War Stories

[Legionnare]

Hey guys, im new to the forums and hopefully soon to be CF member. Right now, i am curious if any of you guys have any war stories from tours that you have been on. But my main question is, have any of you guys shot at any other man? or been shot at? I know this may be personal, but you don't have to share if you don't want too. Im just a curious onlooker trying to get more info on what the dangers are over seas.

 

[Kat Stevens]

yes

 

[Mineguy]

You want these products.
Read the book on killing.

www.killology.com

Hope it helps! :warstory:

 

[Danjanou]

Kat play nice, he's new here.

Legionnaire as you embark on what we all hope will be a long and fulfilling military career you will learn many things. This may be one of the first ones. There are persons on here and elsewhere in the military that have many tales worth hearing. If you do a search there was a thread some time back on humorous anecdotes at home and on tour posted by several members. It'as quite entertaining and insightful.

However you will find that certain types of stories will probably not see the light of day here. It's not that they are never told and retold, but this is not the proper context.

When I was a fairly young troopie soon after joining, back in the dark ages, I found myself one evening staying at a relatives house for the weekend. Two of my uncles were also there, one because it was his house and the other like me was just passing through. Both were vets, one Sicily and Italy and the other younger one Vietnam. I knew that growing up and like a lot of kids idolized them. Naturally they never talked about their experiences at least not to a snot nosed nephew.

That night though I was no longer a snot nosed kid, but a member of a special brotherhood, albeit a relatively new one. I was invited out into the back yard that evening to sit and listen as the rum bottle went around and the stories and tales came pouring out, slowly hesitantly at first  then encouraged my Senor Bacardi's fine product a little faster and easier.  Funny stories about training, pranks pulled on fellow soldiers, woman, drinking and the like.

Other tales too, about terror and fear overcome and close friend lost forever. That night I was initiated into our unique brotherhood or family. It's been over twenty five years since and in that time I've probably experienced a few tales worth telling of my own. However the images of the night and the bond I experienced have never left me. I was treated, grudgingly perhaps, as a equal by men that had truly been there and done that, because I had chosen to follow in their foot steps.

I listened and learned in quiet respect then and on later future occasions. I'm sure that much of what I heard that night was never told to their own sons and maybe some not to their wives.

The time will come when some grizzled old vet will take you aside over a quiet pint and initiate you. Perhaps years later you in turn will do the same for the next generation. It's all in the context.

 

[dutchie]

Wow. Not that you were waiting with bated breath for my approval, but that was one helluva post Danjanou.

Legionaire: The way I look at your question is this: If you ask a soldier if he's shot at/killed someone, he's kinda stuck. If he answers 'yes', you look at him differently. You might always see him as a 'killer', and not one of your buddies. You might view him as less of a man, maybe more of a man. You will almost certainly view him as being different than you (assuming you have not done the same). That would be a bad thing.

If he answers 'no', some might think that he is somehow less of a soldier for not having done so.

In either case, it's a highly personal question and one that is generally never, ever, asked. As well, whether someone has or has not is almost completely a result of circumstance, and not a result of the man's personal abilities or tendencies. If put in a situation where firing on the enemy is appropriate, I would hope that all soldiers would. Further, I would also hope that the soldier would not merely fire at the enemy, but actually hit him. So your question is not 'have you shot at anyone', it's really 'have you killed someone'. I'm sure you can see how that would be innapropriate.

Not having been in that situation myself (there, you got one response), I am speaking based on my perception of my fellow soldiers.

 

[BITTER PPLCI CPL]

Legionaire; don't adopt the American cool kid attitude, no one care's if anyone killed anyone or been shot at, while the experiance is probably valuable (in some sort) we don't judge you on that, we judge on your professionalism as a soldier. Remember the friendly fire bombing in Afghanistan against 3VP? I was talking to a Blackhawk pilot and this is how it works, if you fly a blackhawk or chinook your not cool, you fly a AH-64 you rock, my opinion, who care's! Just remember when that situation present's itself, hope you have competent leadership that is ready to respond and your mates have they're shit wire's tight and sights up!

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