# Trigger Happy



## Lee H Sternberg (Jan 27, 2008)

My Marine kid is currently deployed for 8 months on the helicopter carrier USS Bataan cruising off the Syrian coast. 

All the Marines onboard are dying for some action. 

My kid especially wants some fight because he wants to keep up with me who saw some heavy shit in Vietnam.

I don't say much but I'm kinda happy he isn't seeing stuff....so far.

War tests and changes a person forever even without PTSD.


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## Meg O'Donovan (Aug 20, 2012)

I hope he doesn't. If he does, there may come a time he wishes he hadn't.
I hope for you also, as a papa and potential grandpa, that your boy is kept safe and sound.


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## Lee H Sternberg (Jan 27, 2008)

Meg O'Donovan said:


> I hope he doesn't. If he does, there may come a time he wishes he hadn't.
> I hope for you also, as a papa and potential grandpa, that your boy is kept safe and sound.


I tend to agree, Meg. I don't know how to describe the gut check a person has to go through when you realize another human wants to genuinely murder you.


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## Mark Herzog (Aug 22, 2013)

Lee H Sternberg said:


> I tend to agree, Meg. I don't know how to describe the gut check a person has to go through when you realize another human wants to genuinely murder you.


Not to mention the gut check dealing with the aftermath of taking another's life. 

It never really goes away.


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## Lee H Sternberg (Jan 27, 2008)

Mark Herzog said:


> Not to mention the gut check dealing with the aftermath of taking another's life.
> 
> It never really goes away.


I don't want to talk much about it but I don't think I had a out of body experience the whole time I was over there. It was like being in a John Wayne movie. Nothing really affected me. I insulated my feelings. Maybe that's why I have no bad dreams.


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## Hunter Allred (Jan 28, 2010)

Lee H Sternberg said:


> My Marine kid is currently deployed for 8 months on the helicopter carrier USS Bataan cruising off the Syrian coast.
> 
> All the Marines onboard are dying for some action.
> 
> ...


As a former Marine, and close to many former Marines who like me, fell in the I between wars time... I regret not ever going to war. Intense and endless training for a day that never came for me. No, I can't speak to the horrors one must witness in combat. No, I can't speak to the wrestling with ending another's life. But those very issues are at the core of why anyone joins the Corps these days (vice the non-voluntary days)... To test oneself to the maximum degree. To fully investigate with infallible evidence "how do I measure, when it really counts". I fully appreciate your concern for your child, but also understand he is very likely trying to discover how he measures up... Compared to other men, and assuredly compared to his father. Don't encourage him, but don't discourage him from testing himself ether

Incidentally, I've been on the Bataan


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## Lee H Sternberg (Jan 27, 2008)

Hunter Allred said:


> As a former Marine, and close to many former Marines who like me, fell in the I between wars time... I regret not ever going to war. Intense and endless training for a day that never came for me. No, I can't speak to the horrors one must witness in combat. No, I can't speak to the wrestling with ending another's life. But those very issues are at the core of why anyone joins the Corps these days (vice the non-voluntary days)... To test oneself to the maximum degree. To fully investigate with infallible evidence "how do I measure, when it really counts". I fully appreciate your concern for your child, but also understand he is very likely trying to discover how he measures up... Compared to other men, and assuredly compared to his father. Don't encourage him, but don't discourage him from testing himself ether
> 
> Incidentally, I've been on the Bataan


I totally understand your post. I haven't discouraged him at all. I know exactly where he's coming from. I was dying for action too. The only time I wanted to say okay " no more" was my last month. I figured enough is enough.Let's get my ass home safe.


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## Hunter Allred (Jan 28, 2010)

Lee H Sternberg said:


> I don't want to talk much about it but I don't think I had a out of body experience the whole time I was over there. It was like being in a John Wayne movie. Nothing really affected me. I insulated my feelings. Maybe that's why I have no bad dreams.


I know lots, lots of guys who've killed a whole lotta people who are perfectly well adjusted. One former SEAL who is a family friend who's significant other committed suicide once said "I've killed a lot of people... I mean a whole lot of people... Nothing has ever hurt remotely like this". I think in the same way, he just didn't "put himself in it". The normal guys I know (ironically are all Marines or SEALs) just don't look at it like "did that dude I shot deserve it"


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## Kevin Cyr (Dec 28, 2012)

Hunter Allred said:


> As a former Marine, and close to many former Marines who like me, fell in the I between wars time... I regret not ever going to war. Intense and endless training for a day that never came for me. No, I can't speak to the horrors one must witness in combat. No, I can't speak to the wrestling with ending another's life. But those very issues are at the core of why anyone joins the Corps these days (vice the non-voluntary days)... To test oneself to the maximum degree. To fully investigate with infallible evidence "how do I measure, when it really counts". I fully appreciate your concern for your child, but also understand he is very likely trying to discover how he measures up... Compared to other men, and assuredly compared to his father. Don't encourage him, but don't discourage him from testing himself ether
> 
> Incidentally, I've been on the Bataan



U got respect for your thoughts and wanting to go!


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## Lee H Sternberg (Jan 27, 2008)

Hunter Allred said:


> I know lots, lots of guys who've killed a whole lotta people who are perfectly well adjusted. One former SEAL who is a family friend who's significant other committed suicide once said "I've killed a lot of people... I mean a whole lot of people... Nothing has ever hurt remotely like this". I think in the same way, he just didn't "put himself in it". The normal guys I know (ironically are all Marines or SEALs) just don't look at it like "did that dude I shot deserve it"


Look at it this way. That MOFO wanted to kill me. When it reduces down to the most basic form of survival there is no debate at all. Added to all that is HATED. Human nature is is you can totally hate some prick you never met. Sad but true.


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## Hunter Allred (Jan 28, 2010)

Lee H Sternberg said:


> Look at it this way. That MOFO wanted to kill me. When it reduces down to the most basic form of survival there is no debate at all. Added to all that is HATED. Human nature is is you can totally hate some prick you never met. Sad but true.


They very much looked at it as "it was him or me... And it will always be me"


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## Bob Scott (Mar 30, 2006)

I've always like Carlos Hathcock's comment about being a sniper in Nam.
He was asked if he has any guilt about shooting people. 

His comment was an emphatic "NO"! "Every time I shoot their snipers I know I've saved the lives of a lot of soldiers".


My nephew, Maj, USMC MARSOC has seen a lot of action in a number of different places he never discusses. 
Typical Marine. He's been shot in the foot and yet still does ultra marathons of 100 + miles. 
I asked him if that bothered his foot. He said...."Only when I run". :-o 
He had to be pulled off of a 360 mile run because his leg swelled up twice it's size at 130 miles. He wanted to finish it. ](*,)
Bless em all!


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## Lee H Sternberg (Jan 27, 2008)

Bob Scott said:


> I've always like Carlos Hathcock's comment about being a sniper in Nam.
> He was asked if he has any guilt about shooting people.
> 
> His comment was an emphatic "NO"! "Every time I shoot their snipers I know I've saved the lives of a lot of soldiers".
> ...


Do COCO LOCO booze drinking marathons count? I did a few of them in Costa Rica if my hazy memory recollects. I felt like I ran 200 miles the next day.


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## Bob Scott (Mar 30, 2006)

Lee H Sternberg said:


> Do COCO LOCO booze drinking marathons count? I did a few of them in Costa Rica if my hazy memory recollects. I felt like I ran 200 miles the next day.



I'm thinking you probably passed out after 50 yrds. :lol:

One of my daughters and both my sons-in-law have done a few of those. Daughter is serious about her running but sons-in-law pretty much walk those from stop to stop til they are crawling from stop to stop. :roll:

Other daughter says if you ever see her running there is probably a psychotic clown with an ax not to far behind. 

Son and daughter also do the Warrior runs and the Tuff Mudders. 
I'm a fanastic observer these days.


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## rick smith (Dec 31, 2010)

almost every active duty member of every branch of service wants to see action unless they are just punching a time card.

Lee : as a parent of one, be glad hasn't but don't tell him that face to face 

surviving a combat situation only guarantees one thing...you are now a survivor of a combat situation. how it changes you can go in many directions and is rarely predictable, no matter how many times it happens. i've seen it go many ways; good and bad. just being in the vicinity will affect you also. the better your training and the more stress you have been subjected to, the better and more predictable the outcome. 

we're very similar to dogs that way


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## Lee H Sternberg (Jan 27, 2008)

rick smith said:


> almost every active duty member of every branch of service wants to see action unless they are just punching a time card.
> 
> Lee : as a parent of one, be glad hasn't but don't tell him that face to face
> 
> ...


It also taught me how to roll a excellent joint and still stay on my feet after drinking a rack of beer. LOL


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## Hunter Allred (Jan 28, 2010)

rick smith said:


> almost every active duty member of every branch of service wants to see action unless they are just punching a time card.
> 
> Lee : as a parent of one, be glad hasn't but don't tell him that face to face
> 
> ...


My day job is working with DoD personnel. In my experience with, the majority of most branches have no real desire to combat... In theater sure, but combat no. In my experience, Marines are.... Different?


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## Lee H Sternberg (Jan 27, 2008)

Hunter Allred said:


> My day job is working with DoD personnel. In my experience with, the majority of most branches have no real desire to combat... In theater sure, but combat no. In my experience, Marines are.... Different?


You can say different. Marines just seem like they want to rumble. I think that's why they chose that branch of the military. There is certainly easier ways to go.


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## Hunter Allred (Jan 28, 2010)

Lee H Sternberg said:


> You can say different. Marines just seem like they want to rumble. I think that's why they chose that branch of the military. There is certainly easier ways to go.


They didn't choose it for the benefits, college assistance, job skills, or ease for sure lol.

I've told lots of folks, people join the USMC these days bc they want to see how tough they really are, and they want to go to combat... Meaning rounds down range in both directions. They choose the Marines because they want the world to try to break them so they can prove they cannot be broken. The Marine Corps doesn't make them something they aren't already, it just proofs it for the world to see. That's why you see so many huge dudes, and small dudes (like moi) in the corps


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## Lee H Sternberg (Jan 27, 2008)

Hunter Allred said:


> They didn't choose it for the benefits, college assistance, job skills, or ease for sure lol.
> 
> I've told lots of folks, people join the USMC these days bc they want to see how tough they really are, and they want to go to combat... Meaning rounds down range in both directions. They choose the Marines because they want the world to try to break them so they can prove they cannot be broken. The Marine Corps doesn't make them something they aren't already, it just proofs it for the world to see. That's why you see so many huge dudes, and small dudes (like moi) in the corps


I had you figured as a dude that wanted to chase WM's! LOL

WM's are Women Marines for you guys that don't know.


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## Hunter Allred (Jan 28, 2010)

Lee H Sternberg said:


> I had you figured as a dude that wanted to chase WM's! LOL
> 
> WM's are Women Marines for you guys that don't know.


I did have a smoking hot WM as a fire team leader in my squad when I was a squad leader... Always wanted to chase her. Never did :-/

I remember the first time I saw her *not* in utilities... Crazy how well camouflage works


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## Lee H Sternberg (Jan 27, 2008)

Hunter Allred said:


> I did have a smoking hot WM as a fire team leader in my squad when I was a squad leader... Always wanted to chase her. Never did :-/
> 
> I remember the first time I saw her *not* in utilities... Crazy how well camouflage works


There is a few but not many. LOL


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## Timothy Saunders (Mar 12, 2009)

My son is in that area (navy ) I thank god he is not getting of that ship . I hope no body goes near it . If you know what I mean. He doesn't have to prove anything to me . He comes from a long line of soldiers.


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## Hunter Allred (Jan 28, 2010)

Timothy Saunders said:


> My son is in that area (navy ) I thank god he is not getting of that ship . I hope no body goes near it . If you know what I mean. He doesn't have to prove anything to me . He comes from a long line of soldiers.


That's the thing though. It's not about proving it to dad. It's about proving it to yourself. My entire family was highly against me joining the Marines. It wasn't for them.


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## Lee H Sternberg (Jan 27, 2008)

I thought the Marines would be great for my kid. I was all for it. The old lady was totally pissed when he said he wanted to do it. 

When he came home on boot camp leave he told me he wanted to have a drink with me at the local VFW (Veterans Of Foreign Wars) bar. I'm a member there. 

He may not get to join that organization if he doesn't get into a combat zone. He will have to "settle" for the American Legion where a combat zone designation on your DD214 isn't necessary.


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## Ben Thompson (May 2, 2009)

Your OP started out kind of violent and disturbing but on a positive note your threads always seem to end with booze and naked or nearly naked women. I can't complain.


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## Lee H Sternberg (Jan 27, 2008)

Ben Thompson said:


> Your OP started out kind of violent and disturbing but on a positive note your threads always seem to end with booze and naked or nearly naked women. I can't complain.


Sex and booze beats violence any day, huh, Ben. 

Speaking of beach babes, the old lady is heading down to Costa Rica for six weeks real soon. 

We are starting some new construction on our store down there. 

I may go down for a couple of weeks to hit my favorite beach front cantina to sip some Coco Locos and watch the bikini "show" strolling down the shoreline in Tamarindo, CR.

It's been a long time that I haven't done that.


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