I’m sure that during four tours, he came into intimate contact with agent orange (assuming he was a ground pounder and not a pilot or on a ship), which is a carcinogen.
Did I ask you before what units you served with?
Probably, but happy to answer again. I was with NMCB-4 in the early-mid 90s out of Camp Moscrip, Roosevelt Roads PR then NMCB-25 in the reserves until January 2001.
If I wore hats, I would wear either my one of my Yankee caps or my ship’s cap. I think I still have one of my old ball caps from the USS Ranger (CV-61). If not I could easily buy one. The veteran cap seems a little odd, I guess a unit/ship cap makes more sense to me but I see nothing wrong with wearing one.
I think nothing for or against them in general.
Personally though, i would never wear one for a few reasons.
Some people like the attention and like to be noticed, me? not so much.
I prefer to fade into the scenery and go about unseen and unnoticed, a non entity.
I can not do that if i am wearing a sign.
With the attention comes too many questions.
I don’t want to field the questions, if i am not wearing a sign, no one will ask them, and no one will give me that look when they really did not want to know the answer to begin with.
I know they mean well, but i don’t need the thanks.
I can still walk and see and wipe my own ass and push my own lawn mower.
If you really want to thank me don’t say anything to me, instead go do something for all the dead and broken, make sure they and their families are not lost or forgotten or cast aside.
If you want to notice something, notice them.
I was with MCB 40 and MCB 5. We did a Camp Mousecrap tour, but I was TDY to St. Thomas, VI. Tough duty. Others included Rota, Spain; Guam (worst tour outside of Vietnam); and two TDY detachments to Japan out of Okinawa. Also did a couple of CBUs, NAVSTA Adak, a public works in MA and a few years with the State Department.
Gulf War era veteran myself, but I never made it to the Gulf, or anywhere for that matter. I spent my time in training or on air fields maintaining air traffic control equipment. I recently added the “veteran” tick box to my driver’s license, and recently used my VA Mortgage (for the second time), but other than that, I don’t put myself anywhere close to the category of the grunts who did the hard work. It even felt awkward when the seller of the house thanked me for my service, which was so very long ago.
I take it you’ve not been back? I spent a few days in Hanoi about this time last year on a business trip. I was really worried about what my treatment would be like as an American. No one gave a rat’s ass, and it was a vibrant, prospering city. Visiting might close some wounds. Thanks for your service.