Veteran Autographs and Stories

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Permalink Reply by Richard Viola on November 11, 2011 at 12:46pm

I have my own autograph ;)

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Permalink Reply by Steve Cyrkin on November 11, 2011 at 1:05pm

Post it! And tell us more about yourself.

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Permalink Reply by Steve Cyrkin on November 11, 2011 at 1:06pm

And THANK YOU for protecting us.

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Permalink Reply by Richard Viola on November 11, 2011 at 1:22pm

I was on active duty in the Army from 2003 - 2007 (followed by a brief Reserve obligation afterward).  Like most people in during that time, I had a couple of deployments - Afghanistan and Iraq.  I was fortunate that things were somewhat tame both times, at least in the regions I was in.

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Permalink Reply by Steve Cyrkin on November 11, 2011 at 1:47pm

But still, I imagine you couldn't let your guard down for a minute. What do you remember most?

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Permalink Reply by Richard Viola on November 11, 2011 at 2:09pm

I don't have too many particularly fond memories - or reallt great stories for that matter.  I remember one odd episode where I was supposed to fly down the Balad for some sort of training - something really mundane I think, perhaps hazmat transportation.  The flight ended up being delayed umpteen times.  When we finally took off, the chinook got just a few feet off the ground then slammed back down to the ground.  I probably wasn't as concerned as I should have been and actually dozed off a short time later (I think it was about 2 or 3 AM).  I woke up as we landed and started to unbuckle my seat belt and stand up.  Some specialist next to me said, "Uh, sir - I think we're in Baghdad."  I was still a bit out of it and thought maybe he was too.  Then the aft door opened, and about 25 or so Iraqi detainees - all blindfolded, clothes torn, looked like hell - were thrown in and ended up sitting next to us.  The soldier across from me tried playing it cool but was obviously freaked out.  The detainee sitting next to him looked particularly rough.

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Permalink Reply by Brick Hunter on November 11, 2011 at 7:52pm

At this point I don't have a scanner hooked up but the military veteran autograph I'm nearly most fond of from my collection is Dwight D. Eisenhower. America's general and America's president. I suppose, like Richard, I also have my own autograph. We, the 3rd Infantry Division, were some of the first boots on the ground in Iraq. That was my life from virtually day one of Operation Iraqi Freedom through the surge. We were highly recognized and decorated, and lost a lot of good people to do it. The military autographed item I'm truly most fond of is a book signed by soldiers like them.

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Permalink Reply by Richard Viola on November 11, 2011 at 8:38pm

This is one of the more unfortunate photos we took in Afghanistan.

 

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Permalink Reply by Steve Cyrkin on November 11, 2011 at 11:07pm

Which one's you?

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Permalink Reply by Richard Viola on November 12, 2011 at 7:47am

Far right.

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Permalink Reply by Steve Cyrkin on November 14, 2011 at 9:22am

Good attempt at a smile.

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Permalink Reply by Ted Leong on November 11, 2011 at 8:36pm

Here is an Andrew Jackson signed authorization as General in the War of 1812

Here is a David Bushnell Signed Display Piece; Bushnell is credited with creating the first submarine ever used in combat; His submarine was used during the Revolutionary War

Here is a Patrick Henry Signed Document

Here is a Ulysses Grant Signed Military Appointment  

Here is a Theodore Roosevelt Signed Photo

 

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