Combat Veterans, a question

[actaeon277]

https://www.army.mil/article/92514/Army_program_aims_to_protect_Soldiers__hearing/

https://www.army.mil/article/122669/Soldiers_outfitted_with_advanced_hearing_protection/

Hearing Loss Now A Military Epidemic - CBS News

 

[jstory]

Very good question, and something that I have wondered as well. Thank for the post, and more importantly. To all the Vets here...THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE.

 

[davedolli]

Thanks for your support!

 

[jotto]

Just had to deal with it mostly.

 

[Lock n Load]

The M-16s weren't too bad, it was the M60 that left me with 70% loss in my right ear and with Menieres disease including vertigo. Getting worse with age too.

 

[halfmileharry]

You didn't think that worldly education and lifetime benefits were free did you?
There's a price we paid for all those cool perks.

 

[Winamac]

You didn't think that worldly education and lifetime benefits were free did you?
There's a price we paid for all those cool perks.

Could not have said it better brother. Afghanistan 2010

 

[Vince49]

"Play it louder!"

You didn't think that worldly education and lifetime benefits were free did you?
There's a price we paid for all those cool perks.

My hearing aids are issued to me at the VA medical Center for this reason.

 

[ScouT6a]

After 22 1/2 years in combat arms, I now live with "Infantry ears". When on a training range, in peace time, we always wore ear protection. Didn't always have it the rare times we drove or rode in trucks or when working around aircraft or armor.
As everyone else has posted, in a combat environment, everything is out the window. When you are walking across a forward operating base or combat outpost and you hear a 120 mm rocket or mortar inbound, you don't have time to put in your ear pro.
Same with IEDs, VBIEDs, and fire fights.
I have high frequency hearing loss in both ears. Had to get a medical waiver for it before my last deployment to Afghanistan.
VA issued hearing aids work decent but they are a pain in the butt.

 

[vitamink]

Tet of '68, 122's coming in. Hit the bunker and hunkered down. Heard one guy ask what was that orange glow, did they get the big fuel tanks [built right next to our living area] ? Raised my head up and looked out, last thing I remembered. Different opinions on cause, whether it was rockets or sappers, but over 5000 500lb. bombs went up and a 7 kiloton blast wave was the result. Told later I "flew" across the bunker and bounced off the end wall. Everyone thought I was dead, until a lot of yelling and face slapping woke me up with a muttered "WTF". Had to have eyes washed out before I could see, OK for years after until all of those bits and pieces of loud noises finally was the straw that broke the camels back. Bad hearing and tinnitus the result. 10% VA disability. Get to wear hearing aids for the rest of my life. Whoopee!

Was that the long binh ammo dump?

 

[STEEL CORE]

Had to deal with it and the situation, loud noises such as air strikes, rockets, gun ships, and tank cannon can have blast effect too, but small arms close can be painful too. But I would (and do) live with hearing loss like my veteran brothers and sisters, because on the other hand................."eternal silence" takes effect, if you know what I mean.

 

[vvet762]

The last thing I was worried about, as an infantry soldier, was loud gun noise when being shot at in Vietnam. You just do what needs to be done. I wasn't in much combat but enough to get a 10% disability from the VA. I didn't learn about the dis. pay until about 8 - 10 years ago when my wife found out about it. I've had major ringing since the early 70's and sometimes it gets so loud that it wakes me from sleep. I went to the VA in Marion for testing and was awarded the 10%. A great perc from the 10% disability is that any of my children can get free college education from any public college in Indiana. My son just got his masters degree from I.U. Thank you Indiana.

 

[Liberty Sanders]

One distinct memory I have from my service on the NRA Board of Directors was that most of the old-timers like Harlon Carter, Jeff Cooper, Bill Jordan, General Foss and a number of others who well pre-dated the era when hearing protection became a concern were deaf as posts and I pretty much had to yell at them to converse with them.

 

[Thor]

Tanks...M60's run at 186db inside just driving down the road. I fired about 2000 rounds from the 105 before switching to the AF and jet noise. There's only so much you can do even with hearing protection. The tinnitus just keeps on ringing.

 

[SSGSAD]

Mechanic, here ..... 3521, 3524, USMC and 63b 64G, Army .....

Driving a 5 ton truck, with that "supercharger", the whine, was terrible .....

Engine shop, with tank engines, is very loud .....

10% V A disability, for tinitus, here .....

I just deal with it .....

Have a high Frequency hearing loss .....

Can converse, just fine, unless other noise, is in background .....

Have a hard time, on the phone .....

 

[rugertoter]

Just had to deal with it.



Constant ringing now.

There is a certain range of tones that just blends in. Wife will sometimes ask me if I hear that buzzing. It's hard for her to get it when I tell her both yes & no. Other ranges of noise & chimes send me through the roof. That forest fire commercial with the dancing matches & chimes makes me want to claw my ears out, same thing with that medical law suit commercial with the flatline tone.

This is how it is for me. My ears ring all the time, just get worse when I am around louder noise.

 

[tenring]

Nope, it was Chu Lai, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing.

 

[tenring]

Was that the long binh ammo dump?

Chu Lai, 1st MAW, Mag-12

 

[halfmileharry]

Chu Lai, 1st MAW, Mag-12

My guess was wrong. I figured NW part of the country.

 

[STEEL CORE]

Yep my Dad too, Korean War Vet, cigarette butts for ear protection during training, nothing but air al the rest, his hearing is shot out!