"I'm 88 The War's a Mistake!" -- WWII Vet

[sabra]

Wearing his original uniform and a Purple Heart medal, Harold Unsicker, 88, joins thousands of anti-war demonstrators gathered in San Francisco, March 18, 2007. Unsicker received his Purple Heart while serving in Italy during World War II.
(Brendan Smialowski/Getty Images)

[BOSSHOG]

1. God Bless Him

I'm a 52 year old Vet and I say it is a mistake. My father in law fought in world war II and died three years ago but he believed it was a mistake and although I frequently use profanity, I'd rather not repeat what my dear old father in law had to say about bush.

Damn, I retired five years ago, no way I could get into my uniform. They shrunk.

[wicket]

3. Bless you all

:patriot:

[sarge43]

19. "no way I could get into my uniform. They shrunk."

25 years and 25 pounds ago.

:eyes:

[nadinbrzezinski]

2. And the uniform fits still

now rying to read ribbons, from this angle

Rifleman I think that is the pin

And both the North African and European Liberation medals, cannot see a patch either for unit

But that soldier saw plenty of action

[BOSSHOG]

4. I believe

he's wearing the Purple heart ribbon on the left side and the medal is pinned to the right side.

[nadinbrzezinski]

6. Yep, the ribbon is hard to see though

and the North African and European medals are to a point an educated guess

[BOSSHOG]

7. I also believe

the other ribbon is an Army Good Conduct ribbon. That's what they look like today, I'm not sure what they were like when he may have been awarded one.

[nadinbrzezinski]

8. Non conviction medals

have been awarded for ever... they just go with the territory.

Damn the angle is really bad for this.

I wish I knew if he was awarded soemthing else

The heart is kind of obvious, but you know what I mean

[BOSSHOG]

9. I got six awards

of the GCM. 24 years of not getting caught. Although I did make sure that everytime one of my Sailors was awarded one it was a big deal.

[nadinbrzezinski]

11. Tom got five

20 years two months, but I hear you

Damn south of the border they are really stingy wtih awards... and this non conviction award does not exist, so if you ever saw my salad bar it only had the five and ten year ribbons... it could have had an idiocy award, but I convinced them not to award it, mostly would have to explain to mom that I had been an idiot.

They are REALLY stingy... and I mean REALLY stingy.

We used to joke that if I ever got the unifornm on, people round these parts would go... what did you do? Or rather didn't do?

And as we both know the worst offender is the AF... getting a ribbon for finishing bootcamp? My niece is in the AF, and a year into her first tour she had a full line already.

[BOSSHOG]

12. I recall flying home after boot camp

I was stuck in the Dallas Airport for several hours waiting on a connecting flight. I was the only Sailor there looking good in my Crackerjacks and my one little National Defense Ribbon. There were tons of Airmen from AF bootcamp somewhere in Texas at the airport and they all had a bunch of ribbons each. I told my Nazvy Recruiter that I was gonna swing by the AF recruiting office to see what they had to offer (trying to talk shit to a recruiter??) and he said okay, but you don't want to get in a fight in their uniform and ya can bet the crackerjacks will attract the chicks.

[nadinbrzezinski]

13. RLOL

True story, when tom flew home from boot, the airline bumbped him to first class.

Of course people were going is he in the right seat?

The sweardess kess telling them yes, he is in the right seat

Well his seat mate was CINCPACT in civies.

Tom had one of those but, but... so they actually talked all the way home and the Admiral gave him a lift home.

That is one of those improbable but funny stories

[BOSSHOG]

14. I quickly discovered

that Admirals are mostly pretty cool humans. They have Captains and Commanders to do their dirty work. I had mostly good experiences traveling in uniform. I recall coming home from Saudi in 96. We were all in desert Khamis and people were cheering us at the airport when we got to Philly. Very cool experience.

[nadinbrzezinski]

17. I'm sure it was

when they got back from the second war patrol, back to back same captain (first time since WW II), the press was there

Now he's a bubblehead... so you will probably know exactly how unusual was for the press to be there and for some noise to be done

It was... the first time in his whole career that they pulled into port with a navy band present and as I said press critters all over.

They even took a photo of the conure that is right now tryint to cuddle over.

As to Admirals... some are really cool people, others are just cool, with the rare a-hole.

Now on a oh my gosh folks they made a mistake... they had a meeting after 9.11... and the first thing we saw as wives was the Base Chaplain, to say that my heart did not skip a couple beasts is to put it midly, and to deny it, would be a lie.

They learned after that one and briefs had non relgious folks present from the git go from then on.

[sarge43]

20. I believe you're right - Army Good Conduct - red and white stripes

He should have the European Campaign Ribbon - the 'rainbow'. That looks like the 'ruptured duck' badge over the right hand pocket. It was given to honorably discharged personnel following WWII.

[aikoaiko]

5. For a second, I thought even the neo nazis were turning on Bush's war.

88 = eighth letter of the alphabet twice = HH = Heil Hitler.

[geardaddy]

10. My father-in-law fought in WWII

as well. He HATES Bush and this war.

He was a navy gunner on a liberty ship in the south pacific. Talk about feeling vulnerable.

[BOSSHOG]

21. My FIL

was in the Army and landed on Omaha Beach on D-Day; lost an arm and got the purple heart. He died three years ago but one way to fire him us was just bring up bush. He was my hero.

[geardaddy]

22. Sorry he's gone,

but glad you knew him!

[guitar man]

15. My Dad's a WWII and Korea Vet

Served in the occupation forces after WWII in Japan and "in the shit" in Korea.He's got two purple hearts and a host of other decorations from combat. He's 77, and he opposes this war, has from the start.

[Mz Pip]

16. Sounds like my Father-in-law

He's a WWII veteran, served in France. He said the only candidate he would support in the primary is Kuchinich. My FIL is not some liberal lefty, either. He can be pretty conservative and voted for Reagan.

Now he figures he's probably on some watch list since he sent money to some "Impeach Bush" group.

Mz Pip
:dem:

[sarge43]

18. Combat Infantry, Purple Heart, Italian campaign, WWII

He knows the hell of war and he'll still fight for the right.

Hand salute, Mr Unsicker and thank you.

:patriot: