The most important battle of WW2

[lesofprimus]

I have taken a few rides in The Blackhawk before.... Better than those damn Ch-47's.... Lost the rear rotor from enemy fire in Somolia and the pilot managed to land somehow..... He got a medal... I got a new pair or underwear to replace the ones I shiit in.....

I was in Bosnia as well, I think around late '93... Saw some things there I'll never forget.... Unfortunatly..... I was an E-5 (ET2) when I got out....

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Yeah I have been to Bosnia and Kosovo. When I was there the war was over but you could still see the scars from the war and I too will never forget seeing the mass graves and stuff. They are still finding them today. It was the bloodiest war sind WW2.

[lesofprimus]

The mass graves were what I was referrin to...... We came into one area that was just filled 5 hours before we went in.... The air smelled sickingly like IRON, from all the blood..... There were heads cut off and lye thrown all over the place.... Kids, Women, animals, pets..... Eveything was shot and/or stabbed.... Damn gettin all worked up just thinkin about it...

I still have nightmares every so often..... U will too, probably, once u get out and back into the "Normal" Civilian life.... Hope u dont buddy.....

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

It changes a man for life and people who have never seen it will never understand it. I completly understand how you feel it is truely terrible.

[lesofprimus]

SUBJECT: Deployed Personnel Behavioral Abnormalities

TO: Spouses of Desert Shield/Desert Storm Participants

Deployed members returning home from Operation Desert Storm could experience one or several of the following emotional problems due to minor cultural shock. Don't be alarmed. With a little tender loving care your loved one should return to his or her usual self in adequate time. Do not be surprised if your spouse:

Gets up in the middle of the night and urinates in the cat box
Carries his bed outside to sleep if the air conditioner goes off
Starts mumbling to himself if you serve him scrambled eggs, rice or Creole
Searches frantically for his gas mask just to go to the pantry
Steps outside to smoke a cigarette and then field strips it
Goes over to the neighbor’s house to take a shower with them
Walks around inside the house after dark with his flashlight on
Freaks out if you drive over 35 miles an hour
Does his laundry with the garden hose and mop bucket
Calls all stores "Abdul's, Aubi's, or Achmed's
Stretches a clothesline over your bed
Puts all his luggage under his bed and lives out of it until he build a dresser out of cardboard
Stops all buses and asks the driver if he is going to tent city
Writes "free" on all envelopes to be mailed
Complains when he can't find a radio station, which plays only oldies, country, and call to prayer five times a day
Asks every morning "How old is that newspaper?"
Yells at you for not dispersing your automobile
Removes the doors off your car
Brings a shovel, sand bags, and a jug of water when you go to the beach
Asks your neighbors if they got any mail

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Yeah we have something like that posted in our CP. A little different though to reflect this war.

[cheddar cheese]

Is that a serious list?

[lesofprimus]

Yes...... Well, most of it....

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

What the list means, is that when most of us return from a combat zone it takes time to adjust to civilian life or just life at home in general. You are used to certain things and it takes time for things to get back to normal. I remember when I got to take two weeks of leave and go home on R&R from Iraq it was such a wierd feeling I did not know where anything was in the house and I remember diving to the ground when I heard a car backfire thinking it was a mortor round impacting. It is hard to understand unless you have been there.

[lesofprimus]

Amen brother..... My big problem was always checking people out to see if they are a threat.... I was obcessed with my family's security... That and the lack of respect in the Civilian world.... When I had my fatigues on, everyone knew I was a SEAL and respect was shown.... In Civvies, no one cares....

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

That is true my friend that is true and also the bond you have with your fellow soldiers is gone. It is so wiered here in the aviation community, when infantry see us talking to our officers like they are buddies they dont understand it and think we are not respectful to our officers but it is a different kind of world. The pilots depend on us and we depend on them and we live and fight like a family. It is a bond that I never will forget. Kind of reminds me of the band of brothers.

[lesofprimus]

When u get into combat situations, all u can rely on is ur team members.. Thats it... U really do become close, and I still keep in touch and see many of them.... One of my buddies saved my life when I almost hit a trip wire in Iraq... He stopped me and saved my life.... It was a dud 500lb bomb boobytrap.... Bad bad news.....

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

We see a lot of those here in Iraq today also. They are getting smarter and smarter too how they make there IED's as they like to call them today.

[lesofprimus]

Whoever said "War is Hell" wasnt lying.....

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Yeap I agree and it is nothing like the movies.