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bartobarto Member Posts: 4,734 ✭✭
edited April 2006 in US Military Veteran Forum
I was a little before VN (1959-1962,US Army) but both my younger brothers were in VN.
One on a tin can for three years, the other served 1 tour in the Army then reenlisted in the Navy for another tour.
Both have passed away in the last 5 yrs.
Never would talk much about VN but loved to regale everyone about leave in Japan.lol
Good or bad, memories are what keeps us going.
[^]barto[^]
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Comments

  • dolfandolfan Member Posts: 4,159
    edited November -1
    Sorry about the loss of your brothers.
    If I may ask what is a "tin can", a boat/ship?
    Do you believe your brothers were exposed to Agent Orange or some similar chemical during their service?
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  • dheffleydheffley Member Posts: 25,000 ✭
    edited November -1
    Welcome Barto, and just because you were early doesn't mean a thing, you would still be a valuable regular here. Hope you are!

    Danny
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  • bartobarto Member Posts: 4,734 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    dolfan- I'm no Navy guy but my understanding is a "tin can" is a relatively small ship, maybe a destroyer escort?
    Noted as being VERY rough-riding in typhoons,according to my brother.
    Mebbe some Navy vets could elaborate?
    [?]barto[?]
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  • BT3BT3 Member Posts: 1,913 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I spent a little time on a Destroyer. They get tossed pretty good in storms. Normally would put out to sea to ride storm out if it was of the typhoon/hurricane type. They didn't want to risk damage at the pier or if anchored out getting pushed into other anchored vessels.[8D]
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  • Wild OkieWild Okie Member Posts: 1,280 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I was a little late. My dad was in Korea. I was in boot camp June 1975 on my 18th birthday. I had the honor of serving with a bunch of Nam vets. Some of them were the biggest social misfits you will ever meet . Had we ever been called to war I would have wanted my scrawny little butt beside every one of them.

    quote:Originally posted by barto
    I was a little before VN (1959-1962,US Army) but both my younger brothers were in VN.
    One on a tin can for three years, the other served 1 tour in the Army then reenlisted in the Navy for another tour.
    Both have passed away in the last 5 yrs.
    Never would talk much about VN but loved to regale everyone about leave in Japan.lol
    Good or bad, memories are what keeps us going.
    [^]barto[^]
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • DustyDecoyDustyDecoy Member Posts: 2 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Just a few things to add, Tin Can is definitely a Destroyer (DD) and they did ride rough at times but once you got used to it, it just rocked you to sleep. The main reason ships get underway before a storm is that it is much easier to sink next to the pier than at sea. and at sea, you have a good chance of going around the worse part of the storm. On the Uss Agerholm in about 1970, we got caught by a typhoon between Hawaii and San Diego. We went thru the crests of waves with the forward third of the ship out of the water and then down the wave like a surfboard and at the bottom of the wave, burry the forward half of the ship in the water. One watch section was on watch for 14 hours and the rest of the crew was strapped in their bunks. Our chaplin made a tape on the bridge of everything that happened and it was used in the Naval War College for ship handling training. Our CO at the time was a real SAILOR, we trusted him and trusted our ship.
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