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pattoncommander -> RE: Thanks Wacky... funny video (5/10/2008 4:16:20 AM)
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Pzfaust, you are certainly not alone in that respect. Those who have not lived through being shot at, seen the ugly interrior of a destroyed vehicle, lost a friend in it or smelled a battlefield on a hot day a couple days after a battle cannot comprehend the stress and mental anguish of war. I guess that why most vets won't talk about it and my only comments are on mechanical things, pro and con on operating a particular tank and advising modelers on what things would be carried, where and why or why not.
Younger generations just cannot rationalize hard times and for the most part, really haven't had a tough time in growing up. No rationing of food, gas and restrictions on movement or dads bank account. That hit us very hard during Vietnam and a lot of young kids had to grow up really fast. Many didn't.
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I feel blessed that I only lost 2 men in 25 yrs and was able to get out of my tank with my whole crew when we hit a mine and can still look back and discuss it. One benefit of a tank is that you don't normally have the 1 on 1 contact with the enemy and are generally firing at inanimate objects 1000 yds or more away. It just hits you hard to look at a knocked out tank and consider the reality that it's just like yours.
Building models and extending or converting into variations showing what was done to improve or alter to change mission is sort of therapy. Educating people on the mechanical aspect of a vehicle, it's use, organization of units, plus keeping the mind fresh on colors, markings etc is interesting and it's a continuous learning hobby working on tanks that you really aren't (yet) familiar with.. Never thought that starting with one Pershing would net me over 30 tanks, no two the same model.
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