15 years ago today........

[3rd Herd]

Hey this is great I recall "war by CNN" and all those marvelous shoots of 'high tech' bombs hitting their target. Two buddies from the 2/75 up in Vic on leave trying to figure out the quickest way back to Lewis and a daughter demanding her bottle.

 

[dutchie]

I was in High School in downtown Vancouver. All the pinkos were losing their minds over it, crying in the hallways. I couldn't wait to get home to watch CNN. I remember the big build up to the invasion, and seeing as this was the first time I had seen something like this, it was very memorable. I was excited and happy (?) that the invasion had started.

Being quite young and naive (17), and wanting to be a part of it, I enquired at the US embassy about joining the USMC, US Army, etc. After many phone calls & letters, I was told that by the time I was in a position to go over, it would be 1993. Seeing that the Iraqis were beeing pummelled at an amazing rate, I dropped the idea.

 

[Pte. Bloggins]

I was about 4 and probably distracted by sesamy street and shiny stuff ;D

Me too!  ;D

 

[camochick]

I was 11 and I remember coming home from girl guides and my dad said the war had started. We watched some of the news coverage. My memory is vague but i recall my father flew supplies and such over there during that time. For the most part I just remember being scared.

 

[GGHG_Cadet]

I was 8 months old and in the UK, probably sleeping or maybe eating.

 

[VanZeumeren]

I was in grade two and I had no real idea of what a war was.

 

[darmil]

I was in grade 6 and watched  the war on CNN.

 

[teltech]

In college in London...
Every person who knew I was in the army (reserves) was asking me when I was leaving. Got to the point I asked my OC if any of us was deploying. He asked if I was worried about that. I said "Hell no sir, I just want to tell everyone that I am not going, once and for all, and to quit asking!"
On a side note, does anyone remember the protesters that handcuffed themselves to the chain link fence around CFB London?

 

[Spr.Earl]

Me and my future Memsahib had just set up house,I had just gotten home from work and sitting down to eat when all hell let loose,both Militarily and domestic. :
My future got all upset thinking that we would be sending troops as she hates the Military,she's a Philippina and went through Martial Law under Marcos.
It took me 2 day's to calm her down and reassure her I'm staying home,but inside wished we had gone.
On the Military side of it was the increased Security State at the Armouries(pain in the arse) and same as Teltech,the guy's at work asking questions from the norm to off the wall :

 

[Zartan]

Me too!  ;D

Me three (literally)! Shite, we're strapping young lads and lassies, aren't we? ;D

I don't remember the Gulf War, but I have a collection of editorial cartoons from '91, and all I can say was that the public appeared more polarised than in the current engagement (ex. a smouldering Saddam crying "mommy!" as he flees the MOTHER OF ALL battles, vs. President Bush, Sr. serving Death at the cafeteria of the New World Order).

 

[Danjanou]

Earl I also remember the increased state at the armouries in FYA and Moss Park. Some of the Commisionaires weere less than amused by the over zealous juniour officer types.

Ok As I said too many rugrats around here for us ole dinosaurs. ;D Lets start a where were you when The US pulled out of Vietnam ( the last Huey form the roof of the embassy) or when the Delta raid in Iran failed, or The Falklands war started thread etc......

 

[3rd Herd]

Okay Danjanou I'll bit
1) US pull out- finishing high school
2)Delta raid-battleschool in Wainwright
3)Falklands- on ex with 2Para when it started, pissed when told we could not
  go with them

and I remember the vicious battles with the 52nd Fantasian Motorized Rifle Brigade

 

[Kat Stevens]

Fall of Saigon- 14 years old
Desert One- leaving high school
Falklands Invasion- Exercise River Run '82/ 041 TQ 5A crse

 

[Michael Dorosh]

1) US pull out - Grade I; by Grade V we were assimiliating large numbers of "boat people" into our schools - in Junior High we had entire classes of "ESL" kids, mostly Vietnamese (or Cambodian)

2)Delta raid - Grade V.  A year later we were all scared stiff that Ronald Reagan would bring the sky down on our heads.  We had no idea it would be him to bring the US diplomats home (though we were all aware of Ken Taylor's heroics in that regard) nor that Ronnie would win the Cold War

3)Falklands - junior high school.  Closest I got to it was being in the Mad Dog Saloon in Wainwright in 1988 during BANDCON (yes we really called it that - 88 was "Exercise CHOPIN"  : ) and hearing some of the Brit soldiers calling it "a nice little exercise."  In 1990, I had a trip to hospital in the UK, at the Guards Depot to be precise, and was watching soccer on the television.  A Brit orderly was expressing delight at the fact Argentina's national team was losing.  "Are you still mad at them?' I enquired.  The orderly replied - "I'll never forgive them.  Why should I, they killed my brother."  I left the subject alone after that.

 

[shaboing]

i was 5 years old, i remember watching it on the tv seeing the night vision view of baghdad and all the AA fire going up into the sky..... kinda like the last invasion, i swear the cameras were in the same spots

 

[Danjanou]

Alright to answer my own

US pullout- 15 years old watching it on TV (see like I was like some of the others here too).

Delta Raid- drinking beer in the Seaforths Junior Ranks It happened on Parade night and we’d just finished and trooped up the stairs for a couple of well deserved wobbly poops. One of the Sgts came in and told us about it.

As an aside I was in Yakima Washington on the live fire completion of my mortar course when the Ken Taylor escape broke. No Canadian was buying beer in the mess that night ;D

Falklands- On my Section Commanders course and yeah we were pissed we couldn’t go either. Most guys were asking to check with their affiliated sister British Regiments to ask about temp exchange postings. I’m serious I guess like the Gulf we thought it would last a bit longer.

 

[Fishbone Jones]

US Pullout - Centurion maintenance, North Margerite, Lahr

Delta raid - 409 Sqn Snags - Comox

Falklands - Working for BAMEO Trenton

 

[Danjanou]

So recceguy where were you on VE day? 8)

 

[Fishbone Jones]

Swimming

 

[AmmoTech90]

Back in Borden from Baden where we shipped ammo down to the Gulf and very happy it was now CCoC stagging on at the gate of CFAD Angus in a staff car with a big flashlight instead of us.

Remember many nights prior to that wondering how far the Dodge Shadow staff car would make down the fire break in hot pursuit of a camel...