30 years ago this week...We Were Soldiers Once

[Dutch]

We had a 25mm cannon (M242 Bushmaster) on the Bradley, while awesome in its own right, that GAU-8 is down right impressive.

Linked 25mm APDS cannon rounds.

 

[oldfella1962]

When I first joined the Air Force (before I worked with the A-10) I worked with the F-111. It had a 20mm gun which is great for engaging other aircraft, but of course against armored vehicles it just didn't cut it.

Another aircraft that uses that tank-busting 30mm round is the Apache. Most of the aviation units I was in though had Blackhawks. Anyway the Apache only uses a single barreled "chain gun" rather than the A-10 gatling styled gun, but the round it fires is the same and I wouldn't stand in front of it that's for sure.

 

[Core Lokt]

Thank you Sir for serving!!! God Bless

 

[Railroader]

Solemn Salute...

That's all.

 

[dwhee87]

Thanks for posting. And thanks to you, and all who served.

 

[Mauser]

A big sincere THANK YOU to you and all others that have served!!!!! Thanks for sharing!!!

 

[HarryO45]

The only problem with the A10, is we don’t have enough of them.

 

[Meriwether Mike]

My thanks to you and your brothers for your service and sacrifice.

 

[jicard3]

Thanks for your service. As well.

The Air Force did a great job prepping the battlefield for the ground fight. We had a pair of A-10's do some CAS for us when we was fighting to cut Highway 8. Awesome planes, the cannon firing sounded like a dragons roar...gives me chills to hear it to this day.

I saw a documentary once, they were talking with a fella had been on the ground in the desert. He said when you were in tight spot and needed them, the growl from an A-10 cannon was the sweetest sound in the world. Thank you Dutch. Thank you Ruger. God bless you both.

 

[toolmkr20]

Great posts and thread. Thank you guys for your sacrifices and service to our great nation.

 

[Thunder Head]

I ETSd a few days before they invaded.

Eventually I got the call to come back. We made our way from Fort knox to Germany. We were at grafenwoehr doing live fire exercise's in our Bradleys when yall went in. It didn't take long to see that reinforcement's wouldn't be needed. They turned us around and sent us home.

Luckily none of my friends were killed or seriously wounded.

Sorry for your loss and thanks for your service brother.

 

[hawkeye123]

Great thread! Nobody I respect more, than those who have served so we can enjoy our freedom! Thanks from my family for your service!

 

[oldfella1962]

The only problem with the A10, is we don’t have enough of them.

True! No excuse for not having them because they are dirt cheap compared a lot of other aircraft. And they rarely crash (from engines FODing * out) because the engines are up top and pretty much protected by the wings. And they are very hard to shoot down too as seen in the first link. Yes, everybody wants to marry that woman - who can blame them?

* Foreign Object Damage - since the A-10 does it's "dirty work" at low level the flying debris from their wrath of destruction could take out their own engines if they were totally exposed. Also the pilot is protected by an extra layer of titanium armor on the bottom of the bird called a "bath tub".

https://theaviationgeekclub.com/the...-damaged-warthog-using-only-cranks-and-cables

https://www.airforcetimes.com/news/...-landing-receives-distinguished-flying-cross/

this bird was hit by a SAM!

https://theaviationgeekclub.com/10-...amaged-cowling-display-national-guard-museum/

 

[Iwannashoot]

You guys should be super proud of what you accomplished over there. Thanks for your service

 

[Jim Thompson]

Great post Dutch. Love your service but hate your losses. We appreciate you brother

 

[Resica]

Thanks Dutch, Ruger, Oldfella, Thunderhead and everyone else involved in our conflicts! I appreciate it!!

 

[Hawken2222]

Thank you for your service.
I remember the picture you posted from time Magazine when it was originally published. God bless you and all of your brothers. You all are among the giants of our time.

 

[jimmy.444]

My most sincere thanks to all who served. Another reminder that freedom isn’t free.
God bless America!!

 

[oldfella1962]

Thank you for your service.
I remember the picture you posted from time Magazine when it was originally published. God bless you and all of your brothers. You all are among the giants of our time.

The Time magazine pic really makes you think when you hear from the people in the pic. All those images are "news" for a while until the next tragic event comes along, but they depict real people going through these events.

Speaking of I just remembered. In the very first days of Iraq 2003 version I was briefly on an Italian TV news show, but it was pretty boring stuff I guess because our embedded reporter jumped ship to hang out with a grunt unit. I don't blame her, unless you're actually in the helicopter an aviation unit can be pretty boring.

 

[Buck70]

Speaking of We Were Soldiers, remember that the Ol' Preacher was the original Time magazine pic of We Were Soldiers.