OT: Veterans Day not long ago; here's a nice story

[royboy]

Vietnam War veteran, 83, wears his dress blues to stand guard over his Marine buddy's casket after they made promise to each other in 1968 when they survived a mortar attack

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5090421/Vietnam-War-veteran-stands-guard-buddy-s-casket.html#ixzz4ydxS70nw

 

[Cosmos]

Vietnam War veteran, 83, wears his dress blues to stand guard over his Marine buddy's casket after they made promise to each other in 1968 when they survived a mortar attack

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5090421/Vietnam-War-veteran-stands-guard-buddy-s-casket.html#ixzz4ydxS70nw

Touching to say the least. Also impressed "Top' can still get into his Dress Blues. I couldn't. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Dupage Lion]

God Love Him ! I was a romping stomping 155 lbs when comissioned in 1966 and headed
to Vietnam. Let's just say I'm a few Stone heavier now. My dress blues- No Way!

 

[Cabinpenn]

Very impressive! Went to P.I. weighing 184 and left the island weighing 193. If I tried to put my dress blues on now I'd be the one turning blue!

 

[hagberg]

Semper Fi, Marines!

I weighed the same when I left Parris Island as I did the day I got there. Looked a lot different, though. I had both the standard blues (that the MSgt is wearing) and the mess dress. I could still fit into both, but only if they were stitched together to form one big uniform!

 

[Ranger Dan]

There is no way that I could fit into my uniform from my service as an 18 to 21 year old... and my father in law doesn't let me forget it. He said that when he came back from Vietnam, he had lost a lot of weight and his appetite in general, from having to eat "fish heads and rice" every day as an advisor to the South Vietnamese Rangers. The Army told my father in law that he should weigh 180 pounds, and he has not gone more than 5 pounds above or below that mark in the 45 years since.

 

[OldTiredLion]

When I was on active duty I was shaped like a cornerback/flanker.

These days I'm more like an offensive guard/nose tackle.

My hat's off to both the gentlemen in the above photo.

Semper Fi.