A Cold Shoulder for Cold-War Vets

BOP

BOP

Well-Known Member
A Cold Shoulder for Cold-War Veterans - WSJ.com

This weekend, Americans will honor soldiers who fought the country's wars, from the Somme to Kandahar. In Manassas, Va., 30 miles from the nation's capital, a parade on Saturday will honor veterans of another big war: the one that never happened.

The Cold War, from 1945 to the Soviet Union's breakup in 1991, was all about avoiding total nuclear war. It turned hot in Korea and Vietnam and sparked conflicts from Lebanon to Grenada. But soldiers on duty between flare-ups didn't do battle. When the war that wasn't came to an end, they got no monuments, no victory medals.

Nor can they join the American Legion—which makes the parade of Cold War vets in Manassas a minor hot spot of its own.

Okay, here's where it gets dicey, and where I diverge from my fellow vets on this issue:

In 2006, Mr. Almquist, who lives in Illinois, complained to his then-senator, Barack Obama. Mr. Obama emailed back, calling a Cold War medal "appropriate," and hoping "that this impasse can be broken soon." It wasn't. Now the vets intend to ask him to create the medal by executive order.

I've had about enough of Obama circumventing the legislative process (as ineffective as it has become), just because he doesn't think he needs to follow the constitution. I'm equally sick of people who think it's a good idea.
 
edinsomd

edinsomd

New Member
I'm a Cold War vet. I recall getting a certificate from Bubba Clinton acknowledging my Cold War service, which I promptly tossed into the sh!tcan. I also received a couple Expeditionary awards, as well as a Gulf War 1 participation medal.

So I qualify for the AL and the VFW, but I imagine there are some who weren't "lucky" enough to receive like awards, and are ineligible. And that's a shame.
 
B

barbourm

New Member
Ability of Cold War Vets to March in Parades

In my opinion all veterans are authorized to march in parades honoring veterans. Although it is true that membership in The American Legion is predicated on having served in one of the five services, during a defined time of war, the vets that were in the service outside of those prescribed periods are still military veterans nonetheless!
The American Legion was founded in 1919, as a war-time veterans organization, and was chartered by Congress on this basis. The membership eligibility dates parallel dates set by Congress for war-time service. The American Legion must abide by those defined dates for determining membership eligibility.
Although a veteran may not be eligible to join, due to the technicalities within the charter, they should feel justifiably proud that they served their nation and were an integral part of the armed forces to ensure our force was in a ready stance to address any threats to national security. Thank you to all of our veterans!

Mike Barbour
Commander,
American Legion Post 221
Avenue, MD
 
zeerex99

zeerex99

New Member
This topic has been on my mind recently. I guess I'm a cold war vet too. US Navy from 78 - 84 and an Expeditionary Medal. Never heard the expression before. I was at a local hardware store this weekend. They were offering "military discounts" in honor of Veteran's Day. An active ID or retired ID was required. Since I'm neither I didn't qualify. My youngest son is in the Army Infantry. Has been for 6-1/2 years and plans to get out this March. He's been to Afghanistan twice, received a Bronze Star with a "V" device and two Purple Hearts. Once out, he'll be neither retired or active and won't be recognized for discounts, free meals etc. For me, it's not about the discount or meal etc. It's not even about me personally. What about the many, many men and women who've faced direct combat and horrendous conditions in support of this country? Just a thought.
 
edinsomd

edinsomd

New Member
Most places offering vet's discounts will accept a DD-214 if an active or retired ID is not available.
 
zeerex99

zeerex99

New Member
edinsomd said:
Most places offering vet's discounts will accept a DD-214 if an active or retired ID is not available.
Click to expand...

Negative at the store I went to. I wasn't pushing it but asked if a DD-214 would work. Was told it was not on their list of "approved" documents. I'm not trying to make a huge deal of this but there' just something about it that picks at my over-thinking brain.
 
itsbob

itsbob

I bowl overhand
A Cold War medal??

Who cares?

Many of us served, and stood watch, some faced down the barrels of T-54s and T-62s.. do we need or want medals??

Hell no.. save the money and defend our benefits!!

Obama says we deserve a medal but wants to a** rape us over our medical and retiree benefits, well shove the medal up your a**.. Didn't do it for recognition, damn well didn't do it for a nonsensical medal that means absoulutely NOTHING..

Everyone has their own reason for serving, HOPEFULLY none do if for the trinkets and shiny things..
 
awpitt

awpitt

Main Streeter
edinsomd said:
I'm a Cold War vet. I recall getting a certificate from Bubba Clinton acknowledging my Cold War service, which I promptly tossed into the sh!tcan. I also received a couple Expeditionary awards, as well as a Gulf War 1 participation medal.

So I qualify for the AL and the VFW, but I imagine there are some who weren't "lucky" enough to receive like awards, and are ineligible. And that's a shame.
Click to expand...

I'm a Cold War Vet as well. I was able to join the AL because of the Lebanon / Grenada and Panama designations.
 
migtig

migtig

aka Mrs. Giant
If you want to join a club, have you checked the VFW?

VFW Member Eligibility
The fundamental difference between our organization and other veterans organizations, and one in which we take great pride, is our eligibility qualifications.

VFW welcomes all who meet our eligibility criteria. It's through service to this country that all our membership has earned their elite status.

If you have received a campaign medal for overseas service; have served 30 consecutive or 60 non-consecutive days in Korea; or have ever received hostile fire or imminent danger pay, then you're eligible to join our ranks.
 
acommondisaster

acommondisaster

Active Member
I had no idea there were eligibility dates for AL; I thought only the VFW was exclusionary, so I always thought that those who served in the gulf would qualify for VFW. It would be nice if we all got some sort of universally accepted ID that showed we were vets, since not every place recognizes and dd214 and I don't carry one in my purse.

The thing is, the cold war wasn't exactly a "war" war. Other than the peacenik doomsday clock warning us we were 2 days away from total world destruction and some isolated incidents, we certainly weren't in any sort of danger the way people in an FOB in Afghanistan are, or my dad on the beach of Normandy, or my brother hunkered down in the weeds in Vietnam, so really, why would we be whining about not getting the same sort of recognition as them? Luck of the draw or something. I got a darned nice GI bill and VA loan benefits out of my service, which was pretty danged uneventful compared to what kids nowadays deal with in the military - I never worried about going TDY and losing a leg or my life, so I pretty much agree with that itsabob guy. The last thing I care about is a cold war medal - can't eat a medal.
 
BOP

BOP

Well-Known Member
itsbob said:
A Cold War medal??

Who cares?

Many of us served, and stood watch, some faced down the barrels of T-54s and T-62s.. do we need or want medals??

Hell no.. save the money and defend our benefits!!

Obama says we deserve a medal but wants to a** rape us over our medical and retiree benefits, well shove the medal up your a**.. Didn't do it for recognition, damn well didn't do it for a nonsensical medal that means absoulutely NOTHING..

Everyone has their own reason for serving, HOPEFULLY none do if for the trinkets and shiny things..
Click to expand...

You mean John Kerry, don't you?
 
GURPS

GURPS

INGSOC
PREMO Member
migtig said:
If you have received a campaign medal for overseas service; have served 30 consecutive or 60 non-consecutive days in Korea; or have ever received hostile fire or imminent danger pay, then you're eligible to join our ranks.
Click to expand...



I do not think I qualify ... although I spent Sept 87 - Oct 88 in Korea - no one, thank God, was shooting at us, I did have to endure 12 months of blaring loudspeakers across the DMZ .... :whistle:
 
migtig

migtig

aka Mrs. Giant
GURPS said:
I do not think I qualify ... although I spent Sept 87 - Oct 88 in Korea - no one, thank God, was shooting at us, I did have to endure 12 months of blaring loudspeakers across the DMZ .... :whistle:
Click to expand...

You should qualify. That's more than 30 days in Korea.
 
Railroad

Railroad

Routinely Derailed
I was Navy from 1978-87. Did the Iran-Iraq Tanker War thing and a NATO cruise, but the dates work for Grenada and another one I've forgotten. The honoraria should go to those who were in-theater, either on the ground or in the air or close in waters as in Vietnam. There were Cold War actions which neither side will admit to, some of which involved submarines submerged in the Atlantic and a few other places. Hat's off and hand salute to those folks. Compared to them I was a drone. (Well, there WAS that missile attack...). Anyway, I salute all my fellow vets regardless of when exactly or where exactly they served.
 
spr1975wshs

spr1975wshs

Mostly settled in...
Ad Free Experience
Patron
I was USAF reserve enlisted from 09/1983 - 09/1992, which brackets some of the American Legion eligibility dates, so I joined.

My wife was regular USAF from 05/1981 (her commissioning) - 08/1994, which likewise brackets AL eligibility dates, but she's not much of a joiner.

As someone else mentioned, neither of us did it for the ribbons and metal bits...
 
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