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- Thread starter cpwill
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Terminal Lance Speaketh Truth:
I talked to some old friends and extended family over Facebook a couple days ago, and that was the first question each of them asked.
"Did you kill anyone".
Jesus people wtf.
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When people ask if I've ever killed anyone, or ask what I do in the Army, I always say I'm a truck drive. And then they give me this look like I've embarrassed myself.
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Did he piss on anyone? Might have been more topical.
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I pissed on a female 2LT in a fleebag motel in Leesville, La., once. Does that count?
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I have had that kind of question many times over the years. And I always respond the same way.
I give them a disgusted look, and normally turn or walk away.
It has been my experience that most of those who brag on what they did during war fall into one of 3 groupings.
The first is people who never served, but want people to think they have. And yes, I ran into many of these. One of the funniest was a guy I was told I had to meet who came into the surplus store I worked at regularly back in 1993. The guys that worked there would tell me about this "Former Marine" who was in the Gulf War, and the things he did. Then I met him. Within 5 minutes, I knew he was a fraud. Talking about his battles and clearing out Enemy bunkers with a knife, I got curious how he did so much in a 3 day war. So I told him I was an 0311 (Marine designation for Infantry), and asked his MOS. He replied "11 Bravo" (Army designation for Infantry). I told him I was in "Two-Two" (2nd Marine Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment). He told me he was in "Two-Zero" (2nd Marine Battalion, Zero Marine Regiment?)
In front of everybody that worked there, I told him he was a lying piece of crap, and that everything he said was a lie. He quickly fled the store and never came back as far as I am aware.
The next group are those that had some kind of safe job, but want to make themselves out to having done more then they did. My current Sergeant Major is an example of this. He joined us half way through a 1 year deployment, his first deployment ever. Yet he wears 2 Overseas Stripes on his dress uniform, signifying a full year in a combat theatre. And I was one of a handfull of incredulous old-timers when he was telling the new people in the unit that he led us downrange where we were "kicking in doors" with no losses.
Kicking in doors? Yea, maybe if somebody had more then their 3 authorized drinks at the BRA and was to drunk to find their keys.
The third are normally people with some form of PTSD. Yea, they really did and saw things, and their talking about it is either some kind of guilt or stress relief for their other mental issues. I have met a few of those over the years also.
I had 1 uncle who fought in Vietnam, and he never talked about it. I remember visiting him in a VA hospital when I was young after he was medivaced out of Vietnam. But to this day he will not talk about what happened.
Both of my grandfathers served in WWII. I never had any idea what my grandfathers did though until after they died. One was in Europe in the Army, where he was an MP (he spent a lot of time on the Redball Express). The other was in the Navy in the Pacific, where his ship (USS Suwannee), including having a friend killed in a Kamikaze attack. But none of them ever talked about those experiences, only telling me that they had served during the wars.
I give them a disgusted look, and normally turn or walk away.
It has been my experience that most of those who brag on what they did during war fall into one of 3 groupings.
The first is people who never served, but want people to think they have. And yes, I ran into many of these. One of the funniest was a guy I was told I had to meet who came into the surplus store I worked at regularly back in 1993. The guys that worked there would tell me about this "Former Marine" who was in the Gulf War, and the things he did. Then I met him. Within 5 minutes, I knew he was a fraud. Talking about his battles and clearing out Enemy bunkers with a knife, I got curious how he did so much in a 3 day war. So I told him I was an 0311 (Marine designation for Infantry), and asked his MOS. He replied "11 Bravo" (Army designation for Infantry). I told him I was in "Two-Two" (2nd Marine Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment). He told me he was in "Two-Zero" (2nd Marine Battalion, Zero Marine Regiment?)
In front of everybody that worked there, I told him he was a lying piece of crap, and that everything he said was a lie. He quickly fled the store and never came back as far as I am aware.
The next group are those that had some kind of safe job, but want to make themselves out to having done more then they did. My current Sergeant Major is an example of this. He joined us half way through a 1 year deployment, his first deployment ever. Yet he wears 2 Overseas Stripes on his dress uniform, signifying a full year in a combat theatre. And I was one of a handfull of incredulous old-timers when he was telling the new people in the unit that he led us downrange where we were "kicking in doors" with no losses.
Kicking in doors? Yea, maybe if somebody had more then their 3 authorized drinks at the BRA and was to drunk to find their keys.
The third are normally people with some form of PTSD. Yea, they really did and saw things, and their talking about it is either some kind of guilt or stress relief for their other mental issues. I have met a few of those over the years also.
I had 1 uncle who fought in Vietnam, and he never talked about it. I remember visiting him in a VA hospital when I was young after he was medivaced out of Vietnam. But to this day he will not talk about what happened.
Both of my grandfathers served in WWII. I never had any idea what my grandfathers did though until after they died. One was in Europe in the Army, where he was an MP (he spent a lot of time on the Redball Express). The other was in the Navy in the Pacific, where his ship (USS Suwannee), including having a friend killed in a Kamikaze attack. But none of them ever talked about those experiences, only telling me that they had served during the wars.
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I want to see your 4856 in the morning Sergeant.
herenow1
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My son asked my hubby that(over the phone) when he was deployed. I told him not to ask questions like that. I don't think he's had another grown adult ask him that b/c most adults know better.
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it happens sometimes. people think that war is like their first-person shooter video games.
memory is an interesting thing. it retriggers all the 'hooks' for the experience - especially and including any intense emotional responses. asking someone "did you kill anyone" or "did you lose anyone".... lots of people outside the military don't realize this: Do Not Ask about if they lost or killed anyone, and Do Not Ask about any "V" device medals on their chest. If they want to tell you, they will.
memory is an interesting thing. it retriggers all the 'hooks' for the experience - especially and including any intense emotional responses. asking someone "did you kill anyone" or "did you lose anyone".... lots of people outside the military don't realize this: Do Not Ask about if they lost or killed anyone, and Do Not Ask about any "V" device medals on their chest. If they want to tell you, they will.
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Words of wisdom to live by, for sure.
Conversations like the ones you guys have had with people you know are just like the ones I've had with the people I know. When I was younger, I'd get mad at them for being, well, insensitive, but the older I get, the more I understand that its just the normal question for civilians to ask Marines or soldiers. I think it is a status thing, as well, people being noisy and generally insensitive to the pressures of War, or things similar to it.
Conversations like the ones you guys have had with people you know are just like the ones I've had with the people I know. When I was younger, I'd get mad at them for being, well, insensitive, but the older I get, the more I understand that its just the normal question for civilians to ask Marines or soldiers. I think it is a status thing, as well, people being noisy and generally insensitive to the pressures of War, or things similar to it.