On Veterans Day - appreciating our own and all others

[Fan in Chicago]

Thank you, Veterans everywhere. It's never too often to acknowledge your service and sacrifices 

Much respect and appreciation to these I know of on this forum:

@Ned Flanders

@MAJBobby

@Dukestreetking

@Gugny

@CountryCletus

@John from Riverside

@R. Rich 

@damj

@jkeerie

@Johnnycage46

 @sherpa

[Dablitzkrieg]

Thank you to all the Vets..  The true heros

[SoonerBillsFan]

11 minutes ago, Fan in Chicago said:

Thank you, Veterans everywhere. It's never too often to acknowledge your service and sacrifices 

Much respect and appreciation to these I know of on this forum:

@Ned Flanders

@MAJBobby

@Dukestreetking

@Gugny

@CountryCletus

@John from Riverside

@R. Rich 

@damj

@jkeerie

@Johnnycage46

 @sherpa

God Bless to all Veterans past, present and future.

[goldenboy81]

Thank you all vets.

Sincerely grateful for your service and sacrifice.

[Gugny]

This is incredibly kind, FiC, thank you. 
 

It was an honor to serve, but I would like to express my most sincere gratitude to the combat vets. 
 

They are on an entirely different level. 
 

Happy Veterans Day. 

[Jeffbigalls]

Nothing but gratitude and respect for any and all who served this country. 

[dock581]

On 11/7/2023 at 8:00 PM, Big Blitz said:

His heart is in Michigan and not sure his drive to win it all will be the same here.  Not saying it won’t but I’m just uncomfortable with it. 
 

 

Slowik

Johnson

 

And I know it sounds crazy - might be time to revisit Bienemy.  
 

The Commanders O looks better then the Chiefs (sorta) - that is not to say it’s all bc Bienemy left they have Reid for goodness sakes.  I just think it might be something.   

Great post but also remember Bob Kalsu -see post earlier today

[Let's Go Buffalo]

Thanks to all the Veterans!

[Rich Stadium Original]

2 hours ago, Gugny said:

This is incredibly kind, FiC, thank you. 
 

It was an honor to serve, but I would like to express my most sincere gratitude to the combat vets. 
 

They are on an entirely different level. 
 

Happy Veterans Day. 

Couldn't agree with you more..but I want to go one step further. I am an Air Force vet with over 20 yrs service. Even flew enough combat rated missions to earn an Air Medal..but I am always humbled and in awe of the folks on the ground in the front lines. In the last two wars in the Middle East, even driving a truck was a very dangerous mission...so combat isn't always what you think it is. To ANYONE who has raised their right hand and taken the oath to defend this nation, I salute you!!

[Chandler#81]

Don’t forget @Chandler#81 USMC.

[Bferra13]

Myself USMC as well if we're giving ourselves props here lol.

[Goin Breakdown]

Thank you vets!

[BigPappaPump]

Can’t thank you veterans enough! God bless

[Bob Jones]

I spent 9 years in the USAF on active duty, and 18 in the reserves. I think I’ve told this story in here before, but I’ll tell it again here.

 

For the Bills SB vs the Redskins, I was stationed in Japan at Yokota Air Base. However, on SB Sunday I was off the base on an exercise with the Japanese Air Forces. With the time difference, the SB over there was on Monday morning. We were done with our exercise early Monday morning, and I left the exercise site because I wanted to be back at my base duplex to watch the game with my wife. As I got close to my duplex, a straight line to it would save me some time on my walk from the train station to my home. So I actually climbed over the perimeter fence to get on to the base, but the SPs caught me! I was like “I live in here! I’m just going home to watch the SB!” They hauled my butt down to the cop station and one of my superiors had to come and “bail me out” (sign a release to set me free…LOL). And then I had to endure that depressing loss by the Bills. I will always believe that early on in that game, the Skins DBs were early to hit our receivers many times, yet no PI calls were made on them….the Bills were screwed by the refs once again. 🤪

[jkeerie]

4 hours ago, Fan in Chicago said:

Thank you, Veterans everywhere. It's never too often to acknowledge your service and sacrifices 

Much respect and appreciation to these I know of on this forum:

@Ned Flanders

@MAJBobby

@Dukestreetking

@Gugny

@CountryCletus

@John from Riverside

@R. Rich 

@damj

@jkeerie

@Johnnycage46

 @sherpa

Thank you so much FiC.  It is greatly appreciated.  And many thanks and much appreciation to my fellow vets in this forum and throughout the country!

[Pine Barrens Mafia]

You're welcome.

 

Honestly I got more out of my service than I ever put in

Edited November 12, 2023 by Pine Barrens Mafia

[hondo in seattle]

For those who might be interested, I’m going to tell you what I think of veterans...

 

In 1990, I was in the middle of the Arabian Desert as the acting commander of an armored cavalry troop.  The soldiers in the troop were White, Black, Hispanic, Native American, Asian, and Arab.   Most were men but a few were women.  Some of the men were macho warrior types.  Others might have struck you as frail and nerdy – if you didn’t know them better.  Some leaned left.  Some leaned right.  Many were apolitical.   But they had one thing in common: they didn’t complain. 

 

Well, let me amend that.  They complained all the freaking time.  They complained about the MREs, the flies, and the dust.  And they especially complained about the heat of that summer.  Soldiers showed me thermometers reading temperatures in the 140’s.  One soldier described the winds of Arabia like this: imagine you’re a turkey basting in an oven and then someone blows sand on you with a hot hair dryer.  In a previous war, Lawrence of Arabia said the incomprehensible heat of Arabia 'struck like a sword.' 

 

My soldiers complained about the little things like that.  They didn’t complain about the big stuff.  You have to understand that for most of the war, we didn't even have tents to live in.  For months, we operated and slept outdoors in oppressive heat with sand & dust permeating every orifice of our bodies, drinking disgustingly warm water, eating 5-year-old vacuum-packed food, digging holes in the sand when we had to defecate, with no water for personal hygiene.  Yet I never once heard a soldier complain that he or she was stuck in Saudi while his friends were drinking beer and watching football back in their air-conditioned apartments in America. 

 

I think most war movies are crap though there are some good ones.  But even the best war movies can’t capture the uncertainty of war.  We didn’t get a lot of news in the desert, but one article circulated among my soldiers.  It was authored by a military expert who predicted American casualties to run around 25% in the upcoming war.  My guys did some math. If the overall casualty rate (including the RAMFs) was expected to be 25%, what would it be for us, an armored cav unit doing recon out front?  50%?  75%?  The thought of bleeding out in some nameless, featureless patch of alien desert was constantly with us.  None of us knew if we’d ever see home – our wives, husbands, mothers, fathers, children – ever again. 

 

But I never once heard a soldier complain about the awful risk or say they’d rather be somewhere else.    

 

And that, I hope, gives you a little sense of my love for my fellow veterans. 

 

Happy Veteran’s Day one and all. 

[Pine Barrens Mafia]

5 minutes ago, hondo in seattle said:

For those who might be interested, I’m going to tell you what I think of veterans...

 

In 1990, I was in the middle of the Arabian Desert as the acting commander of an armored cavalry troop.  The soldiers in the troop were White, Black, Hispanic, Native American, Asian, and Arab.   Most were men but a few were women.  Some of the men were macho warrior types.  Others might have struck you as frail and nerdy – if you didn’t know them better.  Some leaned left.  Some leaned right.  Many were apolitical.   But they had one thing in common: they didn’t complain. 

 

Well, let me amend that.  They complained all the freaking time.  They complained about the MREs, the flies, and the dust.  And they especially complained about the heat of that summer.  Soldiers showed me thermometers reading temperatures in the 140’s.  One soldier described the winds of Arabia like this: imagine you’re a turkey basting in an oven and then someone blows sand on you with a hot hair dryer.  In a previous war, Lawrence of Arabia said the incomprehensible heat of Arabia 'struck like a sword.' 

 

My soldiers complained about the little things like that.  They didn’t complain about the big stuff.  You have to understand that for most of the war, we didn't even have tents to live in.  For months, we operated and slept outdoors in oppressive heat with sand & dust permeating every orifice of our bodies, drinking disgustingly warm water, eating 5-year-old vacuum-packed food, digging holes in the sand when we had to defecate, with no water for personal hygiene.  Yet I never once heard a soldier complain that he or she was stuck in Saudi while his friends were drinking beer and watching football back in their air-conditioned apartments in America. 

 

I think most war movies are crap though there are some good ones.  But even the best war movies can’t capture the uncertainty of war.  We didn’t get a lot of news in the desert, but one article circulated among my soldiers.  It was authored by a military expert who predicted American casualties to run around 25% in the upcoming war.  My guys did some math. If the overall casualty rate (including the RAMFs) was expected to be 25%, what would it be for us, an armored cav unit doing recon out front?  50%?  75%?  The thought of bleeding out in some nameless, featureless patch of alien desert was constantly with us.  None of us knew if we’d ever see home – our wives, husbands, mothers, fathers, children – ever again. 

 

But I never once heard a soldier complain about the awful risk or say they’d rather be somewhere else.    

 

And that, I hope, gives you a little sense of my love for my fellow veterans. 

 

Happy Veteran’s Day one and all. 

As someone who spent time in Earth's kitty litter box, I can attest. Heat, flies, sandstorms, more heat, boredom and more heat.

 

 

[oldmanfan]

My heartfelt thanks to all the veterans in the Bills mafia

[boyst]

You forgot @MrsCletus

[Peace Frog]

And me, US Navy.

[NeverOutNick]

US Air Force 12 years, medically retired

 

Go Bills!

[Sherlock Holmes]

6 hours ago, Fan in Chicago said:

Thank you, Veterans everywhere. It's never too often to acknowledge your service and sacrifices 

Much respect and appreciation to these I know of on this forum:

@Ned Flanders

@MAJBobby

@Dukestreetking

@Gugny

@CountryCletus

@John from Riverside

@R. Rich 

@damj

@jkeerie

@Johnnycage46

 @sherpa

You're welcome

 

Semper Fi Devil Dogs

Edited November 12, 2023 by Sherlock Holmes

[damj]

6 hours ago, Fan in Chicago said:

Thank you, Veterans everywhere. It's never too often to acknowledge your service and sacrifices 

Much respect and appreciation to these I know of on this forum:

@Ned Flanders

@MAJBobby

@Dukestreetking

@Gugny

@CountryCletus

@John from Riverside

@R. Rich 

@damj

@jkeerie

@Johnnycage46

 @sherpa

Thank you, much appreciated!

[John from Riverside]

To all all my brothers and sisters thank you for everything you have done

[Nitro]

Thanks to all my brothers and sisters in uniform.  Sacrifice much so our families and fellow citizens can live in peace.   

[Mark Vader]

Thank you all for serving this country, especially the combat veterans, I will never know how difficult you had it.

[Fleezoid]

Thanks to everyone that has served. I'm retired AF. A lot of times it was just a job. A couple of nasty deployments. And there were several tasks I wish I could have said no, I quit. (hauling tower anchors up a hill in Korea), too many long shifts and changing shifts. Desert Storm. But with all that, WW-2 was worse.

 

i rewatched a movie tonight, "The 12th Man", WW-2. I watched it several years ago,  It was on Netflix and I passed it by several times before I finally picked it. Awesome movie. Subtitled but easy to follow. True story, highly recommended!!

 

Edit: Btw......You might need hot chocolate of a cup of hot coffee to watch that movie.

Edited November 12, 2023 by Fleezoid

[hondo in seattle]

3 hours ago, Pine Barrens Mafia said:

As someone who spent time in Earth's kitty litter box, I can attest. Heat, flies, sandstorms, more heat, boredom and more heat.

 

 

 

The sandstorms weren't quite as dramatic as the ones in the movies that destroy everything in their path, but they were annoying.  I got so tired of sand being in my mouth, ears, eyes, crotch, hair, between my toes...  everywhere.  When I returned to the States, I told myself I would never forget how glorious a good shower was.  Of course, I did. 

 

[Bferra13]

1 hour ago, hondo in seattle said:

 

The sandstorms weren't quite as dramatic as the ones in the movies that destroy everything in their path, but they were annoying.  I got so tired of sand being in my mouth, ears, eyes, crotch, hair, between my toes...  everywhere.  When I returned to the States, I told myself I would never forget how glorious a good shower was.  Of course, I did. 

 

Man, I totally forgot about those til this. Good times. They would just come out of nowhere too, then be gone as soon as they started. 

[Buffalo Barbarian]

USS NASSAU LHA4

 

 

[Pine Barrens Mafia]

7 hours ago, hondo in seattle said:

 

The sandstorms weren't quite as dramatic as the ones in the movies that destroy everything in their path, but they were annoying.  I got so tired of sand being in my mouth, ears, eyes, crotch, hair, between my toes...  everywhere.  When I returned to the States, I told myself I would never forget how glorious a good shower was.  Of course, I did. 

 

Between the sand and the charcoal from the MOPP gear, yeah, the filthy was real. That and waking up with flies in your nose, mouth and ears. Good times 😄

[Riverboat Ritchie]

Thanks to all that served especially to combat vets. Funny Bills story. AF vet deployed for year. While gone brother put me in for Perry’s Ice cream Best fan of year and used a picture of me at a T-wall with a Buffalo Bill painted on it in Iraq. Also either as a joke or something for favorite flavor he checked sugar free rainbow sherbet as fav flavor. Anyhow, we were a top 10 finalist and winner get tixs to Tampa game, go on field before and threw tunnel.  But I was gone for year and wife (not a native WNY but had become a Bills fan) and mom got to experience it all. She still remarks at what a specimen TO was.  They did put my picture on jumbo tron I think with a giant rainbow saying fav flavor sugar free rainbow sherbet. I still catch sh!t from some buddies about that who were at the game.  
 

Thank you vets. Go Bills. 

[BlazinBill]

Former USN here - thank you to all my brothers and sisters on here and everywhere for putting it all on the line- the true sacrifice is more appreciated than words can state- a bravo Zulu to all

 

A

 

Edited November 12, 2023 by BlazinBill

[Poleshifter]

20 hours ago, Gugny said:

This is incredibly kind, FiC, thank you. 
 

It was an honor to serve, but I would like to express my most sincere gratitude to the combat vets. 
 

They are on an entirely different level. 
 

Happy Veterans Day. 

This is how feel as well. I was drafted during the Vietnam war, but they sent me to Germany.

 

The guys who saw combat are definitely on a different level. That experience can change your life dramatically.

 

I give thanks for those guys.

[muppy]

we appreciate you all. 

[reddogblitz]

USMC - Served with the 1st Marine Airwing Band in Iwakuni Japan.

 

I'm proud of what I did and learned a lot about a lot of things.

 

I'm going to second @Gugny and @Poleshifter. Any veteran that saw combat has my ultimate respect.

 

Thanks to all veterans wherever you are.

Edited November 13, 2023 by reddogblitz

[Returntoglory]

USAF Cold War veteran here. Spent 7 years in Germany and have fond memories of my Mom sending me Buffalo Bills VHS tapes. 

 

To all my fellow Veterans,  I love you all !

Edited November 13, 2023 by Returntoglory

[Lieutenant Aldo Raine]

20 years U.S. Army

 

 

[Ned Flanders]

Thank you so much for the acknowledgement...I served during the Carter Cold War years and the closest I came to any action, thankfully, was when a Russian MiG buzzed my carrier off Gitmo.

 

Our combat vets deserve all the credit in the world...they are our nation's finest.  "All gave some, some gave all."