Comments on: Remembering Star Trek’s Military Moments

By: Hannitized08

Hannitized08 — Sat, 31 May 2008 13:56:13 +0000

I’m a 20 year retired Navy vet, and while I wasn’t fortunate enough to serve on the USS Enterprise CVN-65, but I did serve on 3 other carriers,(USS Abraham Lincoln CVN-72, USS Eisenhower CVN-69, USS Forrestal CVA-59. I’m starting to miss it after 3 years of civilian life, ha ha. I also think there’s alot of similarities between today’s Navy and the fictional Starlfleet of the 23rd century. Someone mentioned TOS episode “Tommorrow is Yesterday” as being one of the better episodes-well I second that as one of my favorites!

By: Serving Soldier

Serving Soldier — Fri, 30 May 2008 12:35:07 +0000

I have been in the Army since 1987. I got out for a few years but came back in Dec. 2003. During my tour of Iraq in 2005 I got to emailing with David Mack as I had rediscovered ST and fell in love with it again. During the year I got every season of every series on DVD, and just was and am crazy about DS9. But one of the nicest things anyone has done was when Mr. Mack named a charcter after me in hod DS9 novel “Warpath.” To this day my ST friends call me Sir, even though in real life I am an NCO. But back in Baghdad (I volunteered to come back and am doing two years here) I have all my Trek and…what a great escape.

Be safe everyone.

By: chasco

chasco — Thu, 29 May 2008 06:42:38 +0000

#4
James Doohan took about 8 machine-gun bullets on Juno Beach on D-Day. When he’d recovered from his injuries, he learned to fly and went on Air Observation sorties.
He tells the whole story in his book ‘Beam me up Scotty’

By: Closettrekker

Closettrekker — Wed, 28 May 2008 18:33:43 +0000

#36—I recall a deployment to Bosnia in the mid-90’s in which we also received recorded episodes of various tv shows. That is a big part of morale maintenance among our deployed forces. Unfortunately, I was a Marine serving aboard the USS Trenton, and alone in my Trek fandom. I settled for “Seinfeld” and “The X-Files”, among others.

By: lostrod

lostrod — Wed, 28 May 2008 17:01:24 +0000

I’m completing my 21st year in the Army National Guard. When deployed to Iraq in 2005 my wife would record episodes of “Enterprise” and burn them onto DVDs to mail to me.

There were quite a few ST fans deployed with me. Word would get out that I picked up a package from home and I would start getting knocks on the door later asking if I had any new ST episodes to share.

Episodes of “Lost” recorded by my wife were also in hot demand.

By: Xai

Xai — Tue, 27 May 2008 22:33:56 +0000

30. That One Guy – May 27, 2008
…and for those I offended, I am sorry.”

Apology accepted…. it’s time to move on.

By: Closettrekker

Closettrekker — Tue, 27 May 2008 21:06:00 +0000

#33–Condolences for the loss of your father. Mine died just two days before—an Air Force vet from the Korean War era. Sadly, he died after a long fight in the hospital, but a good hard fight it was.

By: US Taxpayer Dude

US Taxpayer Dude — Tue, 27 May 2008 19:24:43 +0000

I wish to remember my father, a navy veteran, who died suddenly and unexpectedly in his sleep Memorial Day observed, Monday, May 26 2008. His 72 birthday would have been on June 10.

Joe Yakubaskas was the last of his kind, a man’s man of the old school. I suppose he knew his time was up because he seemed to tidy all the loose ends last week. My final memory of dad was how much joy he felt playing with his grandson Joey, named after him.

Dad never saw combat, although he was manning a canon (yes, the kind that goes Boom!) on USS Independence during the Missile Crisis. He and his shipmates saw the Russian trawler and submarine made famous in the movies and documentaries. They were prepared to “go nuclear” and annihilate the world if necessary. He thanked God it did not come to that. The civilians, including his financee (my mother) did not learn the truth for a very long while afterward.

Ironically, the last thing we know that Dad did was post to one of his favorite message boards, the KC BBQ board, on how he hoped everyone might bow their heads at 3PM local time in rememberance of them that died in service to their country. He was too humble to include himself in that group, of whom he stood in awe. (He often told of a Master Chief, survivor of three sinkings during WWII, who lived out his years in the Service. Whenever “Victory at Sea” would be played in the rec room, this grissled, sea-encrusted, tough-as-shoe-leather old Chief would break down and bawl like a baby.)

God bless my father and God bless those that never came home from their final battle.

Joe Jr – grateful son of a great man.

By: Closettrekker

Closettrekker — Tue, 27 May 2008 18:56:35 +0000

As a combat veteran US Marine, Memorial Day is a day to reflect upon those who have fallen in service to the people of The United States of America. These days, American and British Marines and Soldiers face the constant danger of falling in service to their nations, yet they never stop volunteering. They do not protest, nor do they question their purpose. Memorial Day is but one of 365 days a year that every American citizen should pay their respects to those who do not return, or failed to return in the past. It seems that for some, this holiday has turned into an excuse to go to a waterpark or just to get drunk and barbecue on a Monday. For me, it is a day of reflection, personal rememberance, and pride in my fallen comrades and those of my father, my father’s father, and so on.

Semper Fidelis.

By: Doug

Doug — Tue, 27 May 2008 17:25:43 +0000

As many of you I serve in the US Navy and currently stationed at Camp Eggers, which is in Kabul, Afghanistan. In my 14 yrs. in the Navy I have found hundreds of TREK fans.

I feel honored so many people have taken the time to remember us. TREK also, in my opinion, has done a great job paying homage to the folks in the military.

On a related note, I like the NEXT GEN episode “The Hunted” very much, although it strikes a bit too close to home (IMHO). Question regarding this episode: Have any of you read Timothy Zahn’s short story “When Johnny Comes Marching Home?” This episode reminds me of Zahn’s tale.