I have a Vietnam War Veteran license plates on my Tundra.

I don't it on there because I crave people saying "thank you for your service".  I don't give a shit if somebody knows I am a Veteran or not.

However, I do drive with a heavy foot.  I tend to drive faster than speed limit most of the time, especially in my Tundra.  This crap about Boomers driving slow is horseshit.

In my AO most of the Deputies that patrol the highways are veterans themselves.  They tend to give out warnings to Veterans instead of cash tickets.

My plates have saved me from several cash tickets.   Of course there was this one American hating, Veteran hating SOB Deputy last October that gave me a speeding ticket.  May he rot in Hell for not honoring my service.

No reason you should know or think to look it up.  I just spend more time on bikes than I do most other things so anytime I see a top rocker I assume it's a club or someone who wants to be in a club.

I know right...

Ya gotta pay more for a purple heart plate too...wonder if they charge extra one with cluster?...

I'm probably wrong.

I don't really GAS about ribbons and medals from decades ago, but I don't remember the Panama guys getting another one with desert storm.

299th Engineers MRBC

Yoink. I'm sending that to my medic buddy.

Our reward criteria was based on rank for service awards(not achievement or special awards). Guidance was recommending one higher than the intended award because brigade policy was to reduce the award by one level that it was submitted at.

Shitty policy, but it was what it was.

Are you sure you aren’t remembering Captain Daniel Hibner with A/11 EN BN? A little googling and it seems like your unit was partnered with that unit, and were part of some pretty crazy river crossings during the Iraq invasion.

Were you at Objective Peach with the boat crossings?

Hibner did get a Silver Star from those actions and the citation is a little sparse on detail.

Interestingly, here’s a guy from your unit talking about a Silver Star citation for an AF guy that does not match his recollections of the battle:

Link

Does sound like your unit did some badass noteworthy stuff, and there were probably guys that didn’t get awards they deserved.

#cap6888

I’ve ridden solo since college in the 1990s never joined a club. Did chat to a group of 7 guys on dual sports riders going thru a national park that made me think I could be missing out. Didn’t rude for a long span - while married ex wife loved it when I was dating her and single frowned on it once we got married after the divorce in 2017 I started riding more again

Gotta proofread every post my fat thumb and grammar is ridiculous

Gook shooting badge is what my Top called them, but it usually shows the individual has been in combat

Wow! I remember Lindhal.  Can’t believe you found that article too.  I was operating one of the boats when we built the float bridge that night.  Wearing PVS7s and in MOPP4 (we got mortared and someone hit the panic button and thought we were getting gassed).  I would concur with Lindhal’ account of things.  I don’t remember A10s leading up to the crossing. Lots of Apache’s though.  The Captain referred to in the article is probably the leader of the 12Bs attached to us. My CO was definitely Capt. Thompson. He was a good dude and good CO. He was actually my PL before he got promoted. And I’m sure he got a Silver Star.  IMO no one in my unit did anything “valor” worthy. Not to say we didn’t do good things. Just not hero things.  

Thanks for that article. Definitely gonna print that out and put it with my war memorabilia.

ETA-Here’s a pic of me in my boat. We camped on the river for weeks while the bridge was in place.

We called it "The Expert Enemy Marksmanship Badge."

I got my CAB as a medic... somewhat unusual from what I gather. Route Tampa to Q-West, just clearing Mosul - after some fun hijinks ensued on a halt, they let me out of the Maxxpro a little early and things got interesting again

I would get that plate if I could.... but WA doesn't offer it.

My sister was wearing mine when she was killed in a car accident while I was in Germany.

We were best buds and she liked having it on to remind her of me while I was gone...

In Iraq, I had a Marine come to me after a "firefight". It was at night and just some guy shooting about 5 rounds or so and running away. The guy may not have even been shooting at us. No one even returned fire.

The Marine said "Doc, I have been wounded." I asked where. He showed me a 4" scratch on his forearm and said: "I think it was bullet." It wasn't even bleeding. Then said in all seriousness, and a bit proudly: "This qualifies me for a Purple Heart."  I told him his ouchie wasn't a bullet, but he snagged it on something sharp and didn't even qualify him for a band-aid.

Some people may have done nothing in your book to get awarded their purple hearts...but you better yell that pretty loud because it's a long way to Arlington...

I know more than a few who got "entitled" to theirs because they left the safety of cover to go after a wounded friend.

I know a few more that volunteered for VN and got wounded and I know a few more than that who volunteered to secure downed aircraft and rescue survivors...

I realize that the award does not speak to you in the same way it speaks to many others...

and I know the reason for that as well...

It's really nice having a group of guys I can ride with whenever.  I ride street and dirt with a little dual sport enduro racing thrown in.   I joined a group because you get a discount on off-road registrations if you belong.  Within that group there was a group of guys that rode street bikes together as well.  It was a natural transition and I love getting home from work and tossing up on the group chat that I'm heading out for an hour or two last minute and getting a few guys up for a ride.

The Purple Heart by itself does not denote the circumstances, the accompanying impact award does, if deserved.  That's why the PH is not an award by definition.  It is an entitlement.

I've seen people get them for charging into burning Bradleys to drag wounded out, I've seen them given for getting fragged while beating off in a porta shitter during a mortar attack. Both equally deserved.

I got mine for getting hit by a grenade somebody threw out of a 4th story window at me.  I never saw the guy, never returned fire, just saw a flash and woke up in my turret covered in blood.  Nothing particularly heroic.

It's Port-A-Shitter, get it right.

Tell my phone that.

So if a grunt was in more than one of these, he only got one CIB? That doesn’t sound right.

Yeah. I feel bad for some guys. My dad is one of the few with a star over his CIB, but he should probably have two.

Why yes, yes it is............................

Thee OP's picture reminded me of my Dad's funeral.  He passed shortly before his 90th birthday.  He was a WWII Navy veteran who served in the Pacific.  My father in law and mother in law came to the funeral home for visitation.  My father in law is a career Air Force NCO, he enlisted around 1950 and served in Korea during the war.  He was still in and was a Crew Chief on a KC135 tanker flying refuleing missions in the Viet Nam theater.

In walks my brother, who was drafted into the Army around 1969 and stayed for a career.  After training he received orders and shipped out to Schofield Barracks in Hawaii.  He never saw Viet Nam, in fact the most action he saw was a bar fight or two while in Germany.  Defintitely no combat.

I enlisted in the MARINES during my senior year in high school in 1971.  I went to Aviation Electrician School and then to MCAS New River.  Two different cruises, but like my brother I did not see any combat.

The evening of my Dad's funeral visitation my brother came in using a cane to walk with and wearing this hat...............................................................................



No one said a word about his hat, nor did they ask why he needed a cane to walk.  Funny thing, the next day when we were at the graveside service my brother did not wear the hat, and remarkably he didn't need a cane to walk.