay that big a debt. Except maybe by somehow making sure that the policies and people who contributed to the gutting of my old unit get booted. No, I'm not sure how.)

I don't know really what to do about it. (And I don't know hoow to explain my feelings adequately about me being called a veteran.)

[ezo4]

Will you cover my '6' in this Foxhole

you needn't even ask.

I got your back as well. Freepers, the best collection of people I know.

[Minutemen]

Thanks for the ping. And a salute to our veterans!

[Darksheare]

It was funny. I knew we had set up our firebase next to the OPFOR BP. I told the captain, he told me I was loony. I told him to walk about 400 meters down the trail right next to us. He walked away. Three in the morning. Dark of the moon, nothing is awake. The OPFOR apparently hadn't done their patrols lately and had gotten lazy and comfortable... at least until 0300.. then these three boneheads come bumbling out of the treeline and stop short at our concertina wire. They look dumbfounded.
That's when I asked them for some sugar.
God were the OC's P.o.'d at me about that.
But the OPFOR left us alone after that. I don't know if it was the shock or the embarrassment. Maybe the Advance Party for the OPFOR told them to stay away from that " Crazy Keller guy." I don't know. (Everyone knows that the OC's are the advance party for the OpFor. They always increase in numbers right before the opFor shows up.)
A trick for finding units that the OpFor used: Follow the truck with the porta-johns on it. If it dumps a few porta-johns, set up residence nearby. (Cheating, but hey.. it worked. Got to watch that one in action. And the Captain of the unit under fire is always like, "Hey, how'd they find us?")
Had to resue our porta-johns from the OpFor once. We had two, they wanted one. So they went to run off with one.
Surreal. That's what it was.