Posted on Oct 26, 2021
Can you describe how you felt coming home from a deployment or combat?
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Family
Deployment
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Posted 4 y ago
Responses: 501
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Thrilled, excited, at peace, anxious to see EVERYBODY, more than blessed!!!!
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Very unwelcomed (1973)! Accused of crimes against children and females. Had my car windows broken and tires slashed. Employment difficulties and struggling from substance abuse.
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I remember coming home in March 1969. It was not pretty. I was actually on Treasure Island Naval Station, San Francisco, CAL. We were not welcomed, but Marines stick together and actually no one wanted to mess with us. The thousand mile stare, kept them away.
Semper Fi!
Semper Fi!
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SPC Lyle Montgomery
A1c Joseph Copeland, I never kissed the runway but I know where you are coming from. After returning from Nam in 70, I made up my mind then to never leave this great country, The USA, and I never have.
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Amn Roger Omberg
SPC Lyle Montgomery - I certainly have, & very glad to have that chance!
Dead, or ALIVE!
Dead, or ALIVE!
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Even though the Vietnam issue was basically over, there was none of the “thank you for your service”. I still shy away from people when they say that. I didn’t do my time for a thank you. I did it during a time when a lot of people decided it was the right thing to do. Also, I wanted to get away from home and test my ability to work and learn. Travel was high on the to-do list.
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I felt lost in a world that couldn’t understand what I endured in 13 months
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Amn Roger Omberg
I have now found out what You just said is absolutely true. It took a long time for me to realize that MY family, friends understood zero when it came to understanding what ANY VETERAN feels when we are shot out of a cannon, so to speak, from our HONORABLE discharge from active duty. I can say without a doubt that I greatly missed my duty sergeants, who were there to mentor their crew, & to stimulate a camaraderie, amongst us., which is what I needed MOST! They refer to that as SEMPER FI, Or OOHRAH! No place in this world have I found a more satisfying duty assignment than that. Dedication to duty, You understand The line MUST BE maintained! I also wanted to thank ALL of the veterans for their faithful service, & may GOD give each one of us His Peace!
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LTC Stephen F.
Thank you my friend and brother-in-Christ SGT David A. 'Cowboy' Groth for making us aware that after redeploying it 'felt great being home with my wife and son' even though were deployed with many friends.
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Returning from 12 months of active combat, I started out feeling happy and relaxed. I was taking a Greyhound bus from Fort Ord to my home New York City because I couldn't afford to fly on what the Army was paying as travel pay from Ft Ord to Ft Knox.
The first time I realized that anything was 'different' was when we stopped in Salt Lake City. I didn't realize that it was Pioneer Day and the fireworks started. That's when I first realized that I had changed.
Over the next few days I came to realize that the vast majority of people were basically sheep and that I was something else.
The first time I realized that anything was 'different' was when we stopped in Salt Lake City. I didn't realize that it was Pioneer Day and the fireworks started. That's when I first realized that I had changed.
Over the next few days I came to realize that the vast majority of people were basically sheep and that I was something else.
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It was weird. When we left Nam, we flew out over the rice paddies. When we flew into Travis AFB we flew over rice paddies. Boy. was I confused.
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SPC Michael Duricko, Ph.D
Great point because on one of my supply missions my chopper was loaded with rice and on the bag it said product of Texas. Sitting in the largest rice bowl in the world I was as confused as you were?
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I was pretty nervous and sad. I was having to find a new "normal" and fall back into stateside life. I had wanted to extend my deployment because I was very used to the day-to-day life over there. It was a simpler life in regards to we did our job, we slept, and we ate. There wasn't the hubbub of having to keep up with the Jones'! I wasn't married and didn't have kids, so I figured the longer I stayed over there then it's the longer someone could stay with their family.
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Amn Roger Omberg
Yes, I agree if only the US military, would, could understand, they train the heck out of us for one purpose, that is to fit together to become one clean, lean, killing machine, & WE are the best at that, so why does OUR ,military ,not detrain, & explain what college course that are available, jobs, career fields, etc, before they bounce You out, so that You can take advantage of some of the many benefits that WE ALL earned, maybe that's why there are so many lost & confused, who are simply trying to deal with this wacky world we are in whether, we like it or not. All of this could be managed in a lot better way.& then We must hear from hate America, Jane, & the draft dodgers.
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