Tale of Johnny Ray

Used #3 font for those people trying to read in a moving vehicle.

That is a CIB pictured. If you see one on an Army uniform, you're looking at the real deal.
Rare nowadys, but if you see a star on top, that designates action in another war, even more rare is two stars designating a total of three wars.
One must serve in ground combat in an infantry or special forces unit to qualify. The award was introduced in WWII to recognize foot soldiers who fought but didn't recieve a medal such as a Bronze Star or Silver Star etc.

My father and three uncles all served in the Korean conflict and Vietnam. My father also served during WWII at Fort Riley Kansas.
He then served with the occupation forces in Japan after the surrender.
His younger brother was a helicopter pilot and recieved a Purple Heart for being shot by ground fire.
Uncle on my mom's side has CIB with star for Korea and Vietnam.(and Purple Heart) Truck he was riding in ran over land mine. Half his squad was killed and he was pretty much messed up for life.
My father was 42 years old when he went to Nam. He was with the 18th MP Brigade (Tactical) They were a primary target for the Tet offensive of '68 but dad made it home.

 

My father never talked too much either. He always said the ones that talked the most usually did the least.
My mom did tell me he was plauged by nightmares the rest of his life. She said she would wake up in the middle of the night and he would be talking in Vietnamese in his sleep and would become violent if she touched him.
She learned to just get up and go to the couch. The night he had the stroke that ended his life he was in bed mumbling and she didn't realize at first anything was wrong. Just thought it was a nightmare.

I feel like a bum next to these guys. Always bothered me I was born just a little too late. Probably because I looked up to my dad so much.
I enlisted in '73 during the cease fire and am classified as a Vietnam Era veteran which don't mean all that much.
I served during the most peaceful era of our history from '73 through '80. Nothing happened. Nothing.
I was diesel mechanic and had the pleasure of serving with the Combat Engineers at Ft Benning GA where I learned how to operate heavy equipment and drive trucks when I wasn't turning wrenches.
Turns out I liked driving em a whole lot better than crawling under them. Talked my way into a driving job when I got out. A lot of us started that way back then. It was rare to meet anybody that actually went to a school.
I know a lot of guys my age that would just ride with a friend for a while and then go put in an application. I think we came out ok.

 

Yep, once a Marine, always a Marine.
I was only 17 when I joined up, so I needed my Dad's signature.
He refused to let me join the Navy or Marines. But Air Force would have been ok.
Must have been that old rivalry thing LOL

 

The restaurant (Pritchard's Fish Camp) actually existed. My parents grew up in that once rural area and took me there in the 60s.
I delivered a load to Columbus GA recently and asked the forklift driver about the old place. I was saddened, but not surprised to learn that it closed years ago.

My mother was familiar with the sceams in the night and quickly learned not to touch my dad when he was in that state and simply leave the room until it passed.