The Steel Guitar Forum

I can't let this day go by without throwing props to my brethren steel pickin' military veterans.

I just want you all to know that you are not forgotten by everyone.

I thank you for your service to your country and may God Bless you. May we never forget.

By the way, how many of you played music or performed in some way while you were serving?

Once again Jerry, thank you for the post. As a member of the U.S. Army Band today I performed at a ceremony honoring Veterans at the Korean War Memorial, and later this evening at event featuring wounded soldiers of Ukraine, and our mission in support of that effort.

Thanks to all on this forum who have served in uniform for our great nation.

Thank you Jon for your service and for recognizing and honoring our veterans around the country.

Mahalo for your post Jerry..did my annual Memorial and Veterans Day concert of all the military songs I know for the chickens and cows out here on the farm.. Larry

Thank you Larry for your service. We proudly play "Essayons" whenever we can.

Jon Voth, U.S. Army Band

Jerry, thank you for remembering Veterans on Veteran's Day. I was drafted into U.S. Marines and sent to the Vietnam War to kill people. I still have a lot of terrible memories that haunt me.

Aloha Jon, in the 60’s when I was stationed in Alaska we played the EM and NCO clubs with members of the US Army 214th band and the USAF Band of the Pacific. Great players and a lot of clubs on and off base.. we put together a Brass Quintet and played weekly also..

I was in the Army Band stationed in several different locations/assignments (1986 - 2008). My MOS was "Guitar Player".
Many times, I found myself playing electric bass, pedal steel, and dobro....depending on the gig.
Most of the time the guitar gig was playing standards from the Real Book and big band charts (Nestico, Hefti, Miller, Ellington, etc). I led several top 40 combos that played country, too. We rehearsed and played gigs every day. It was a full time job.
Good times were had by all.

Interesting post Tim. Sounds like you had a wonderful experience in the Army. My experience as a drafted Marine in the Vietnam War was totally different than your experience. My MOS was ordinance. All of us wound up packing rifles, not musical instruments. It was not a fun job, and good times were not had by all.

I’m a Vietnam era vet. Spent my time (1971 through 1980) in the USMC Aircraft Wing. I started out in an A4L Skyhawk squadron (VMA-543 “Nighthawks”), as a jet engine mechanic. Then I trained as a Safety and Survival mechanic (liquid oxygen systems, ejection seats and chute rigging) in the same squadron. Later I was a flight mechanic in a KC-130 transport/refueler squadron (VMGR-234 “Bears”).

Glenn,
Keep on pickin’!

I appreciate hearing from all my military vet brothers.

I worked out of the 604 OMS at Travis Air Force Base during the Vietnam War. I was trained in jet systems maintenance on aircraft with over 2 engines, but my job here was ground support for the commercial troop carriers. All the majors such as Pan Am, Braniff, Northwest, Continental etc. 707s and DC8s headed to Hawaii and the Phillipines en route to Vietnam.

One event that will stay embedded in my mind forever is the day my brother in the Army was deployed to Vietnam and shipped out from Travis on my shift. I can't describe the feelings inside as I blocked out the airliner and sent him on his way.

It was also while stationed there, a housing roommate was a rabid steel guitar enthusiast. I just thought he was nuts. Strange how later on, it became my passion too. Maybe a seed was planted back then.

Thanks to you all for your service! No matter what you did in the service it all made a contribution to keeping us all safe here at home. Manny, Many Thanks