Veterans Attic

Thank you to all who have served!

A reporter was interviewing a salty old submariner who asked him why he picked that particular branch of the service rather than, say, the Air Force. The old salt replied "There's more planes in the ocean than submarines in the sky" "A slipping gear could let your M203 grenade launcher fire when you least expect it. That would make you quite unpopular in what's left of your unit." - Army's magazine of preventive maintenance. "Aim towards the Enemy" - Instructions printed on U.S. Rocket Launcher "When the pin is pulled, Mr. Grenade is not our friend." - U.S. Marine Corps "Cluster bombing from B-52s is very, very accurate. The bombs are guaranteed always to hit the ground." - USAF Ammo Troop "If the Enemy is in range, so are you. - Infantry Journal "It is generally inadvisable to eject over the area you just bombed - U.S. Air Force Manual "Whoever said the pen is mightier then the sword obviously never encountered automatic weapons." - General MacArthur "Try to look unimportant; they may be low on ammo." - Infantry Journal "You, you, and you. Panic. The rest of you come with me." - U.S. Marine Gunnery Sgt. (Mgysgt5) "Tracers work both ways." - U.S. Army Ordnance "Five second fuses only last three seconds" - Infantry Journal "Don't ever be the first, don't ever be the last, and don't ever volunteer to do anything." - U.S. Navy Swabbie "Bravery is being the only one who knows you're afraid." - David Hackworth "If your attack is going too well, you're walking into an ambush." - Infantry Journal "No combat-ready unit has ever passed inspection." - Joe Gay "Any ship can be a minesweeper. Once." - unknown "Never tell the Platoon Sergeant you have nothing to do." - Unknown Marine Recruit "Don't draw fire; it irritates the people around you." "If you see a bomb technician running, follow him and try to keep up. - USAF Ammo Troop "You've never been lost until you've been lost at Mach 3." - Paul F. Crickmore (test pilot) "The only time you have too much fuel is when you're on fire." "If the wings are traveling faster than the fuselage, it's probably a helicopter -- and therefore, unsafe." "When one engine fails on a twin-engine airplane, you always have enough power left to get you to the scene of the crash." "Without munitions, the USAF would be just another expensive flying club." What is the similarity between air traffic controllers and pilots? If a pilot screws up, the pilot dies; If ATC screws up.... The pilot dies." "Never trade luck for skill." "Weather forecasts are horoscopes with numbers." "Airspeed, altitude and brains. Two are always needed to complete the flight successfully." "Mankind has a perfect record in aviation; we've never left one up there!" "Flashlights are tubular metal containers kept in a flight bag to store dead batteries." "Flying the airplane is more important than radioing your flight to a person on the ground who is incapable of understanding or doing anything about it." "The Piper Cub is the safest airplane in the world; it can just barely kill you." - Attributed to Max Stanley (Northrop test pilot) "A pilot who doesn't have any fear probably isn't flying his plane to its maximum." - Jon McBride, astronaut "If you're faced with a forced landing, fly the thing as far into the crash as possible." - Bob Hoover (renowned aerobatic and test pilot ) "Never fly in the same cockpit with someone braver than you." "There is no reason to fly through a thunderstorm in peacetime." - Sign over squadron ops desk at Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ, 1970 "If something hasn't broken on your helicopter, it's about to." Basic Flying Rules: "Try to stay in the middle of the air. Do not go near the edges of it. The edges of the air can be recognized by the appearance of ground, buildings, sea, trees and interstellar space. It is much more difficult to fly there." "You know that your landing gear is up and locked when it takes full power to taxi to the terminal." As the test pilot climbs out of the experimental aircraft, having torn off the wings and tail in the crash landing, the crash truck arrives, the rescuer sees a bloodied pilot and asks, "What happened?". The pilot's reply, "I don't know, I just got here myself!" - Attributed to Ray Crandell (Lockheed test pilot)
	The Soldier's Creed I am an American Soldier. I am a Warrior and a member of a team. I serve the people of the United States and live the Army Values. I will always place the mission first. I will never accept defeat. I will never quit. I will never leave a fallen comrade. I am disciplined, physically and mentally tough, trained and proficient in my warrior tasks and drills. I always maintain my arms, my equipment and myself. I am an expert and I am a professional. I stand ready to deploy, engage, and destroy the enemies of the United States of America in close combat. I am a guardian of freedom and the American way of life. I am an American Soldier.
	Sailor's Creed I am a United States Sailor. I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States of America and I will obey the orders of those appointed over me. I represent the fighting spirit of the Navy and all who have gone before me to defend freedom and democracy around the world. I proudly serve my country’s Navy combat team with Honor, Courage and Commitment . I am committed to excellence and the fair treatment of all.
	The Creed of a United States Marine This is my rifle. There are many like it, but this one is mine. My rifle is my best friend. It is my life. I must master it as I must master my life. My rifle, without me, is useless. Without my rifle, I am useless. I must fire my rifle true. I must shoot straighter than my enemy who is trying to kill me. I must shoot him before he shoots me. I will... My rifle and myself know that what counts in this war is not the rounds we fire, the noise of our burst, nor the smoke we make. We know that it is the hits that count. We will hit... My rifle is human, even as I, because it is my life. Thus, I will learn it as a brother. I will learn its weaknesses, its strength, its parts, its accessories, its sights and its barrel. I will ever guard it against the ravages of weather and damage as I will ever guard my legs, my arms, my eyes and my heart against damage. I will keep my rifle clean and ready. We will become part of each other. We will... Before God, I swear this creed. My rifle and myself are the defenders of my country. We are the masters of our enemy. We are the saviors of my life. So be it, until there is no enemy, but peace!
	Airman's Creed I am an American Airman. I am a warrior. I have answered my nation's call. I am an American Airman. My mission is to fly, fight, and win. I am faithful to a proud heritage, A tradition of honor, And a legacy of valor. I am an American Airman, Guardian of freedom and justice, My nation's sword and shield, Its sentry and avenger. I defend my country with my life. I am an American Airman: Wingman, leader, warrior. I will never leave an airman behind, I will never falter, And I will not fail.

Below, I've provided some links that may help veterans and give information regarding services and assistance.

	Support the troops in an everyday way!
	This is the main site for U.S. Veterans
	Post Traumatic Stress Disorder explained.
	Veterans Assistance
	Veterans Suicide Prevention Lifeline
	Veterans Helping Veterans Forum
	Official site of The VFW
	National Coalition for Homeless Veterans
	Disabled American Veterans
	Stars and Stripes online