Mil Vet Railroaders

[IRONROOSTER]

6 1/2 years in the Army 69-76. Half in D.C. and half in Heidelberg, Germany. Started model railroading in Germany when my wife gave me a train set for Christmas 71. Found MR on the newstand the next day and been hooked ever since. I started two layouts in Germany, lost the first when my first son was born. Started a second one in the master bedroom. That stopped when we moved back home. I move the trains and buildings, but gave the layout to my beer deliveryman who was also a model railroader.
Enjoy
Paul

[Anonymous]

Did not know so many "mil vets" liked trains. I did 28 years in the airforce, about 7 months of it flying (5,000 hours). Not in the USAF, but we were part of the 35th TFW in Viet Nam:- No 2 Sqn RAAF. Dropped a lot of bombs to try to make those LZs that Paul wrote about (see above) a little cooler for our guys. The last operational type I flew in was the F-111. Picked up an Aardvark from the factory at Fort Worth and flew it back across the pond after some practice around the Sacramento area. But that was a bit over 30 years ago. I had a layout that I could pack so that it became a crate. It was reasonably removalist proof, but it was a pain dismantling each few years and having to put it back together again at the new location.

To all you people still serving, keep up the good work, and remember you can do a bit on your hobby too.

[R. T. POTEET]

DEAN_1230 - knew an old navy veteran who used to say that his toughest fights during Big Brawl Two was in the OLGMs ----- that's "Off Limits Gin Mills" for the uninitiated.

Spent 20 years and a few days in the Air Force from 1958 to 1978 - the AF couldn't quite make up their mind where they wanted me to be so they kept trying me out in new jobs (AFSCs: 304X0; 305X1; 511X0); I never had any doubt where I wanted to be - OUT; unfortunately I couldn't quite figure out what I wanted to do with myself so every time discharge time rolled around I would raise my hand one more time swearing that this was the last - finally in 1978 the AF and I got mutually sick of each other and parted company - same feelings overcame my wife and I fifteen years ago - had to part with 50% of my retired pay (Former Spouse Protection Act of 1985) but, h___, it was worth it.

I first got interested in railroading in 1962 when a TDY trapped me at Vandenburg without any partying money - bought the July, '62 MR and RMC and got promptly hooked - sweated out the waiting list at a club in Massachusetts in 1965 and - you guessed it - two days after being accepted got PCS orders to Clark AB in the Philippines. Since I figured this was a Goodbye, God; were going to the Philippines proposition I sold all my equipment (there wasn't really very much) before leaving Massachusetts. Got to Clark and discovered that there was a club forming. I was really very busy with deployments into SE Asia and didn't have a lot of time for modelling but I could have booted myself in the rear-end anyway for selling my equipment.

I was a charter member of the model railroad club in Kaiserslautern, Germany in 1972 and I joined the club at Lajes Field in the Azores in 1977. Never did build a home layout in those years. Got involved in N-Scale shortly after my retirement in 1978 and that's where I've been ever since.

Modelling isn't easy in an environement where, every few year, you can expect to have to pack up and move. There is a significant difference in moving across town and moving across country. We had a guy in Germany who had several Akane articulateds from the early to mid-60s and they hadn't turned a wheel in years because he had made three or four PCS moves in a decade and had had to keep them in cardboard boxes because he just didn't really have anyplace to run them. Despite my comments I enjoyed (notice I didn't say "loved") my time in the service.

[jguess733]

just started my 6th year in the navy. i've recently transfered from the USS Nevada to shore duty at SWFPAC, so now that i'm not making anymore patrols for the time being i'm going to catch up on my modeling.

[tangerine-jack]

21 years and counting, US Army Field Artillery, WHAT?SPEAK UP SONNY?!?!??[:D]
Did tours in Panama, Persian Gulf, and Iraq. 2008 may go to Afghanistan with the 1st BCT (Brigade Combat Team). Never let the military bother me much with the hobby, if I couldn't build a layout I built plastic model airplanes. Always opportunities for model building in the service, I think I built every Monogram and Revell model the PX sells. I kept a modest supply of paint and tools in a small ammo box so I would always be ready. It's surprizing how many friendships I made because of a common bond of model building.

[Paul W. Beverung]

Hi John: Thanks for the support. I think that we for the most part tried to avoid getting to close to the Aussy units. Seems that when ever one of our birds was left alone for a few seconds near them it was covered with kangaroos.