We promise you an enlightening journey as we dig into the heart of the ubiquitous sentiment, 'thank you for your service.' This charged phrase has led to conversations about privilege, entitlement, and the shifting societal views towards those in uniform. Our personal experiences and anecdotes lend an intimate feel to this discussion as we dissect the effect of this phrase on both civilians and military personnel.
Our exploration takes us into the weighty world of military insignia, from dog tags to combat veteran patches. We delve into the responsibility and recognition that accompanies these symbols, the concept of on and off duty behavior, and the idiosyncrasies of different military roles. You’ll hear about the trials and tribulations of leading a platoon, the importance of team building, and the delicate balance between discipline and leniency.
The final leg of our journey is dedicated to honoring those who made sacrifices in the Vietnam War. We talk about the often overlooked personal sacrifice of these veterans, the etiquette of military discounts, and the complexities veterans face when accepting these benefits. We'll also touch upon the range of benefits available to veterans and the implications of utilizing them. Join us, as we navigate these nuanced discussions, bringing light to the unseen and unspoken aspects of military service and appreciation.
We promise you an enlightening journey as we dig into the heart of the ubiquitous sentiment, 'thank you for your service.' This charged phrase has led to conversations about privilege, entitlement, and the shifting societal views towards those in uniform. Our personal experiences and anecdotes lend an intimate feel to this discussion as we dissect the effect of this phrase on both civilians and military personnel.
Our exploration takes us into the weighty world of military insignia, from dog tags to combat veteran patches. We delve into the responsibility and recognition that accompanies these symbols, the concept of on and off duty behavior, and the idiosyncrasies of different military roles. You’ll hear about the trials and tribulations of leading a platoon, the importance of team building, and the delicate balance between discipline and leniency.
The final leg of our journey is dedicated to honoring those who made sacrifices in the Vietnam War. We talk about the often overlooked personal sacrifice of these veterans, the etiquette of military discounts, and the complexities veterans face when accepting these benefits. We'll also touch upon the range of benefits available to veterans and the implications of utilizing them. Join us, as we navigate these nuanced discussions, bringing light to the unseen and unspoken aspects of military service and appreciation.
All right. So today I think we're going to piggyback off of last week's episode, where we talked about patriots and patriotism, and, uh going to roll right into a common theme, uh, that we've talked about before and that is thank you for your service and how that, how we take that, um what it means, uh, different ways that different people thank us for our service, Um, just kind of the all encompassing topic of, of that simple yet meaningful phrase.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and I mean there was a point in time that no one said it. Um, there was a point in time where um serving was taboo and uh. So I think we've come, I think Our society are over correctors, right yeah, I mean we like to need jerk reactions yeah.
Speaker 2:We are, we are this has to change. So we do the polar opposite and, um, overemphasize the change and, uh, I think this is no different. Um, so, yeah, I mean, um, it's yeah, when I talk to my buddies. Uh, you know Brady Stewart, one of my oldest and dearest friends, um, you know, we go back, you know, to eighth grade together. Um, we just had this conversation, um, a couple of weeks ago. Um, you know, he's a veteran, um, and he, you know, like many of your dad, uh link, um, many of the, the non combat veterans that we know, have a similar sentiment, you know, uh, a similar outlook. And uh, it's one of those things where, yeah, even though I tell him, hey, man, like I don't give a fuck, um, you know, you raised your fucking hand, you said I'm willing to do this and big army said, all right, you know, this is where I need you to go, and those places were not in harm's way. And, uh, you know so. And you know, joining, you know joining the reserves or whatever put a bad taste in his mouth because he, he thought at the time, hey, this, I'm doing something bigger than myself. And then, you know, you go to reserve drill and it's not what you, it's not what you think it's, it's. You know he, he tells a story of you know they were preparing for Bosnia, bosnia, bosnia kicked off. So they're preparing and you know part of their preparation was reading books. You know, here, train read books. You know NCOs you read books, you regurgitate to the privates and oh, by the way, privates you read books to. And uh, like, are we going to imply any of this? No, no, no, well, maybe when we get to Bosnia, so that put a bad. You know, uh, when it was time for him to, you know, reenlist or get out, it was an easy decision for him, you know. So, yeah it, and I get that aspect Early on in my career.
Speaker 2:My goal was to limit, limit the amount of people who could tell me what to do. That was my goal, right, like, limit the amount of people. Like, when I was a private and I was, uh, you know, in the, you know, in Korea, you knew you were the private because you had all the keys to everything. And if a mechanic at 1800, 1900 needs, you know they need to do, uh, change the pack in your M 48 tank, right, that we just talked about, um, if they needed to do that at 18, 1900, whatever it is, you're the person going down opening that stuff up. You know. So, you know, um, yeah.
Speaker 2:So I quickly realized that the less people that can tell you what to do, the more in charge of yourself you are. And uh, yeah, so, um, but yeah, thank you for your service means something different. And it's like, it's weird. Like there's, there's a spectrum right Of the the thank you for your service spectrum. Like there's people at the low end or they're like no fucking thing. You know what I mean. Like yeah, I don't like cool, thank you, you know what I mean. And then there's people at the far end that are beating their chest being like you better fucking think for you. You know what I mean. Like I don't know, thank me for you know what I?
Speaker 2:mean, like you know there's. You know there's people that are, uh, you know, fucking um. Thank me for your service and your mother fucking welcome. You know what I mean. Yeah, you know what I mean.
Speaker 1:Like you know um, but yeah, I mean, yeah, I, um, I used to be very uncomfortable and it was very awkward when someone would thank me, like I didn't know what to say. You know what I mean. Like saying, uh, you're welcome just sounded egotistical. You know what I mean and you know, so I just every time somebody would say it I would just fucking cringe because I didn't know. It made me feel uncomfortable, uh, the more I've spent with this organization and doing all of these things all the time, you know, cause with that backpatch it tells everybody, and their mama even. You know my 350 pound ass, I was a vet and so you get told that a lot more. Or someone says something about it, you know, and it's still uncomfortable, but it's not awkward anymore for me, right, because now it's more of um, you know, thank you for your service and my response to them is thank you, you know what I mean.
Speaker 1:Like, like I've kind of figured that out. You know, um, like this past weekend we were down Cincinnati when the wife had to run back and grab her goggles and I was just sitting there, lady pulled up beside me and I thought she was going to bitch at me. You know, because I was parked right there on the out of the parking lot waiting on brandy and um, she pulled up next to me and rolled her window down and she's like thank you for your service. You know, my dad was in Vietnam and as she's talking about her dad and stuff, she's getting, all you know, emotional and tearing up and stuff like that and um, that stuff right there, I think means more to me because by seeing my back patch and interacting with me, um, she got to have that emotional moment thinking about her dad.
Speaker 2:Yep, it, it, it invokes. So, yeah, yeah, when now, as you said, you know, wearing wearing the back patch, we do you know, um, my, my kind of auto responses it was my pleasure, right, um, and again I say thank you as well. Thank you, it was my pleasure, um, um and it was right um, regardless, you know, regardless of my personal feelings on the totality of my career, that fucking person don't Didn't you know. It's like when someone says how you doing Like they don't want to necessarily know, yeah, right, you know they're not your therapist, they don't want to know, right.
Speaker 1:Fine is an acceptable answer.
Speaker 2:Right, yeah, I'm good. How are you? You know what I mean. Like that is you know?
Speaker 1:that's why my standard answer is same shit different day, right, you know what I mean. Like it, lets people know that I'm not, you know, hunky Dory, but it is what it is.
Speaker 2:It's like thank you for your service, you know, one time it's funny you say that one time I was, you know, and they're like no, no, I didn't sign up for that Um, but yeah, I mean it's, it's um, you know, again I don't get been out of shape. Um, on, uh, memorial Day, uh, like again the spectrum. Some people are like what the fuck, you know? You ignorant bastard understand the fucking day Like um.
Speaker 1:I typically will post like an educational post. Yeah, yeah, so that those of that don't know if they happen to, you know, be in my Facebook feed and they see the education. Right, you know what I mean? I'm not going to go kick you in the fucking teeth, right, right, right.
Speaker 2:I mean, but there's, there's, there's those motherfuckers out there and be like today is for my brothers, Like I'll take you. I'll take you back to, um, Chrissy's birthday, uh, 2018. I want to say I want to say it's 2018. 2018, her friends at work take her out to a bar, um, for her birthday. And she's like, hey, I'm going out to the bar with the girls and we've been dating I don't know three months and, as I've said many times that that the first several months of us dating was not conventional dating, Right, so I mean it was. It was not that we were exclusive or you know, um, but anyway, she's like, hey, going out from you know, come on, come on over. So I do.
Speaker 2:And, uh, I two, two guys come into the bar and the one is a, a walking, uh, grunt style poster. I mean, stalking cap. It's December, All right. Stalking cap sweatshirt, um, and then dog tags on the outside, Right, Clear indicator. You're a fucking private, clear indicator, Um, and I don't fuck. I don't fuck with him, Right, Um, I don't. Another rule of mind, side note I don't think anybody for their service, um, that's younger than I am, Right, Currently serving people. I don't really think I'm for their service Because it's it's the mindset of it's an all volunteer army. Now, Right, the way I feel about people telling me thank you for your service is the same way I reciprocate that to people in uniform, you know now, if they're younger than you, um, but like they're, they're missing limbs and shit like that, like they've sat you, you can clearly tell that life.
Speaker 1:Or if you know they're a medal of honor recipient or something like that. Yeah, yeah, those things are given Like it's not just a blanket statement oh, you're fucking 30. Fuck you.
Speaker 2:Well, I mean it's, it's one of those things I don't, you know, like guys that wear our you know, we don't say thank you for your service to each other. You know what I mean? Yeah, um, it's, it's one of those. You know, if I see someone in uniform in line, right, I let them go in front of me, right, and then I stand behind them and critique their fucking. I critique, I'm like this motherfucker. You know what I mean. Like, um, it's, it's funny.
Speaker 2:You know, we were down in in, uh, quaker city. I know I'm jumping around, but, um, we were down in Quaker city the other day and you know, you know, people are marching in their parade and, uh, duke, like I'm about to go, saw a major mode on you. I'm like, right, like, and I'm like, oh, bro, like calm down. Um, yeah, because some things are just fucking blatant. And like some people again, some people in uniform, and we'll kind of get into this as well they, they think themselves for their service, right, so it's like I served. So, you know, I shouldn't get speeding tickets. I shouldn't get, you know, I should be allowed to uh, kick my dog and beat my wife because I served.
Speaker 2:You know, um, and I had those, you know, I had those guys in my units. Like they, we would come back from Iraq. And you know they'd be like, well, why can't I punch my wife in the face? She didn't serve. You know what I mean. Like I'm, I'm going to rack war veteran Like, yeah, bro, you still can't punch your wife in the face or kick your fucking dog or you know whatever. You know there's there's again the spectrum, there's levels to the shit yeah.
Speaker 2:There's those fucking people too. So, um, but yeah, like that spectrum, and I guess I'm weird like that, because I'll see a, a older, right, older gentlemen sitting in a, in a restaurant by himself or what, his wife or you know, and I'll tell the waitress a, bring that, bring that guy's check over, right, pay his check and I'll just walk out. Yeah, right, um, and that's me thinking him. And I don't know this dude from Adam I. He could have been a supply clerk, right, I don't fucking know, right, um, but you know, now, if I see a 21 year old with his shit on, you know what I mean. You ain't getting a meal from it, bro, all right, you're not. So go back to, um, chrissy's birthday. We're at the barn, uh, and there this dude walks in. I'm like this motherfucker, right, I'm, I'm, you know, this is 18. So I'm, I'm three years removed, right, and uh, like this motherfucker and you and you're not very far into working on yourself.
Speaker 2:Oh, yeah, yeah, I'm, yeah, yeah, yeah, I'm yeah. This is right, it was one of those. Hey, if you feel like coming out tonight, I'd really appreciate you coming out.
Speaker 1:Yeah, all right and. I got put pants on right I got to put pants on.
Speaker 2:I go out and, uh, this, um, so there's a guy, a different guy from these two young bucks. Right, he's sitting over there, he's fucking right, he he's been hitting on everybody in our group. I mean, hey, you don't get back and never, you know, fucking sit on my face or whatever the you know like. Just he's belligerent, Right, but he wasn't, he wasn't touchy feely, he was. You know what I mean, Like he wasn't calling anybody bitches or you know what I mean.
Speaker 2:Like hey girl, you know one of those eight girl, you fucking sit on my, you know like that kind of deal. And then somebody's like no thanks, all right, hey, how about you? How about your friend Right?
Speaker 1:He, he took no, yeah, yeah, no, he took no, but he's trying with the next one and then the next, you know, like if?
Speaker 2:there's 10 people here, there might be a yes, yes, call 10, right? So, um, by by a certain point in the night, the two young bucks right had made their way over to where the belligerent guys and the one young buck with the sweatshirt and the beanie cap. The beanie cap came off and his fucking hide and tight is prevalent, and the the T shirt under the sweatshirt grunt style as well. Um, dog tags still hanging out of the T shirt, right, but the sweatshirts off, beanie caps off, and uh, so these guys I'm, I'm on the outside looking in. These guys are talking to the belligerent man, belligerent man sitting down. The belligerent man asks the one young buck, hey, like, are you, are you in the service? And the guy's like yeah, and he's like I'll thank you for your service. And he salutes him with the left hand. Right Salutes with the left hand while sitting down. That fuck to.
Speaker 2:To see this fucking kid's reaction. Right, he goes fucking eight, shit, you don't salute me while sitting down, you're saluting with the wrong fucking hand. And and then he goes into his brothers who died, so he can fucking sit in a bar and drink. So I'm like, okay, now I got to say something, so I go to him I'm like, hey bro, you need to chill the fuck up. And uh, and he's like he don't understand. I got brothers that died. I'm like, nah, nah, nah, nah, nah. I'm like, are you just out of basin training? And he's like what do you mean? Like like it's December, you're probably on the fucking furlough, right. Like you're probably on what they call this shit exodus, right Like you, you get to go home for Christmas. He's like what the fuck you do? Like, and I'm standing there and I get it. I'm a overweight bearded man talking to this young strapping lad, Like I know what the fuck I'm talking about because you do Right.
Speaker 2:And then I'm like hey, bro, you know your senior drill sarn in basin training. Yeah, I'm the same fucking rank, it's right. So, excuse me, I was the same fucking rank. So I'm telling you you're fucking out of pocket right now. And he's like well, then you should know that our brothers died.
Speaker 2:Shut up Like you have never been in a combat. How do you know? I'm like because you're fucking dog tags or outside your t-shirt, like you want everybody in here to know you're in the military. That's how I fucking know. And uh, and, and then his buddy, and, uh, and, and then his buddy. It starts fucking. You know what we think we can take you. And I'm like well, okay, then meet me to fuck outside. And I'm like I'm going to finish my beer. You go, you go outside and warm up. And Chrissy's like I think it's time for us to leave. I'm like, yeah, that's my plan Soon as I go out here and punchy two motherfuckers in the face. And so she's like we walk outside and these motherfuckers are on a dead sprint Gone. I get in my truck and we're we're riding down Linden Avenue and they're still running. And I'm like these motherfuckers.
Speaker 2:At least their PT was good. I mean we think, uh, me and Chrissy, we think back on that time and laugh about it all the time. But that's that's. That is the spectrum. Yeah, like those, like this motherfucker didn't disrespect anybody, you know what I mean. Did he salute with the wrong hand? Yes, does it matter? No, yeah, right.
Speaker 1:You're a fucking private, he like what does it matter anyhow?
Speaker 2:Oh, by the way, he has the free will to salute with any fucking hand he wants. If he wants to do the little two hand Boy Scout deal, or little two finger, you know, or the three finger, or whatever the fucking is the middle finger salute, he can do all that. Right hand, left hand, it don't fucking matter. Yeah, you know you're the asshole for blowing that shit out proportion. And then you make me the asshole right To have to fucking check your punk ass. And then your buddy's the asshole for edging you on to get punched in the fucking face. You know what I mean, and far be it for me to deny someone who eagerly wants punched in the fucking face, you know. So that's, that's the spec, that's, you know. That's the shit right there that that says for every thank you for your service that is genuine and, you know, heartfelt.
Speaker 2:You know there's people out there that don't take it that way. Oh, you don't know me. You don't know what I've been through. You ain't been through shit, hey, ben, through shit. You've been through eight weeks of fucking basic training and since your home on Christmas fucking leave, you ain't even been through eight weeks of basic training and you still got your motherfucking. You know, come on, man, if you're wearing your dog tags outside, you'd fucking T shirt you want. You want that fucking sympathy. You know what I mean? I mean not granted.
Speaker 2:We wear a huge fucking backpatch. This is combat that association on. I didn't make that fucking patch. You know what I mean. I just qualify to be in this group of people. You know um? You know I? I very rarely wear um, as I sit here with one on a T shirt, but out um on a random Tuesday. You know what I mean. Yeah, I read a. Very rarely wear that shit.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I usually only wear my combat, that stuff, when I'm either at an event, like when we were down in Faker City we were down there representing our chapter and I only wear my vest, um, when I'm riding, or like I'll wear it into a chapter meeting or something like that. Um, but it's, it's not something I wear around in my fucking car or or anything like that.
Speaker 2:You know it's Now, I don't ride without it, Right, you know I, but yeah, and my thing, that is, it's exposure to the, to the chapter or to the organization, um, and and you know, as long as we're doing the right things while we're out, which you know we, we do most of the time Um um and my bike clearly shows up in the combat.
Speaker 1:That's right.
Speaker 2:Right, I mean, but the and that's like our, our, uh, you know, we had a buddy one time who the cops had to be called and you know, when I went and talked to him he was like, what's the big deal? You know, I'm like, well, everyone knows you're in the combat vets. He's like I didn't have my combat, that stuff on. I'm like, yeah, but you got a flag in your yard, you got stickers on your car, you know everyone. Like you're in a small town, bro, everybody knows you're in the combat vets. So it's like it's a double-edged sword. Like everyone knows you're in combat vets. So when you go out and you ask for donations, like we do, everyone knows. But when you go out and and fucking step on your dick, everyone knows, everyone knows. Yeah, right, so you know. When, when you fly proudly, right, your combat vets shit. Um, you, you have to take the responsibility of that as well.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you got to represent correctly. Yeah, I mean, it's just like when we were active. You're in your uniform, don't be a dick, right.
Speaker 2:And and, as you know, the army would tell you you're a soldier 24 seven.
Speaker 1:Right.
Speaker 2:Um, so right, Don't be a dick. And there was, you know, there was those people that you know. Soon as they left the motor pool, they took their blouse off and now they're down in the convenience store in a brown t-shirt. Well, I'm off duty. No, motherfucker Like you can't do that, you know. So yeah, I mean it's it's.
Speaker 1:You want to sit in your house, drink a beer Like that, that's one thing, but you can't be out in public like that. Put your fucking uniform on and wear it correctly.
Speaker 2:Well, I mean, there was a time where you know you couldn't go into establishments off post, off base um in your duty uniform, right, um? Unless it was for necessities milk, diapers, things that like things, Things that you have like running in to get a pack of cigarettes in a six pack. That's not necessities, even though it's convenient, you know um. And then they, they kind of lacks. That you know. Okay, you can go into, you know um, wherever, doing whatever um with you know exceptions. I don't want to see people in their fucking battle dress uniforms in a fucking strip club at noon which, down at the big apple, that forced to her time from Georgia. They it was, it was done Um. So you know, and I I would, I would um remind everybody, rules and regulations are put in place most times because someone fucked that up. Yep, you know what I mean. There's labels on Clorox bottles not to fuck a drink it because somebody consumed it, right, you know um Bill Engle curling irons.
Speaker 1:do not insert this into any orifice. Orifice, yeah.
Speaker 2:I mean the the side of the fucking McDonald's coffee cups. Say hot on them, because you know, when somebody fucking accidentally poured it in their lap, they sued McDonald's and won. The crazy shit is, they won because so I used to think that too.
Speaker 1:Just to to caveat that, um, I actually did some research on that because it was really fucking bugging the shit out of me, right. Turns out that the reason she won is that the coffee wasn't like a normal coffee, like I don't know what the temperature of coffee is because I don't remember the specifics, but let's say coffee is 110 degrees, okay. Okay, the coffee that got dumped on her was like some an astronomically high temperature, like 160 or some shit like that. That's why she won. It wasn't that she got the hot coffee dropped on her, it's that the coffee was so hot that it was abnormally hot and and like, severely burnt her, more than what normal coffee would have burnt her. Okay.
Speaker 2:Well, I retract my.
Speaker 1:Well, everybody I mean all growing up you know the fuck coffee's hot. How do you not know coffee's hot? You know for decades and it wasn't until you know God loved the internet's that you know. You look it up and you find out that Out that that particular McDonald's had that shit so fucking hot that it was ridiculous. Now I'm sure if it wouldn't have got spilled on her she probably would have appreciated it was hot, because you know, fuck, most people drink coffee like that shit. Hot as fuck yeah.
Speaker 2:Probably had to kill the salmonella that was present in the cups.
Speaker 1:So especially back then, I mean it should probably you could stick a stick in and it'd stand up.
Speaker 2:But yeah, I mean so yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah, off track.
Speaker 2:I mean, where does fact nuggets coming at you, left and right, fact nuggets. But yeah, the spectrum, and you know, I believe I said it on like I don't, I don't believe I'm going to be one of those guys in 10, 20 years. That's in the VA that has, you know, iraq war veteran hat on. But that's me Like I don't, I don't disparage, right, the guys that wear those. Like I said, I'll buy you. You know you have a Vietnam them, korean war man, them motherfuckers. I see a dude with a Korean war hat on. You're not buying anything around me. Yeah, nothing, yeah, nothing. Cause, again, I lived in Korea for two years. I've seen, you know what I mean. Like bro it, you know World War two veterans. You're not buying shit around me because you know you, you volunteered to serve knowing you were going to get on a boat and you might not get back on a boat for four years. I didn't. You know what I mean. Yeah, that's fucking serious. Yeah, you know what I mean.
Speaker 2:Uh, I went to war 10 years into my enlistment, right, 10 years into my volunteerism. I went to war and you know, and then I made I made a point to keep going back. The first one. I had a bad taste in my mouth because I didn't have. You know what I mean. You know what I mean. I wasn't a quote unquote combat engineer doing my combat engineer role. I was doing you know other things. But so I'm like no, gotta go back, gotta do the. Then we didn't, you know, oh five, we didn't do no combat and shit. You know, we just rode around in Humvees fucking trying to dodge God damn things blowing up on the side of the road. And I'm like, well, fuck, you know like. And then route clearance came. I'm like, okay, this is, this is combat engineer shit. And then you're like, oh, monkeys, it don't take no fucking skill to fucking do this, monkeys can fucking do this.
Speaker 1:And uh, yeah, so um and that's why you have army privates doing it Right, yeah, I mean, yeah, um, which you know.
Speaker 2:Like. I had two, uh, carpenters, um, you know the, the MTO well, not the MTO, but yeah, mto called for X number of you know like 28 Joe's in a, in a platoon, and then between some, between leader and, uh, you know, at, at there were points where you know like an O five, I had 12, 12 people in my Ptoon in O five, 12. I had to get augmented a guy, uh guys from the infantry, between um, just so I can give people days off, because we were required to have, uh, four trucks with three people in them. So I'm like, well, fuck, how the fuck am I, you know what I mean Like, and so they augmented me some guys, but, yeah, I mean, but regular batons, you know 30, 30 bodies and, uh, you know like an O seven. We were short, um, so they sent um like carpenters, oh, you're an engineer, yeah, over there.
Speaker 2:Then they get here like you know, uh, what you know what's your MOS I'm? I'm a Yankee, uh, fucking, you know Juliet, uh, fucking, I'm like that ain't a Bravo. Like these are yes, the 12 is the same, that's it. Like. I'm like, so you build shit, yeah, all right, so we get the and they're like one of them's a E four and we get there, you know we're out in Iraq, and he's like, I'm like all right, all E fours are driving in a husky. The husky is a one man vehicle that has, um, uh, mine pads on it, they go down and it has, um, ground, uh, ground, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, ground, pet of trading radar, right, so it looks for land mines, right. Well, very few land mines that we got hit with, right, but the berry IDs the things of that nature. It was, it was great, um, but anyways, one man vehicle, uh, had a V shape, all to take, mine strikes and, uh, very um it looked kind of like a tractor cockpit.
Speaker 2:They do. They do like a grader. Yep, right, excuse me, um, yeah and uh, but it's a one man vehicle so that you put those guys out at point. Um, they run out there. You know, we put blowers on it to blow trash off the road. Um, put rollers on them to. You know, roll roll for deep berries. But the you know the logic is, if that vehicle gets hit, you're you're sacrificing one person, right and as you know, as much as as harsh as that is it is what it is.
Speaker 1:It is what it is.
Speaker 2:Right. So, and I tell you know, I tell my guys, like E fours, you're in there. Why? Well, first of all, you're supposed to have enough experience in the military, at least 36 months, right, minimum time in service to get promoted to E four, unless you, you know, unless you're um, get promoted ahead of time. So 36 months become an E four, that season, right. So you should be smart enough, right, right, should be smart enough, right, and and and in my experience, right, the worst things happen in the E four mafia. Right, one person don't make up the E four mafia. It takes many, many people for the mafia to be in full force. Right, so, right, right. So shenanigans are at a minimum when there's only one, when there's only one, right, right, like, uh, I had a, I had a old old, first art old first art.
Speaker 2:He used to say like um, when we were in Korea, you have to go out and battle buddy teams and one, One person in the battle buddy team has to have common sense. You can't have a battle buddy team with two dumbasses.
Speaker 1:So no, no, no, no battle buddy teams of two E four.
Speaker 2:Can't like one person in that team has to have common sense, Like if. If somebody can't look at the other person and be like I don't think we should be doing this Right, Then you can't hang out together.
Speaker 1:You and Chrissy are not a good battle buddy team on the bike because she just goes right along with you and you're crazy.
Speaker 2:Yes, Every time right.
Speaker 1:Every time she calls me crazy, I'm like you didn't, you didn't, you didn't say hey, every dumb yes.
Speaker 2:Every derogatory thing she says I'm like you know, and. But the problem, the problem she has is and she, she very rarely amidst this in public. We are so similar, Right, Like I take, I take my craziness, my weirdness is on full display for everybody to see and I don't, I don't shy away from it.
Speaker 1:She hides hers behind yours, yeah.
Speaker 2:And and and I'm like I'm like you're showing people your weirdness by fucking co-signing me, right, you know. I'm like my, my stars and stripes bibs, right, I'm like, hey, what do you think? She's like you can embarrass me. And I'm like I know you're co-signing this bullshit, right, like, right. Like, um, my shorty short, you know my ranger panties.
Speaker 1:You, you co-sign this shit, like if you if you decide to die your balls with food coloring right for under your kilt, she won't care, right?
Speaker 2:I'm like when I thought I'm like, hey, we're wearing, we're wearing kilt. She's like all right, wear a kill. I'm like I'm not wearing nothing under the kill. Okay, all right. Now when I fall off chairs, when I fall backwards off chairs and my feet go up in the air and you're showing everybody your balls Um, you know it is what it is. But yeah, like in advance, you know you're gonna have to, you know you're gonna have to, you know, be involved in these inner things. But if you're not and you're gonna be limited to cool things, like design.
Speaker 1:I think that will take you to the end.
Speaker 2:Of you know, if you're struggling withίν at orientation, going ahead with your exMinuky Makita crazy mouth.
Speaker 2:So yeah, right or or riding home that night from Cincinnati riding in traditional downpour at night, like, be the voice of reason, lady, um, talk me off the fuck. God, god, um, but yeah, I mean, but you know, I'd rather, in the spectrum of thank you for your service, me personally, I'd rather the person who don't. Um, and probably because I am that person right, I, I associate with that idea of you. Know I can go the rest of my life without somebody not thinking me for my service.
Speaker 1:And I, and, and you will still be thanked too much.
Speaker 2:Right.
Speaker 1:You know what I?
Speaker 2:mean yeah and um, you know, but it's, it's one of those things in the era that I grew up in, you know, born in 74, towards the end of the Vietnam war, um, and then being so fascinated with that war, uh, enamored with that war, um, knowing, and then, you know, knowing that, not not really recalling many hats, many. You know what I mean. Yeah, because people put that shit and nobody, nobody wanted to be right. You don't want anybody to be, you know, you're not going to be you know nobody.
Speaker 1:Nobody wanted to be right. You don't want anybody to know you're in the Vietnam war.
Speaker 2:Right, you don't want to be called a baby killer, to risk your fucking life.
Speaker 1:So, speaking of that, you know we were talking about our backpatch and stuff. I know I pointed him out to you when we were in Colorado but we were in our um national meeting. I took a picture of this, this gray Beards vest, because I was absolutely in awe of what was on this thing. So you know he's a full member, older guy, so he's a Vietnam vet. On his back he's got his backpatch and then he's got purple heart patch, he's got a bronze star with heroism and then he's got Vietnam 1967, special forces.
Speaker 1:Vietnam 1968, combat infantry, infantry men. Vietnam 1969, 101st airborne. Like God damn, like that dude right there. You know you say all the time you know somebody's harder and woodpecker lips, that's this motherfucker. You know, like three years in Vietnam, you know all that type of stuff.
Speaker 1:Like that dude right there, like um, those types of of old gray Beards deserve and have earned um the thank you for your service, the not being. You know your money is no fucking good here. You know those guys and and you know that you know being in 67, 68, 69, when he got home he was treated like ass, absolute ass, um. So I mean it's when you see, when you see the old gray Beards out there like that people. Those guys, more than anyone, deserve your um, your recognition and your thanks and whatever thing that you would like to do for them. And they're going to be, most of them are going to be the same way. You know they're they're going to be, you know, a little awkward, a little embarrassed, you know, but that's you know. You see a 22 year old kid eating at fucking McDonald's. You can buy him his food, but you know he hasn't, he's done the bare minimum to warrant your things. You get an old gray beard that survived fucking World War II, korea, vietnam yeah, they've more than earned it.
Speaker 2:It's, it's yeah.
Speaker 2:I mean, like you know, like we talked about with the, the, the standing at Gettysburg and how, how. That made me feel um, the, the, the sacrifice, and that's to me, that's what it's about. Those patches on his vest, it's leather, it's cloth, it you know, I mean like they don't to the naked eye, they mean absolutely nothing. It's you know, um, but knowing what we know, being in places or doing things similar to what he's done, right, shared experiences, that is what brings notice, that is what makes you stop and say, god damn it. I mean um, yes, everybody in this room is supposed to be equal. There's, there's, some people in this room that did just a little bit more, and you know um, but I'm sure you know, again, not talking to him at length, I'm sure he thinks he's as equal as anybody in that. You know what I mean.
Speaker 1:So I was trying to look up but you know, that's also one of those things where um, by definition, he's equal to everyone. On paper he's equal to everyone, um, but if you're worth half your salt, you're going to give um that dude reverence over, like I would never compare myself to him as being equal.
Speaker 2:It's like, uh, every Memorial Day, um, usually uh left hook will get a call um, since he's the mayor of Cambridge and uh, the original uh chapter commander for our, our chapter, and uh, he'll get a call from um those that are putting flags out for Memorial Day and uh, we'll go down to the Cambridge um veteran cemetery will put out flags and uh, and it's, you know, it's one of those things where you walk around and and you know you're looking for the headstones that have um, you know um, you know the veteran headstones or they have the VFW little markers or whatever the case. And uh, we did a lot of um, the cemetery up there had other, you know, high schoolers came out and helped and and things of that nature. Um, but you know it's, it's again, it's our way of giving back. It's vets helping vets, um vets recognizing um other vets. And it's not about our services, it's about those who who uh came before us and and um served and uh, I'd much rather others get their recognition than than myself, of course.
Speaker 2:Um, we came upon um Bobby came upon George James MacMahon. Um, he was um, he was in the US Navy, he was a um MM one right, how's that machinist mate?
Speaker 2:machinist mate United States Navy for uh in World War two. Um, he was a master sergeant in the Air Force during Korea and he was a chief war officer too in the United States Army in Vietnam.
Speaker 1:Jesus.
Speaker 2:Um. He was born November 23rd 1927. He died July 19th 2002. Um, so, you know, we we kicked around the idea of having a like a service award and the chapter um. You know the person who rides the most, the person who um collects the most donations, the person who you know, and we would do it all on a point system, um, and then, you know, tally up the points at the end of the year and you know, that recipient would um get the service award. Um, which I think it's a great idea. I just think a couple of people, a couple of people every year would be you know the same two, three people every year would be in the running for it. And then, you know, I didn't, I didn't want to make it an award on my watch as commander.
Speaker 1:And then, win it, win it.
Speaker 2:You know that's, you know making, making awards just so I can win, or?
Speaker 1:that's that would be deemed egotistical.
Speaker 2:Right, yeah, and I don't, you know, I don't. So, um, also thought it'd be cool for us to maybe give a thousand dollar scholarship or a thousand dollar grant, whatever you know uh, to a local Cambridge high school. You know um, better half is a teacher down at, you know um, if somebody can write, you know someone that is going, you know. Whatever the case may be, you know um, that's something that still can be done, um, in his name, you know um. But of course, um, we would have to reach out to the family and make sure that they were okay with us doing that.
Speaker 1:And yeah, you were. You were talking about that headstone. It reminded me of my grandfather's so I pulled up a picture of it. It's, uh, it now. This is my dad's dad, so it's Earl neighbor. Sp five, us army, world War II, korea, vietnam. It was in from December of nine or. He was born December 29th 1918. He died January 2nd 1976. Yeah, 57 years old, it's, it's, it's. He died two years before I was born. Um, but it's. My dad is always told me that. My grandma used to tell me too that my grandfather would be so proud of me.
Speaker 2:Um you're. You're the first one in the family to achieve over E four.
Speaker 1:I'm proud of you, buddy, I don't know what, what, what back in the day, what was the?
Speaker 2:spec five. I mean, it was uh. I think spec five was on on. I want to say it was on the, the level of like they had um. It was a E five, um, um, but it was one of those. He didn't have stripes. He had the E four insignia with um, like two, no one, one, chevron, how, both, um, yeah, spec five.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I um, like both of my grandfather served. A bunch of my uncle served um, but, like I've talked before, you know, my grandfather served, my dad served, I served, trevor served Um. I was always taught from my dad that you know, uh, the our family owed me. I owed a debt or not a debt, a responsibility to serve. And out of my generation, uh, it was only me and one other of my cousins on my dad's side that enlisted Um and he did not. He followed more in my dad's footsteps as far as you know, getting in trouble, getting kicked out, things like that.
Speaker 1:So, and then, and the generation that my kids are in, I think Trevor's the only one that's enlisted on my dad's side. So, you know, it's, I just, I just felt, you know, growing up, you know, like you did when you found out about your sister's dad, you know you owe something and that's the way I was taught was we owed something, but it wasn't something. That and that's. I think that's part of the awkwardness when someone tells me me from my thanks you for your service, is that I didn't do it out of a sense of thanks. You know, like people don't owe me anything, it wasn't, it was an honor. I mean, these are cliched words, I know, and they sound hokey but it wasn't honor, it was a duty.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you know, I think, I think it's also each, you know it's an individual interpretation, because it's how it's your upbringing it's, you know the the why you did. It is important, you know. Go to war, go to jail. You know what I mean. People have a higher reverence, you know, for being drafted, or you know things that add nature, and your experience in the military also has something to do with that as well. If you had a terrible experience, and you know, don't thank me for my service, you know.
Speaker 1:You know I'm yeah, so yeah, I think the other part of that is military, military discounts.
Speaker 2:Right, right, one, one quick.
Speaker 1:Caviar.
Speaker 2:Yeah, one quick truth nugget, fact, nugget, whatever. Specialist five abbreviation, uh, sbc rank is junior enlisted um, specialist fifth class, also written specialist slash five or spec five, was a specialist rank equal to sergeant in pay grade but not a non-commissioned officer. So I was right. I like it when I'm right, but yeah, and then each um, so I think it only went up the spec six, um, so you know. And then they just, for whatever reason, they kept the specialist rank and the corporal rank and did away with the spec five and spec six.
Speaker 1:Well, so to piggyback on that real quick, the army has the specialist in the corporal. The Marines have what is it? Um, is it corporal and something Cause? The Marines have two there as well. At the E four level, the Air Force had buck sergeant for a long time, along with senior airmen, and they did away with buck sergeant I want to say in the early nineties maybe.
Speaker 2:No, I think I think the Marine Corps zone, the only branch that has it fucking right. Uh, they, they have Lance Corporal, but that's a E three, um, uh, but you know, but yeah, I mean, um, yeah, they have private first class Lance Corporal, corporal Sergeant, staff Sergeant Gunnery Sergeant, master, master Sergeant or first Sergeant, uh, master Gunnery, sergeant.
Speaker 1:Well, for some reason I thought they had two for the E four as well.
Speaker 2:Now the Navy shit.
Speaker 1:I'm, I'm good.
Speaker 2:We shit, I, I, I mean fuck and we, we used to have to. You know, uh, put in basic training standing in the child line. You know, when you got up to when you got up to the drill sergeant that's taken down names.
Speaker 2:You know, uh used to have to put your ID card up to below your neck, blow your chain, excuse me, and say you know, Vickers, five, two, nine, zero, you know, your last name, last four, and uh, and then in the line there'll be a drill sergeant hovering like what's your first general order, which you know who's, you know what's, what's this rank, what's that rank? And if you you miss it, you go to the back of the line. So your boy was very studious on questions that made him miss fucking mills, right.
Speaker 2:So I was, I was really fucking. You know I was um, but I couldn't imagine them asking me some Navy fucking rank because that shit is ridiculous, Like it's your job title plus your fucking I don't know. Yeah, nuts, nuts. Weird, but you know it's, it's funny. You say nuts about the Navy. Nothing, nothing they do is nuts Um, but yeah, um, you were, you were going into military discounts, yeah, so and and and.
Speaker 1:Honey, this isn't meant to be a knock on you. She is, she is a, she is a veteran as well, Um, she has no problems. But she's also. She doesn't like to pay full price for anything, and I mean nothing. So she has no problems asking if someone has a discount, or if they do, she makes sure she gets it. She's not ridiculous about it. It's not every time we go somewhere, Um, but if she knows they have one, or you know she thinks they do, she'll ask. And she doesn't get all bent out of shape when they don't. I'm the complete opposite. I don't ever fucking ask, Um, I'm not going to turn it down if someone in the group asks.
Speaker 2:Right.
Speaker 1:I just don't feel right asking Now, there's certain websites. You know that I go to that, I'll order stuff from that. You know, if they have a military discount I'll verify and all that. You know? Um, I guess it's. I'm I'm less awkward about it when I'm doing it over the internet and I'm not actually asking a person to you know, give me a discount because I enlisted. You know, I mean right, like I. I just I feel weird, I feel really weird asking hey, do you have a military discount or or or it? I would never be again. I don't begrudge the people that do it it's a comfort level what they're comfortable with, what I'm not comfortable with.
Speaker 2:Um, but it, and it goes back to the experience, you know, it goes back to and there's or the spectrum. Yes, and there's not a wrong answer, right? Uh, if someone asks for a discount that they have, that's not a wrong answer. Now, those that ask for a discount, uh, a military? Um, yeah, we don't give military discounts and they lose their fucking minds.
Speaker 1:Yeah yeah, it's a serious problem with those cats.
Speaker 2:Right, I mean, what the fuck? You know, I can't get a discount on my fucking. You know, uh, grande fucking machado, whatever the fuck it is, um coffee like bro. This is not green being in, fucking. You know, champ victory. And oh, by the way, they're not giving discounts either because everybody there is a veteran, yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I just, I don't know it always. It always makes me feel weird, so I don't ask. Same reason why I used to feel awkward when people would thank me for my service, um, I've even felt awkward when you know, like you say, with your dad. You know, when you go places, he's a veteran, he was you know what I mean Like your dad's proud of you, you know, and he's proud of what you've accomplished and what you did. Um, when Brandy or my dad do that with me, uh, I feel weird.
Speaker 2:Yeah Right, I mean, you know my, my mom brought up, uh, you know the signs, the, the, the, uh, light pole signs in every community that has veterans on it. You know my mom's like hey, what do you think about that? Like, yeah, I'm fine. She's like, so I can put your picture in for one, Like you, fucking better, not, I don't want, I don't want my, I don't want my goddamn picture up on a pole. Like, no, I ain't missing, I'm here, Like you know, um, but you know it's. I don't know why, uh, I don't know why I can't point to something and be like this is why I feel the way I do.
Speaker 1:Um, I don't want to. I don't want to say it's humility, because then that would insinuate the people that aren't like me aren't humble. Um, but it's just, I don't know. It's just something about my view of I guess it's more of a view of myself, which makes me respond the way I respond to those things.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I mean, but I don't. I guess I don't want to sound like a Hypocritic right. You know, like I don't, I don't normally ask for veterans discounts when I go to places of the eat. Um, I do ask. I do get them at fucking lows in Home Depot.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:When I'm doing it and holy shit the money you save.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Um, but again, those, those things are. You know, I scan, I scan the bar code on my app up, so I'm not asking for a discount every time. You know, like you I'm going to, you know, self checkout and I'm scanning the bar code. Or, you know, in in lows I'm giving them my, my, my phone number and it pops up and automatically applies. Yeah, um, yeah, I mean I use, I do use sites like GovEx and I use a vet ticks and and you know things that um there.
Speaker 2:I don't know for for for me, I look at those as um programs, like um well, like vet ticks are specifically for veterans, right, you know so, and and for the most part, govex, or you know it's a certain demographic that utilize those.
Speaker 1:Yes, so like um, I'm standing in line, I'm holding up seven people while they try to figure out how to put the military discount into my transaction. Right, right, the level of embarrassment that I would have would be unreal, right.
Speaker 2:Uh, I mean, yeah, so I don't. It's. It's weird how my thinking is like on a, on a micro, on a micro level, I'm with you. Um, I don't, I don't normally ask for, uh, military discounts and and usually, you know, link, uh, link and bootlegger, they go, they go places and and uh, I know you're listening link, uh, we, we, we miss you guys. Um, they moved to Florida and uh, it's been brought up Um, the last two times we have gone to eat at rides. Um, now we have to fend for ourselves and cause, usually, um, link and and and bootlegger, they, they break off, they go out and they got a table ready for us for when we walk in, uh, we're like, we're like, uh, superstars and shit, um, you know, don't have to wait, and shit, um, and he, he, he lets him know a world veterans, right, so when the check comes, that that's already on there. So, like he, he's doing that for us. You know what?
Speaker 1:I mean and, and, and. That's why I was saying I, I don't, I don't think differently of him, right, because of that, um, I appreciate it, because he is at a level of comfort with himself, right, that I haven't achieved, right, you know, and, and, and that level of comfort with me, it's personal comfort. I'm not there yet, but he has. He has reached that personal comfort level with him.
Speaker 2:And yeah, so on the micro, like, like you said, when, when, normally when I go out, now, when I have my vest on and we're, you know, people associate that right or, um, usually when I get another place, uh is when I'm getting a haircut, right, uh, you off, work today. I don't work. Oh, it must be nice. Well, yeah, I had a breaking fucking neck, had to break my fucking neck, not the work, oh, what, what you know? And I was like, uh, you know, and then that I was in the military, got injured, oh, okay, and then as soon as I get up to the register, it's, you know, they automatically put the. You know, now what I do is when someone gives me a military discount, I should always show them my military retirement ID, right, because there there's those out there, right, that try to get a free fucking gift.
Speaker 2:Yeah, right. So fuck those guys, right. I always, oh, no, it's. And you know they're always no, no, no, I want to show you this Right. I want you to know that that story I just told you is fucking legit or whatever. So every time you know, uh, situations like that, um, people say you know, I want, I went ahead and gave you the military discount and I'm like all right, and I pull that, pull my ID out and show them, right, because I want them to know you're not blowing smoke up their ass, right.
Speaker 2:You know what I mean. Yeah, um and uh, so, but now it's in um, now it's in my little record at uh, fucking great clips. So I don't they don't even say it anymore. You know what I mean. But yeah, I mean, it's it. That's on the Mac, the macro light, but there's the micro level, like small things like that on on the macro, on the bigger, the bigger scale.
Speaker 2:You know not to get too political, but when people talk about um, we need free healthcare in this country. We need, you know, free um college tuition, we need free. I look I stand there and say, motherfucker, right, I got free healthcare. Motherfucker, I got a free education. I mean it goes back to the, the, the conversation we had in the last episode about two year commitment to this country. You know what I mean.
Speaker 2:Like, if freedom wasn't free, what are you willing to pay? Right, and you know, the more I ride around this country, you know the less free shit I see. Right, many roads and many states are not free. They're toll roads. You know so many things in many places are not free. You know so when people, you know when, when those that are banging, you know banging on their, their, their table, saying we need free healthcare. Free healthcare is out there, so earn that shit. We need free education it's out there, go fucking earn that shit. Um cause, now, now you want the same as me and you didn't sacrifice like I did. So again, not to sound like a hypocrite, but you know if. If you want to have free healthcare, put your 20 years in, get your free healthcare. If you want free education, boom, go in. You know what I mean. Post nine 11, go do it.
Speaker 1:Well, like Trevor in the guard, you know how national guard they've got that program where they pay your tuition for any public in state school, like your whole fucking tuition.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Like that's better than the fucking GI bill, yeah, and, but it has to be a public in state school, yeah.
Speaker 2:And and uh, that's what I'm saying, you know. On the on again, you know I'm torn right, but the not taking a discount at my level is a choice. Given a discount to fucking everybody for not doing nothing, that ain't a choice of mine, you know. So that's one of those things where you know, if my service didn't account, like, don't pay me lip service, right? Don't say thank you for your service and then fuck me when I turn my back. You know what I mean. No, the, you know, the best way to thank me for my service is to be a human worth fighting for right. Yeah, to be a human worth serving for right, you know, yeah but don't make me ashamed to serve the country that I served.
Speaker 2:And, bro, there's a reason why enlistments are down, recruitings down across the board in the military. There's a reason. You know what I?
Speaker 1:mean Unless you're a jarhead.
Speaker 2:But they've. Their numbers have always been small. But yes, unless you're, you know, unless you're a Marine, and to their credit, they haven't changed a motherfucking thing.
Speaker 1:Plus, they have the best dress uniform.
Speaker 2:Hands down, but yeah.
Speaker 1:But it also has crayon pockets in it.
Speaker 2:So I mean, but they haven't changed the thing since they organized it and tons of tavern way back when haven't changed the standard is the fucking standard with them. The way it is is the way it was, is the way it always will be. And you know there's many, you know there's many ideas on why recruiting down and you know I'm not smart enough to figure that shit out. But you know the article came out not so long ago in the Army Times about changing organized BT. Some people have a positive feeling about that, some people have you know to. You know I'll just get my viewpoint. I posted it and I posted it by saying when, when, if Canada sees this, they shouldn't invade, right? Well, that's tongue in cheek. I said the same thing when the Army was going to PRT.
Speaker 2:As I was getting out of the Army. You know I never used a organized PT session in the morning as physical fitness training, right To me there was so much more to get out of that. It's. It's first of all, you get to accountability, all your people first thing in the morning, right, and you get something accomplished, right, like the the admiral you probably all seen the clip of the admiral, uh, given a commemce commencement speech and he's like if you, you know, if you want to be successful, the first thing you do is make your bed, and people was like, oh, make your bed.
Speaker 2:He's like, yeah, like you make your bed first thing in the morning, you've already accomplished one task and then he goes on to you know um, it sounds hokey, but it makes sense, right, and then and then he goes on through Bud's training and and and how all this applies, how the standard applies and why you know, if you're not the standard by one second, you failed, right, and and why that's important and so it's a great. It's a great video, um, but yeah, I mean, to me it was team building, right, like yes, uh, we did a lot of pushups, a little lot of sit ups, ran long distances, Um and um. However, I knew the guy to the left or right of me, I knew they're quit and point right and oh, by the way, as as a six foot four 270 pound platoon sergeant, everybody in my fucking platoon was able to pick me up and carry me off the battlefield. I made a point of that chip right, they can carry you, they can carry anybody in the platoon, right.
Speaker 1:I made a point of that. I'm the biggest. I'm the biggest cat out here in the world.
Speaker 2:I'm the biggest cat out here, You're going to pick me up and you're going to carry me off the battlefield and, uh, and that gave them a confidence, right? Confidence that, um, they can do it, and you know it also taught them to collectively embrace the suck.
Speaker 2:Yeah, because you know they. They go out drinking the night before, or whatever the case may be. So I don't you know? I know Joe, joe, do you know Joe? It don't matter if it's 1942, if it's 2023, joe is the same fucking cat he's going to. He's going to push the fucking envelope as far, as far from the fucking standard as possible and waiting for someone to bite his fucking head off. And then, when that happens, he rears it back to us a little bit and see if the volume of your voice goes down. If it's still up, all right, let me back. Let me back it up. Just, I'm going to find the sweet spot with every leader I have, and you know that theory right.
Speaker 1:there is why the E4 Mafia is so effective, right.
Speaker 2:Right, I mean fucking animals do the same shit. Right, I'm going, I'm going to test my limits. Hey, get back over here. All right, I'm going to come back four steps. No, come back over here, All right, I'm going to come back four more steps, All right, you didn't say shit, All right? Here's my, here's my here's my, here's my line. Yeah, I mean from from, yeah. From the day one to now, Joe ain't fucking changed it's. And and like I said in, in, like I had it, I had a private fucking sheets. What deployment was it?
Speaker 1:was, and when he says sheets he doesn't mean the specialist we all know.
Speaker 2:No, his last name was sheets. He was from Cleveland, it was 07. We were in Rustam Maya. Now the thing with Rustam Maya is it was called Rocket Rustam Maya because for this um 07 was part of the search. So we were there 15 months. So, um, we got mortared or rocketed every day for 15 months and that's not an exaggeration, that's fucking straight-faked. And and um, at least once a day, many days, several times a day, they threw fucking propane bottles, what explosives over the walls. It did all kind of shit. Well, all fucking sheets, um, he would sleep through this. You know the fucking incoming alarm and you, you uh, mentioned that in previous episodes. But incoming alarm, the fucking, you know the incoming alarm would go off when the radar picks up the projectile, right, so the alarm's gonna go off before the projectile hits.
Speaker 1:Right.
Speaker 2:So loud as fucking alarm. He sleeps through it. Projectile hits he sleeps through it. Now, when the alarm goes off, you have to get to the nearest bunker, no matter where you are on the fob. You get to the nearest bunker. Um, once you hear the thumb, your weight, you know. And then you move to the next bunker and you try to make it back to your bunker so that you can get a hundred percent accountability of people.
Speaker 2:It got to a point where, instead of running into the bunker first we were running into, we were running the sheets room and waking him up to go. You know what I mean? Um, and half the time his fucking um roommate wouldn't be in there or whatever the case may be, or he'll have his fucking door locked. And I got to the point where I'm like you can't lock your door because I need to come in here and get you because we have to have a hundred percent accountability, so that he was notorious for sleeping through fucking rocket attacks. Then we get back home and you know, uh, monday morning, pt, he's like where the fuck is she sat? And he's up in his fucking room sleeping and we're like what the fuck man? Oh, I couldn't sleep, get the fuck out of here. Get the fuck, like you could have told me 10. I had a chick up here, fuck anything else, but I couldn't sleep, bro. So you know he, he did the. You know he did.
Speaker 2:I think I think I have, you know, post traumatic stress. All right, fuck, take you, get you evaluated, come back. All right, sheets can't carry a weapon. All right, he's a danger to himself and others. That's what the doctor said. Okay, cool, hey, sheets, this is what I need you to do. I need to take, take your car keys and put them in my lockbox. Why is that? Because it says right here on your profile you can't carry a weapon, because you're a fucking danger to others. Why the fuck would I put you on a road with my family out there? Oh, okay, so and then he goes and fucking complains to you know the commander or the fucking chaplain, whoever the hell it was. And you know my commander calls me and you can't take his keys. And I'm like can't means won't, and I did it. Like, what are you talking about? Like, sir?
Speaker 2:He, he's a real man, he's a real man, sir, he like, and then he'd be like you know he's bullshitting, I'm like. Regardless if he's bullshitting or not, if he's a fucking danger to others, why the fuck are we allowing him to ride around in a silver bullet? I don't make sense to me. Well, that ain't your call. Give him his keys back. Okay, cool.
Speaker 2:So sheets gets a fucking DUI, right. Because you know he has to drink to sleep and he can't drink in the barracks because that's where his bed is. So he has to go out. The fuck a drink, right. And you know don't want to have a plan or whatever. So he gets a DUI. They put him in the back of an MP car. He kicks out the fucking side window because he can't breathe back there and because he has to get out of the back of that car because he has to piss. How do I know this is because he pisses in the back of the car. That's the only reason he's breaking the window to get out, because he has to piss. And they left him no choice but the piss in the back of the car. So I get a call from my commander to go get sheets from the MP station and I'm like okay, I'll get him when you know he's like no, you need to go now. And you know, and I'm like, hey, like we had a conversation about him not driving. You told me let him drive. And here we are. You know what I mean. And so, yeah, we go down and get him come back.
Speaker 2:And you know he, he's one of those guys that you know it sits in your office and cries about I'm a veteran. They like nobody gives a fuck bro. Like, this is um, that was 07. Like we were. We were already five years deep in the Iraq. We were, you know, um, more than that, in the Afghanistan, everybody's a fucking combat veteran. Now, you know what I mean. Like, what the fuck are you talking about? Like that's what I'm saying. When you know people, people in my, my company, and I can only speak from that experience, you know, but it was, you know, going to these leadership astuans from higher leadership, that it's it's a ripple effect that you know these, these, these. You know there's a lot of people who are like it's a ripple effect that you know these, these young guys, feel entitled to be able to. Oh, I went to Iraq. How damn they're died. So I should be able to be belligerent in public or the piss on a fucking parking meter Um or whatever.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's. It's more like when they get in trouble. It's not so much like I'm a veteran, I can do what I want. It's when I get in trouble. I shouldn't be held accountable, Right.
Speaker 2:And like, like I said about, you know my speed and ticket the other day, you know um, there, um, there was when I first got my purple heart. Um, people are like, oh, now you get to get out of speed and tickets and I'm like, yeah, you know, or maybe I shouldn't speed. I mean like it's, it's not a fucking hall pass, um, but maybe if you're in, you know, if you're in the, the uh, should I give them a warning? Shouldn't I get? You know, I mean, if you're in that gray area, maybe you get the warning, you know, um, but yeah, the other day I was, you know, would piss me off. About speeding tickets is like I'm never, I never get a speed ticket when I'm trying to speed. You know what I mean. Like I never do it's, it's, it's always when I'm inadvertently speeding, right Like man, I'm in no rush. We're going to the pool with the family windows down right, just chilling, me and the wife just talking about whatever you're talking and driving.
Speaker 1:You don't realize. The speed limit changed Right.
Speaker 2:And I mean to his credit. He's like, hey, you know, it went from 55 to 50 here. I'm like, oh shit, my bad bro, but you were 167. So, regardless, regardless, I'm like I get it, man. But you know, in my defense I was just coming off of 93 where you know, yeah, fucking you you're, you're hitting turns and weaving and 55. Like you go, 55 on 93. It's feels like forever, you know.
Speaker 1:So you, you know yeah, and it's in 93. 83 is a fun ride.
Speaker 2:It is, it is, and but the thing dudes like, um, uh, you know, license, registration and proof of insurance. I'm like, yeah, man, hold on, I got you handing my license and I'm looking in my. You know, I have a little. Um, I don't worry about it, I'll look you up on the computer. I'll get you out of here real quick, to his credit, real quick with the fucking ticket. Fuck man, you know, god damn man.
Speaker 1:And, and you know, I laugh when you told me you're like and those motherfuckers that say a purple heart gets you out of a speeding ticket day, fucking lion.
Speaker 2:I'm fucking lying, um, but you know, it's one of those things. Now it goes. I say that tongue in cheek because, again, I don't want to sound like a hypocrite. It should not get me out of a speeding ticket, right? I'm not special. Um, I have purple hearts on purple heart lights and played on my truck because it don't cost me any. I mean, you know again, um, there I pick and choose the perks I'm willing to partake in, and that's one of them. You know, I don't pay for a hunting license, I don't pay for a fishing license.
Speaker 1:Um, well, when was the last time you fished or hunt?
Speaker 2:Right, I mean um you.
Speaker 1:If you did, you you wouldn't. But because you don't, it doesn't really matter it don't really matter.
Speaker 2:But you know um, but yeah, I mean, but Sarge beats me up all the time because he sends me shit all the time. You're like, hey bro, you need to take advantage of this Um, um, you know, uh, ohio has a um, what the hell do they call it? If you're a, you're a disabled veteran, maybe, maybe you don't even have to be this. Anyway, they give you like a cash, which I got at once, um, because, again, it's fucking free money, um, and I'm not trying to, I'm not trying to swindle somebody out of something they're, they're giving it away, they're not making it like public knowledge. He knew about it because he's a VSO and it came across.
Speaker 2:You know a, this you know, and it was a one time payment of like 500 bucks. Now it's like a three time payment. You can get it once every year for three years. So, um, yeah, man, he like um, I'm, I'm allowed, I'm allowed to uh, what the fuck's it called Um, so he's uh, he's right here and it is, and be like man. I tell this motherfucker, you know um, like my, my home, um, my home, uh, not insurance, but uh, anyways, I'm supposed to get a discount on my uh home, uh, taxes.
Speaker 1:Property taxes.
Speaker 2:Yeah, fuck, man, my the hamster wasn't moving quick. Uh, yeah, so I'm supposed to get a relief on my property taxes, but you have to submit paperwork every year to to. You know, um, have it done that Right? Again, that's. You know, I pick and choose. So it's when I, when I say I don't, I don't take discounts, you know what I mean? Again, it's a, it's a pick and choose type thing.
Speaker 1:I mean um yeah, I don't think it's the. I think it's just the awkwardness of asking you know what I mean? Like, like, I think that's the part that's. That's weird.
Speaker 2:And I've, I've, I've come across. I've come across like situations where I'm like um, like doing things for my other, the other daughter, for college, right, like um, does she qualify for um, uh, ohio war orphan scholarship? Now she does, right, now she don't use it because she don't talk to me, but um, yeah, she, she don't, she don't use it, but she's entitled to. You know what I mean. She's able to use um, which, you know, maybe one day, no, we'll be able to use it. You know what I mean. So, um, but things like that, things that tie to my injuries, you know, like you have to be a hundred percent disabled, you have to. Well, I guess now it's changed as well for that Um, but you have to be gravely just like from from what I read years ago when I was, you know um, looking at it gravely injured, which a hundred percent um in combat. I have a purple heart from my, you know um, so that qualifies.
Speaker 1:So, um, yeah, I mean um, I guess I, I certain things like that, and maybe it's just skewed thoughts, but certain things like that, I don't look at it as a um. I look at those as like um benefit programs as opposed to entitled discount.
Speaker 2:You know what I mean?
Speaker 1:Yeah, but I think sometimes using the commas area the PX. You know it's a, it's a benefit, right.
Speaker 2:Um, and I mean I like every time I go to the VA up in Columbus, I will my ass around and I go into the shop at um and get whiskey, for, you know, tax free. Um, so I use that benefit, um, and that's what it is.
Speaker 2:It's a benefit you know, yeah, but I mean, you know, if you're able to make the conscious, you know if you're just labeling right to make it, okay, well, that that this is not. You know, um, this ain't a discount, this ain't a discount. You know what I mean. But you're right, it is a benefit, right? Um, not everybody can shop in in the shop at, or the PX or the BX after they get out of the military.
Speaker 2:You have to be a certain status, yep, so it is a benefit to yeah, um, yeah, I mean, I don't know, I just feel a certain way about it.
Speaker 1:I just feel a certain way about it and and, and that's why I said, you know, when I was comparing me and link, it's it's the comfort level you have with yourself and and how you feel about yourself is a reflection of how you feel about certain things like military discounts, thank you for your service, those types of things you know it's. It's not it's not on that business's entity to tell you how to feel. It's not on the person that's thanking you to understand and tell you how to feel. It's how you feel about yourself and how your reaction to said interaction is a reflection of you. Yeah, so you know you're comfortable with yourself or you're not comfortable with yourself. Yeah, we've been talking about that with cornbread. Cornbread is at a point where he's happy in his life and he's comfortable with where he's at. You and I aren't at that point yet. Right, you know, and good on him for being there. Like I said at the time, um, I got a long ways to go.
Speaker 2:Right, you know, I've said I've sat in my chair and said, you know, looked at Chrissy and be like man, if I can just figure out how to get thousand dollars more a month. I mean like, cause I'm on a fixed income. You know, um, every every month, the same amount of money hits my, my check, my, my checking account. So, when, when I want to do these rides and do these trips, and it's, it's a matter of saving, it's a matter of planning, it's a matter and and uh, and then I have a pretty expensive habit of buying many bottles of whiskey everywhere we go. So it's, it's, and you know, I tell Chrissy, if I can just find a thousand bucks a month, more, right, and I know everybody out there has the same. You know, well, fuck bro, If we can just find it, yeah, I get it. And uh, then I'm like, well, also, if I foul for this tax relief, you know what I mean, That'll bring some dollars back into my pocket, or or whatever.
Speaker 1:You know what I mean, Um and so yeah, cause Sarge is going to tell you the things that'll help you save some doll hairs, cause that loves to save doll hairs Most certainly, um, and you know, my thing is why.
Speaker 2:Why are things that are entitled right, entitlement's benefits A, why you hide them? Why ain't it real, you know, widely known, and why do I have to do work each year to renew that shit?
Speaker 1:Yeah, cause your status doesn't change, right. It's the same, you know if you, if it was something like you were active duty or you had to be in a combat, actively in a combat zone, or something like that, okay, I could buy it.
Speaker 2:Right, right, but I mean it's, it's you have to be a. Uh, you know you have to be of this status and that status ain't going to change. So why have to fuck and jump through hoops every fucking year?
Speaker 1:You know what I mean. You're always going to be a broke dick veteran.
Speaker 2:That's it Most retired broke dick, veteran Most. Yeah. So I just you know. But when I say, um, again, I don't cast any stones to anybody who feels a certain way about their service. If you feel your service warrants somebody to fucking pamper your fucking ass and by all means Just don't be an asshole about it. But when you don't, you know that's the difference. When you ask for a discount and you don't get a discount and you're like what the fuck? You know what I mean.
Speaker 1:Then you've lost me.
Speaker 2:You lost me. You know what I mean Our hotel guest hotel down at Southgate Hotel. You know we've used the Southgate Hotel for our run since the inception and you know it's one of the few hotels that has a bar inside of it in our AO, and it's a perfect spot for our meet and greet. However, you know we go in there each year and ask for discounted rooms for our members Guys with guys and girls with patches. We have, hey, listen, we're about to bring you X number of. You know, can we get discounted rooms? Yes, okay, and that's not unheard of, right? Blocked rooms corporations do that. Hey, we're gonna buy. You know, we're gonna buy, we're gonna block rooms and bulk. We want 10 rooms instead of, you know, 100 bucks a night. Can you give us 80 bucks a night? Yes, cause they're fucking.
Speaker 2:100 bucks a night is overpriced, right? So when we first started down there, a room was $50 a night and if you ever stayed in a Southgate hotel, it's Sierra 1970, right, yeah, I mean bad 1970. And so you're, they want you to pay a hundred bucks a room for that. And you're like, well, fucking, holiday in is right across, holiday in and sweets is right across the street, bro, and they only want 120. And the fucking sheets are cleaned every night. I mean, at least they look clean every night. But you know, so it was 50 bucks, then it went to 55 bucks, then it went to 60, then it's 65 bucks. Now they're talking about like 75 bucks for a room, a block room. I'm like God damn, you know, but they probably put American owned and operated on their fucking door. And you go in there and you're like, hey bro, here, here is our donation letter, here's our EIN number. Fucking, donate Right to us, claim that shit on your taxes and be done with, yeah, $70.
Speaker 2:What you know that's the other reason I don't ask for Discounts is that correspondence. Because you know, because you know, I get irritated easily. I go, I go to, I go to veteran owned businesses and I'm like, hey brother, here, here, this is what we're doing. Oh, I don't think I can help. Cool, you know what I mean? My buddy, my buddy down today went and got his patch back. He's no longer a member of our organization said hey, I'm doing this. You guys think you can help out? And I said absolutely, because, regardless of your participation, I'm still going to be who the fuck I am Now. If it lines up in our schedule, great, if it don't, so be it. But you know, it's one of those things where you know he's like I don't have time to help you guys anymore, okay. And then the next thing he says is can you guys help me? Yeah, bro, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:And, like the thing with the hotel, it's not. It's. It's not that we're looking at it as we're veterans and we need. We're an organized, we're a charitable organization that's looking to block like we could be the fucking humane society of Grinsey County. You know, and we're having a big event, you know, or fucking you know. Yeah.
Speaker 2:But what I'm saying is that's what I'm saying Like it's not unheard of of other organizations, non veteran organizations to block rooms off for huge events. Right Now we don't have a huge event. We get 250 people a year, you know. But it generates a lot of money that we donate. And you know, people like bro, if I can sleep in the Southgate hotel for 50 bucks or I can sleep in the holiday Inn Express for 120 bucks, I'm gonna sleep in the Tiki lounge all day, every day, because of the amount of drinking I do in the fucking bar in that hotel. Yeah, right, and I tell people all the time I'm like pay the fucking smaller price and drink more.
Speaker 1:Because, let's face it, the majority of you guys are so fuggered you don't care what the room is like.
Speaker 2:Right, yeah, Like yeah, I'm sober Right.
Speaker 1:To me I'm like God damn, but my wife is fucking hammered.
Speaker 2:So it doesn't matter, I get it. And because people be the next day that fucking bed was hard or that bed was soft or that bed, I'm like you felt the bed. I didn't feel that shit. I can't feel my legs. I go to bed. On average. Last three years, I've gone to bed around 3am and I was down at T and J's picking up food at 7am. That's on average. So, come on, bro, like you, go back tap into your old E4 mafia days when you when you still, you know, be out doing shenanigans all night. So so let's put a bow on it. What's, what's your takeaway on this whole?
Speaker 1:Don't be an asshole. You know you can only, when it comes to things like that, you know understand that there are benefits that only you can receive. Ie, you know VA, home loans and things like that. Those are different as opposed to businesses that decide to grant discounts to individuals that served. If they don't, that's their right. Don't be a cocksucker. And if you're not comfortable asking, that's okay. If you're comfortable asking, that's okay too. You know it is what it is, yeah.
Speaker 2:I mean, and yeah, and we wanted other voices, other opinions, you know not to bring up that source of it right here at the end, but you know we wanted other opinions on this matter, other you know we wanted to bring. You know we know the guys out there, you know the guys we hang out with, we know.
Speaker 2:You know we brought up link we brought, you know there is a spectrum there, just in our group and our group and everybody feels a certain way and you'd like to take everybody's input, like why, you know, is there a why that you feel the way you do? And but with you know, with that, we thank you for listening.
Speaker 1:Do we not have an installment this week? Oh, do we? I don't, I don't. I mean we could. I can come up with one real quick, but I mean, usually we have one. I guess we didn't talk about it today, we didn't. Uh, what do we want to do for today's?
Speaker 2:I didn't. I looked, I didn't see. I think there's one brewing out in Camp Pendleton. If you've seen there's one brewing um 14, 14 year old girl that went missing.
Speaker 1:I did not see that one, you didn't see that. Okay, yeah, that one's definitely burned. So then we'll do a quick one today. Okay, how about the fuck that guy, the, uh, the idiot that drove the Humvee into the, uh, third ID headquarters?
Speaker 2:I mean uh again, if, if, um, yeah, I don't know the why.
Speaker 1:Nope, they haven't released any specifics.
Speaker 2:Right, don't know the why, um, uh and release not of last night.
Speaker 2:Uh, an old um, old first Sarn um in my uh, my battalion um was the previous um post, sarn major division, sarn major um, sarn major uh, fenderson Um and uh, so we can't get the inside scoop there. But, um, I don't know how, I don't know how you drive a Humvee through the front door of building, for building for is the general's office on Fort Stewart Um, and you know, after nine 11, they got barriers. You know barriers in front of the PX barriers. You know all strategic targets, I guess, have barriers in front of it. So you had to serpentine some shit. You had to, you know, damn near on purpose, oh, that that was definitely an on purpose.
Speaker 2:Um, that, that was one of those. You know, I once had a? Uh, I once had a guy say, sarvik, what's the fastest way I can get out of the army? And I'm like, well, the fastest way is to you jump over that desk and punch that officer in the face. And my opportunity was like what the fuck.
Speaker 2:I'm like that's the easiest way, fastest way. I was like, but now understand, once you jump over that desk, I'm gonna come over there, I'm gonna grab you, I'm gonna throw you out this fucking window. And we're on the second floor. I'm gonna throw you out the fucking window. I'm gonna then go down, get in my Tahoe, bring my Tahoe, overload you up, take your ass to the fourth floor and, once they're done, mental evalue you. Then you know they'll say you're not fit for duty. And you know now that could be weeks, months. He's like so I can't get out of the army today, nope. So suck that shit up and get the fuck out of my office.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Um, but this guy, like I said, everybody in that person's chain of command, from his fucking team leader to every, every officer, senior, nco, and that dudes chain of command from his company to the fucking brigade, is going to be standing on a carpet. They're gonna be fucking answering questions for this person. That's fucking guaranteed. Everybody colonels, full bar, colonel, be like boss. I don't fucking know. Yeah, and you know what they're all going to say in unison Fuck that guy, yep.
Speaker 1:In unison Yep.
Speaker 2:Colonel what do you think we should do?
Speaker 1:Fuck that guy, yep.
Speaker 2:So our major uh, you concur, I concur, sir, fuck that guy. And then all that fucking that, that that fucking, uh sergeant team leader, he's gonna be like man, fuck that guy. So, um yeah, if you drive a Humvee through the fucking front door of your division commander's fucking office, bro, now listen, low key, low key. You're a fucking savage yeah.
Speaker 1:Low key Unofficially.
Speaker 2:Unofficially. You're a fucking savage Right. I mean, people have done shit. Uh, you know, you heard. You heard stories about man. If I win the fucking lottery, I'm going into commander's office, I'm going to take a piss on his desk, with him sitting at.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, this is some of that shit. This is like man, fuck this tomorrow. They were sitting again down in Heinzville, right, sitting down in Heinzville, fucking chick at the big apple was like baby, if you marry me, I'll keep you set for life. Yes, stripper, I'll do that. You know what? If you wasn't in the army, I'd marry you. Okay, I'll fix that. Tomorrow morning 6am. Well, I won't do organized PT, I'm going to run my fucking.
Speaker 1:I think they said the cat was like fucking shorts and a tank top and like maybe some fucking flip flops or some crocs or some shit. Like just fucking man.
Speaker 2:God yeah, low key, low key, savage. Yes, there there are many, many, many, many people that read that article. Be like man when this name is released, he's going to go in the walls of the E4 mafia holo thing, like he's going to. He's going to be in, yes.
Speaker 1:You're. You are going to officially buy, you're going to buy that motherfucker a drink, but you ain't going to do it with any third ID markings on you Fucking the fucking Don Gotti, fucking Don Gotti of the E4 mafia.
Speaker 2:The boss, uh, like man. Um, well, that's, that's a big fuck, you to um everybody down there. So, um, once again, hey you, you ride a hungry through a, um a door of any kind of any building. Uh, they're not built for that shit, unless you're in third world countries.
Speaker 1:Um, but definitely don't do it. Uh, the general's door for your division, yeah.
Speaker 2:And then hey, and, and the fallback don't go in there on the carpet. And when everybody says fuck that guy, I'd be like um, but I'm a combat veteran, I serve my country. You didn't thank me for my fucking service. Fuck that guy and we're out.