Gun Shops and Former Snipers

[TiminMishawaka]

LOL! This thread reminded me of the former sniper who worked the Walmart counter in Missouri who didn't know anything about hunting because he wasn't interested in hunting anything that couldn't shoot back anymore.

 

[jayhawk]

I think that goes for most vets. The more combat experience, the less they tend to open up about those experiences.

I should qualify that...the major exception (of actual experienced vets, not gun shop embellishers) would be pilots. Pilots love to talk.

 

[iChokePeople]

LOL! This thread reminded me of the former sniper who worked the Walmart counter in Missouri who didn't know anything about hunting because he wasn't interested in hunting anything that couldn't shoot back anymore.

Just for the record, LOTS of veterans lose the desire to hunt. That's a very common response to having been in combat.

 

[wetidlerjr]

I am a former snipe hunter.

 

[jeremy]

Just like a gun bunny, always trying to compensate for something.

Your just jealous cause you played with tubes...

 

[jeremy]

Marine snipers, boot throwers, wrist rockets, Abraham 120mm toys, pocket mortars and M270's.....

All toys.

One of grandpa's lobbed a 16 inch shell from a battleship (South Dakota I think) 20 miles inland on targets as small as a dining room table. All while rocking and rolling.

Much respect for the boys in the Battleships...
I got the chance to to talk to a couple of Ol' Gunners from the Big J when I was a youngin'. Those boys are BAD ASS!

As long as the stories are REAL, I will shake the hand of the man who has been in combat, but pity the fool I shun for trying to embellish his life with false valor.

A fairly easy way to tell a Combat Vet from a "Combat Vet" is the Fobbits always have the best stories. While the guys who were out in the suck can tell you where every place to get a Drink was at...

 

[NHT3]

I was never in the Corps but they hired me and paid me millions as a guest sniper because I was so awesome. I once hit a guy at 1500 meters with a .22 derringer because my rifle got too hot from shooting the first 456 guys. The .22 was just sitting there with nowhere to go so I figured what the heck?!

Like I heard years ago, first liar hasn't got a chance

 

[jeremy]

Just for the record, LOTS of veterans lose the desire to hunt. That's a very common response to having been in combat.

Yup...

 

[DoggyDaddy]

Abrams are toys....
Now my M270 Launcher, now that is what is manly...
Your 120 is nice but I could smash a square kilometer in a minute or less....

So... you guys gonna bring this stuff to the next INGO NFA Day, or what? I can't bring any ammo, but I'd kick in a couple of bucks...

 

[jsharmon7]

I had an old guy telling me all about his days in the SEALs and how he was actually the commander of some SEAL team for a while, Team 4 I believe he claimed. He claimed they were actually stationed here in Indianapolis in case of national emergency. He spent a good deal of time talking about it even though I knew he probably was never even in the military. Short, squatty little guy who could barely read or write. In contrast, the only guy I've ever met who actually was a SEAL never even mentioned it, I found out from others.

 

[churchmouse]

Same applies for:
SEALs
Special Forces (Delta of course)
LRRPs
Marine Recon
etc

Ran into a former "LRRP" the other day who was trying to tell me that SF/ Delta guys use hockey helmets. I said Really? He went on how well connected he was etc. After about 5 min told him that the almost 3 years I was in Iraq all I saw them wearing, as far as out of the ordinary, were things like the Crye "Airframe helmets. He got up and left. It was the best fun I've had at Christmas for a while

Bob

The real deal never openly brag or boast of such things. I have 2 uncles that served multiple tours in Korea and Nam with the Army special forces. They never spoke of their involvement unless there was a serious point to be made. They did teach me to shoot, duck, run and hide. I am very lucky for the experience they shared with me. One has recently passed on, the other is very Ill. It makes me very angry when I meet a poser. I worked with one a while back that said he was a forced reckon sniper. Turns out he was assigned to the motor pool. His brother lives close to me and a chance encounter at a social gathering exposed the wanna be sniper as a truck driver. These people suck. They diminish the efforts and sacrifices made by brave men. They suck. I can hit a liter pop bottle at 500 yds. but that does not make me a "Sniper"....Just an average shot with a very nice rifle.

 

[jeremy]

So... you guys gonna bring this stuff to the next INGO NFA Day, or what? I can't bring any ammo, but I'd kick in a couple of bucks...

One M28 Training Rocket (The conventional munitions are replaced by smoke in these) costs upwards of $25K...
There are 6 to a Pod, and it takes 2 pods to load the Launcher...
So 12x$25K= $300,000...
How much would you like to donate to the cause?!


Not to mention the $200 Dollar Tax Stamp on each to the BATF&E...

 

[jeremy]

I can hit a liter pop bottle at 500 yds. but that does not make me a "Sniper"....Just an average shot with a very nice rifle.

You right, you are not a Sniper. You are A Rifleman! Be proud of that fact. It is what Made America...

 

[Titanium Man]

Good reads!!

 

[trillobite]

Ex-military isn't hard to spot, they're always built a certain way, and don't share stories easily. Every soldier I've known has always quit wearing camos once they left the service, or were on leave. Even National Guard.

I worked with a guy who claimed to be Special Forces, even had a military ID with "void" stamped on it. Supposedly was "on base when the twin towers were hit, and him and some ex-Spetnaz SpecOps were wanting to go "off the reservation" and wipe out Saddam, but President Bush called the General and told them to stand down. They were in the cafeteria making flags and eagles out of C4....". He spent a lot of time making ghillie suits from burlap bags, and playing with random knives.
He had this great story about being lead driver in a military convoy, and a local cop stopped them, throwing a fit about them slowing traffic. About 15 minutes passed and a Apache showed up, and P.A.'d the cop to move. The cop pulled his sidearm on the chopper, and the pilot cut his patrol car in half with gunfire. The cop was placed under military arrest, and marched back to his station on foot.....since his car was split in twain. Didn't make a lot of sense, but was still funny, and he was so sincere with the telling of it.

On the other side......

My paternal grand-dad was in WW1, never talked about it. Still would randomly wake up screaming until the day he died. My last memory of him was him and my Dad skinning a squirrel, and my Mom hustling me away before I got "scarred for life". He snuck me a piece of cooked squirrel later, wasn't too bad. Mom threw a fit when she found out what I was eating, though. Everybody was warned about making loud noises around him, on threat of whipping.

Uncle Charlie was in the Navy, he got the last part of WW2, would tell us kids about seeing Europe by train.

Got a nephew who served in the second Iraq war, still in the Marines working on choppers.

None of them talked about actual action, and rarely non-combat action. I wish all of them could sleep well at night.

 

[RH822-A]

If I'm not mistaken "Henry" was born around 1965, he was a millionaire, Cop, Fireman, owned a tire company and worked at a foundry because he was bored. Oh and yes he was a U.S Special Forces sniper, his favorite "sniper rifle" was the one he used in Nam... it was a 30-40 krag. Apparently he had know idea what "Nam" was or when it all happened.

 

[churchmouse]

Ex-military isn't hard to spot, they're always built a certain way, and don't share stories easily. Every soldier I've known has always quit wearing camos once they left the service, or were on leave. Even National Guard.

I worked with a guy who claimed to be Special Forces, even had a military ID with "void" stamped on it. Supposedly was "on base when the twin towers were hit, and him and some ex-Spetnaz SpecOps were wanting to go "off the reservation" and wipe out Saddam, but President Bush called the General and told them to stand down. They were in the cafeteria making flags and eagles out of C4....". He spent a lot of time making ghillie suits from burlap bags, and playing with random knives.
He had this great story about being lead driver in a military convoy, and a local cop stopped them, throwing a fit about them slowing traffic. About 15 minutes passed and a Apache showed up, and P.A.'d the cop to move. The cop pulled his sidearm on the chopper, and the pilot cut his patrol car in half with gunfire. The cop was placed under military arrest, and marched back to his station on foot.....since his car was split in twain. Didn't make a lot of sense, but was still funny, and he was so sincere with the telling of it.

On the other side......

My paternal grand-dad was in WW1, never talked about it. Still would randomly wake up screaming until the day he died. My last memory of him was him and my Dad skinning a squirrel, and my Mom hustling me away before I got "scarred for life". He snuck me a piece of cooked squirrel later, wasn't too bad. Mom threw a fit when she found out what I was eating, though. Everybody was warned about making loud noises around him, on threat of whipping.

Uncle Charlie was in the Navy, he got the last part of WW2, would tell us kids about seeing Europe by train.

Got a nephew who served in the second Iraq war, still in the Marines working on choppers.

None of them talked about actual action, and rarely non-combat action. I wish all of them could sleep well at night.

Both of my uncles suffered sleepless nights and fits of rage their whole lives. The one recently passed had serious mental issues from his service to our country. I have nothing but respect and compassion for the real deal. They are few and should be honored though most do not wish to be put into any lime light. They serve and go on, in silence.

 

[96firephoenix]

I met a guy who was a Marine Blackhawk pilot... in Somalia. Had the bullet scars to prove it.

You had to get him some nice scotch before he would talk about it. Best $15 I ever spent was on that glass of scotch.

 

[sepe]

Ex-military isn't hard to spot, they're always built a certain way, and don't share stories easily. Every soldier I've known has always quit wearing camos once they left the service, or were on leave. Even National Guard.

I worked with a guy who claimed to be Special Forces, even had a military ID with "void" stamped on it. Supposedly was "on base when the twin towers were hit, and him and some ex-Spetnaz SpecOps were wanting to go "off the reservation" and wipe out Saddam, but President Bush called the General and told them to stand down. They were in the cafeteria making flags and eagles out of C4....". He spent a lot of time making ghillie suits from burlap bags, and playing with random knives.
He had this great story about being lead driver in a military convoy, and a local cop stopped them, throwing a fit about them slowing traffic. About 15 minutes passed and a Apache showed up, and P.A.'d the cop to move. The cop pulled his sidearm on the chopper, and the pilot cut his patrol car in half with gunfire. The cop was placed under military arrest, and marched back to his station on foot.....since his car was split in twain. Didn't make a lot of sense, but was still funny, and he was so sincere with the telling of it.

On the other side......

My paternal grand-dad was in WW1, never talked about it. Still would randomly wake up screaming until the day he died. My last memory of him was him and my Dad skinning a squirrel, and my Mom hustling me away before I got "scarred for life". He snuck me a piece of cooked squirrel later, wasn't too bad. Mom threw a fit when she found out what I was eating, though. Everybody was warned about making loud noises around him, on threat of whipping.

Uncle Charlie was in the Navy, he got the last part of WW2, would tell us kids about seeing Europe by train.

Got a nephew who served in the second Iraq war, still in the Marines working on choppers.

None of them talked about actual action, and rarely non-combat action. I wish all of them could sleep well at night.

I've met quite a few that have willingly shared stories from the Nam era. Met quite a few that wear camo, mostly wearing it for comfort while working around the house. Met several from the Korean war era that willingly shared stories. Might be a bit different than talking to a random vet out in public since we were working a veterans reunion. The ones that shared stories, it wasn't because anyone really asked but it was more a part of continuing the stories when asked about places they've been and what they saw (non-combat related), they seemed to enjoy talking to people that respected them and didn't push for details.

 

[OWGEM]

This thread SO reminds me of an encounter I had on returning from Viet Nam. I was in a restaurant in my home town when a fellow set down next to me. He was a year ahead of me in school and so I did not know him well.

I don't recall how the conversation turned to military people telling tall tales, however he went on about how bad they were. I sat there and just listened. He said the helicopter pilots were the worst. Especially the gunship pilots. They would just go on and on about how cool they were.

About that time I rested my arm on the table, seeing it was in a cast he asked what happened. I told him it was a gunshot wound from Nam. He was a little taken aback and asked what I did over there. I told him I was a gunship pilot.

He stared at me for a full 5 seconds, and then got up and left. Never saw him again.

Thanks for bringing back that memory, it puts a big smile on my face.