silence
Senior Airman
how about the great Hollywood "open a hole in the fuselage of a commercial jet and watch everyone get sucked out" myth?
Aviation myths that will not die
- Thread starter fastmongrel
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The same thing happens with a lot of other things as well, I have lost count of how many people I have heard claiming they saw the Beatles in the Cavern Club or the Sex Pistols in the 100 club in 1977.
GrauGeist
Generalfeldmarschall zur Luftschiff Abteilung
It can happen, and it has. In April 1988, Aloha flight 243 lost it's chief flight attendant, Clarabelle Lansing, when the cabin ruptured, the decompression sucked her out at 24,000 feet. Her body momentarily stopped the decompression, but the weakened fuselage gave way and took her with it. The rest of the crew and all passengers survived the ordeal but she was never found.
My sister in law has a greater claim to fame, she has an unused ticket to see the Beatles the night that Kennedy was shot (look it up and you will know my home town), met a guy in the bar over the road and preferred his company to seeing the Beatles. That was the sixties.
I did see the Sex Pistols but after the dispute with EMI they had another name
Another old myth - everyone thinks Santa uses a sleigh pulled by reindeer... How Wrong They Are!
One of Santa's New Sleigh-pullers being checked out by test pilot Adelf Galland von Rein-Deere...
If you listen very carefully you'll hear the sound of eight Merlins as Santa land on your roof.
Merry Christmas
May the eggnog brighten your day
One of Santa's New Sleigh-pullers being checked out by test pilot Adelf Galland von Rein-Deere...
If you listen very carefully you'll hear the sound of eight Merlins as Santa land on your roof.
Merry Christmas
May the eggnog brighten your day
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That really grates with me too, especially the BS 'Nam vets who I seemed to regularly bump into in pubs in the late 70's and early eighties. Maybe some of them were conscripted and actually went there, but probably as kitchen hands or store clerks. Using it as an excuse to be an alcoholic or drug addict and expecting the rest of the world to owe them one for holding off the whole NVA armed with a chopstick or some other crap. The genuine ex -servicemen that I have met, mostly through my work, are the ones that deserve respect.
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fastmongrel
1st Sergeant
Easy to seperate the Walter Mitty types from the genuine article. Veterans who saw action generally dont talk about it.
Or, if they do, they do so with great reluctance.
parsifal
Colonel
I actually dont agree. Some of the severely taumatised vets do have difficulty talking about their war experiences. Others that have had a more "normal experience" can usually talk about it, but dont like to, usually because people who have not been through the war experience are annoying and disrespectful toward their experience.
The ones you have to think are suspicious are the ones that appear or claim to have been horendous wartime events, but are boastful or chatty about the experience.
The ones you have to think are suspicious are the ones that appear or claim to have been horendous wartime events, but are boastful or chatty about the experience.
When I came back I could talk to my Dad, who was a WW2 veteran, and my older brother who'd been in Vietnam 4 times, but beyond them I soon learned no one wanted to hear anything I had to say.
At the local VFW it was like I was the poster boy for whole war, and personally responsible for it's failure. After about 4 visits I quit going, since I'd already quit drinking, it really wasn't any comfort there anyway.
I took the old saying that the real veterans don't talk as another way of people saying " We don't want to hear it, just shut up and get to work "
At the local VFW it was like I was the poster boy for whole war, and personally responsible for it's failure. After about 4 visits I quit going, since I'd already quit drinking, it really wasn't any comfort there anyway.
I took the old saying that the real veterans don't talk as another way of people saying " We don't want to hear it, just shut up and get to work "
It sounds like most of you guys have been dealing with older veterans, men that have had years to mature, and years to think over their experiences.
You really don't know what they might have been like when they were fresh from the war.
I had people in my own family that I could talk to, and we helped each other. I have no ideal what would have resulted if I had just kept it all inside.
I feel we do a disservice to new young veterans when we push the stereotype on them that "real veterans don't talk."
You really don't know what they might have been like when they were fresh from the war.
I had people in my own family that I could talk to, and we helped each other. I have no ideal what would have resulted if I had just kept it all inside.
I feel we do a disservice to new young veterans when we push the stereotype on them that "real veterans don't talk."
Shortround6
Major General
I think there is talking to family and friends in certain situations and "talking" in bars or to reporters to get publicity.
Kryten
Senior Airman
My time in the military was mostly spent faced off against the Russians hoping bugger all happened!
MY neighbour was a Polish tanker who had to bail from several tanks in the drive to Germany, really laid back guy, he said very little about the war until I joined the army, then for some reason he felt he could talk openly about it too me, even though no one ever shot at me?
The guy went through a real nightmare (from my perspective) and had the burns to remind him, yet he never seemed traumatised or resentful, he was also quite scornful of those who said nothing , thought they were playing the stiff upper lip card, just goes to show different people cope in different ways.
MY neighbour was a Polish tanker who had to bail from several tanks in the drive to Germany, really laid back guy, he said very little about the war until I joined the army, then for some reason he felt he could talk openly about it too me, even though no one ever shot at me?
The guy went through a real nightmare (from my perspective) and had the burns to remind him, yet he never seemed traumatised or resentful, he was also quite scornful of those who said nothing , thought they were playing the stiff upper lip card, just goes to show different people cope in different ways.
GregP
Major
When I was in it (Vietnam), war wasn't fun. It was hell or close to it, on patrol / mission.
No need to talk about people who died or what I did. If you weren't there, you don't know. If you DO know, then we may have something to say to one another that is relevant.
Otherwise it was a war that was lost by political decision, not by the combatants. We could have won, but why? What were we doing there in the first place? So many killed and for what? I still don't know.
It's water under the bridge now, but I might have shot the commanders if I had seriously thought about it at the time. We dind't need to be there at all, and yet we lost many good guys in vain, in all services.
No need to talk about people who died or what I did. If you weren't there, you don't know. If you DO know, then we may have something to say to one another that is relevant.
Otherwise it was a war that was lost by political decision, not by the combatants. We could have won, but why? What were we doing there in the first place? So many killed and for what? I still don't know.
It's water under the bridge now, but I might have shot the commanders if I had seriously thought about it at the time. We dind't need to be there at all, and yet we lost many good guys in vain, in all services.
My uncle Maurie went to Viet Nam, did a 13 month tour and never talked about it to any of his family when he came back. Once when I was living in the UK I went to visit him in Australia and he sat me down and spent the next few hours talking about the war and his time there. My mother was astounded when I told her Maurie had spoken to me about his experiences. I feel very priviledged.
He told me that he used to go to memorials and march on Anzac Day (25th April), but he got sick of it because all the guys would just sit about weeping about it; it got too much for him. I don't know whether he goes at all now. Many years ago his house was broken into and a lot of stuff was stolen, including things he'd brought back with him - very sad.
He told me that he used to go to memorials and march on Anzac Day (25th April), but he got sick of it because all the guys would just sit about weeping about it; it got too much for him. I don't know whether he goes at all now. Many years ago his house was broken into and a lot of stuff was stolen, including things he'd brought back with him - very sad.
model299
Airman 1st Class
My dad is a former marine Korean war veteran of the Chosin reservior battle. I've never been able to get him to talk much about it, but I do know for sure he holds little regard for General MaCarthur.
As a side note, we moved him up to my hometown from KC, Mo. My brother and I were figuring out his medical options, and I brought up the fact that the Twin Cities VA hospital has a great reputation. He wanted NOTHING to do with it. In fact, any mention of the phrase "Veterans Administration" will get you a snarling pissed look and a salty, sharp rebuke. (Something about having relations with themselves, if you catch my drift.) and then that's it. We have no idea what happened and we quit trying to find out. He simply will not talk about it under ANY circumstances.
As a side note, we moved him up to my hometown from KC, Mo. My brother and I were figuring out his medical options, and I brought up the fact that the Twin Cities VA hospital has a great reputation. He wanted NOTHING to do with it. In fact, any mention of the phrase "Veterans Administration" will get you a snarling pissed look and a salty, sharp rebuke. (Something about having relations with themselves, if you catch my drift.) and then that's it. We have no idea what happened and we quit trying to find out. He simply will not talk about it under ANY circumstances.
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GrauGeist
Generalfeldmarschall zur Luftschiff Abteilung
My Stepdad (former Marine) is the same way, one of his company's few survivors of Chosin. My Stepdad never told the entire experience, just bits and peices, until he had a massive heart attack several years ago. It was then he shared the entire ordeal with my Mom because it's haunted him all these years.
All the guys in my family were pretty much silent about what happened except for their exploits (bar fights, getting a buddy busted, leave adventures, etc). Much of the information was learned from the women of the family, who had to deal with them waking up in the middle of the night, reliving whatever hell they were experiencing in their nightmares.
An exception to this would be when they and thier buddies would start bending elbows, they'd reach a point of casual conversation about experiences. Then as the drinks progressed, they'd get into serious discussion and if the evening wore on, then the conversation became very somber. I overheard many of these late evening experiences, stories of having amtracs shot out from under them during landings, dealing with the terror of the 88's in north Italy, a terrifying sea battle in the slot of the Solomons, buddies being killed in front of them and the list goes on. These aren't stories of heroics, they were personal experiences that were forever etched in their memories and not once did I ever hear them brag about anything (except a good bar fight) and the only time anything was ever spoken of, was quietly, in the company of friends.
All the guys in my family were pretty much silent about what happened except for their exploits (bar fights, getting a buddy busted, leave adventures, etc). Much of the information was learned from the women of the family, who had to deal with them waking up in the middle of the night, reliving whatever hell they were experiencing in their nightmares.
An exception to this would be when they and thier buddies would start bending elbows, they'd reach a point of casual conversation about experiences. Then as the drinks progressed, they'd get into serious discussion and if the evening wore on, then the conversation became very somber. I overheard many of these late evening experiences, stories of having amtracs shot out from under them during landings, dealing with the terror of the 88's in north Italy, a terrifying sea battle in the slot of the Solomons, buddies being killed in front of them and the list goes on. These aren't stories of heroics, they were personal experiences that were forever etched in their memories and not once did I ever hear them brag about anything (except a good bar fight) and the only time anything was ever spoken of, was quietly, in the company of friends.
Njaco
The Pop-Tart Whisperer
My ex-father-in-law (who I got along with better than my ex!) was detailed with body recovery (thats not the proper term) in Korea. Never said word one about what he saw or did and to be frank, I really never asked. Just didn't want to know.
Just remembered: Graves Registration. Horrible job I imagine.
Just remembered: Graves Registration. Horrible job I imagine.
