While Serving, What’s a Time You Remember Someone Who Went Above and Beyond to Help You Out? Login & Share to Win!

i am just an airborne ranger who survived viet nam. we should have never been there

I cannot recall this ever happened, if it did, i never knew.

My best friend joined the Navy while I was in the Army. He was stationed on a ship in coastal waters off shore in Vietnam. He applied to learn on to shoot/fire a machine gun. The test was history, he would finish that tour manning that gun on a small boat in the heart of Vietnam. He would finish that tour and return to do a total of four tours in 4 years.

He would marry and at 40 years of age, have early stages of prostate cancer. The VA decided it was from 4 years of contact with Agent Orange.

He won all his battles in Vietnam but today at 74 years of age, he finally lost his battle with cancer.

R.I.P. Edward Thornton

Dang. I count myself lucky to never have needed help while I was active duty. I had a pretty good career. I enjoyed most of the time I was in, even the sandy or muddy ones.

As one of my first supervisors, Sgt Bernard Ashlock went above and beyond by defending me when his supervisor accused me of doing something I did not do. It took a lot of courage for him to do that, and I could tell that he was uneasy about it; however, he stood his ground and I was vindicated!

Again , my 1SGT. HE MADE ME EVERY THING I BECAME IN SERVICE !

1983 with VXN8 Senior Chief Ed Munger. He gave me a chance at a critical time in my career.

A medic friend of mine, helped me avoid a article 13 for being 2 days late getting back to my unit; he had connections with some Docs.

My recruiter. I was one point away on my license from not getting into the USAF. After processing through MEPS I got another speeding ticket making me ineligible to enlist. When I told my recruiter, and he told me I didn't tell him anything and to enjoy basic.

I remember while in the Air Force, there was this one airman who was having kidney problems and was in and out of the hospital, yet whenever he could he still found time to help us teach Korean to the newer airmen.