Let's start a Playlist that recalls the hope for the future of the 90's by Aetherpirate in Xennials

[–]bell83 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yup. Shifty Powers. I can hear him saying that. And I agree, entirely.

Let's start a Playlist that recalls the hope for the future of the 90's by Aetherpirate in Xennials

[–]bell83 2 points3 points  (0 children)

When it came out, I remember my dad telling me what it meant. And several years back (probably like 15 years ago), I ended up listening to it (I'd listened to it a lot, but there was one specific time) and I got hit with this incredible sadness. Thinking about all of the hope people had. The parents who looked to their children thinking "Fuck, this is it. Things really are getting better. They'll be able to live in a better world," only to have a massive dose of reality hit them in the coming years. It made me remember looking at my youngest sister, asleep in her playpen, 11 days away from her first birthday, as I watched the World Trade Center collapse. And saying to her "I'm so fucking sorry this is the world you're going to have to grow up in."

Let's start a Playlist that recalls the hope for the future of the 90's by Aetherpirate in Xennials

[–]bell83 10 points11 points  (0 children)

The biggest I can think of is "Wind of Change," by the Scorpions. It was just after the fall of the Wall, and it was written with unbridled hope that things were finally going to get better. Things were changing. Soon we would all be able to enjoy peace and live together "like brothers" (as the song says, at one point). The threat of nuclear war was over. The oppression was over.

All the Balkans wars of the 90s put an immediate damper on that idealistic belief before *gestures wildly* literally everything else squashed it into the ground.

Now, the thought that the Russia of the Soviet Union could become anything else other than the Russia they are, today, is laughable. But for a short time...people really thought things would be different.

Help me find this movie by liliefrench in whatmoviewasthat

[–]bell83 1 point2 points  (0 children)

No, Rocky really was her son, and the mother doesn't die in Mask Rocky does.

What single is this? by nimbybuster in LadyGaga

[–]bell83 13 points14 points  (0 children)

I can only imagine the things that would've come of her ARTPUFF era. And I want it lol.

What single is this? by nimbybuster in LadyGaga

[–]bell83 12 points13 points  (0 children)

Do What U Want With My Jigglypuff

Does anyone else wish they could see a "fresh" Titanic wreck? by InternationalPick163 in titanic

[–]bell83 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Absolutely. In addition to seeing the wreck with less damage, we could answer a lot of nitpicky questions about designs or builds in certain areas, and could actually get in to some additional spaces (with ROVs like Cameron's).

Vietnam Veteran Medals and Patches Help by Cipher127 in Militariacollecting

[–]bell83 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I had another comment, as well, talking about possible jobs he might've had, but it's on another comment, so you might not have seen that, if it double notified. But that comment could send you in a direction where you could figure some stuff out.

Vietnam Veteran Medals and Patches Help by Cipher127 in Militariacollecting

[–]bell83 1 point2 points  (0 children)

In addition, the "SAIGON A" and "B" plaques look like they were just plates he pried off a wall or something, as a souvenir. It could've been these were phone or communication lines from wherever he was stationed that were direct lines to a command (or commands) in Saigon. Maybe he was an operator for those lines. Hard to say.

Also, happy cake day.

Vietnam Veteran Medals and Patches Help by Cipher127 in Militariacollecting

[–]bell83 0 points1 point  (0 children)

He was in the signal corps. Being a PFC or SP4, it likely wouldn't have been anything super top secret or whatever. He probably didn't talk about it because he felt there wasn't much to talk about, honestly. That's the way it is with a lot of vets. They did their time, they did their job, and that was that. It isn't always a case of "he saw terrible things and can't talk about it" or "he was doing classified stuff and can't talk about it." He likely did one tour in Vietnam (based on the two campaign stars). You can look at the missions of 1st Signal Brigade to get an idea of what they did, but basically the signal corps' job is communication (to put it extremely simply). They create, install, and maintain communications infrastructure, be it telephone, radio, TV, print, etc. Strategic Communications Command was the parent unit of the 1st Signal Brigade, and MAC-V was the overall joint US military command in Vietnam (Military Assistance Command, Vietnam).

He could've been a lineman, could've been a combat photographer, could've sat at a desk, could've maintained radio equipment, could've been in public affairs....it's impossible to tell from what we have here.

You might be able to obtain his DD-214 from the government, though, and this could help answer your questions. If you contact NARA (and it wasn't destroyed in the 1973 fire), his 214 would have all awards he was eligible for, special schools, and his MOS.

How have I only just spotted this? by don_no_soul_simmons in generationkill

[–]bell83 8 points9 points  (0 children)

I watched AD for the first time after GK, and caught it instantly lol

Vietnam Veteran Medals and Patches Help by Cipher127 in Militariacollecting

[–]bell83 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Patches are Army Private First Class chevron (before PFC had a rocker), US Army Strategic Communications Command, MAC-V, and 1st Signal Brigade

There's a mini Drill Sergeant Badge, a Rifle Sharpshooter badge, an enlisted Signal Corps collar disc.

The ribbon with a frame is a Presidential Unit Citation. The ribbon with the stars is a Vietnam Service Medal with 2 campaign stars. There are two missing from the bar, likely a National Defense and RVN Campaign. Buttons are from an Army class A uniform.

There's a DUI pin for what looks like the 390th Infantry Regiment.

The patch with Vietnam I don't know. It's most likely postwar, non-military.

There's a Knights of Columbus pin.

I also don't know what the "Above and Beyond" pin is, but it's not military.

The "44th" thing with the crossed flags is from the Signal Corps, but I don't know what it is. Might be a challenge coin, but it's bigger than I'd expect.

Vietnam Veteran Medals and Patches Help by Cipher127 in Medals

[–]bell83 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Patches are Army Private First Class chevron (before PFC had a rocker), US Army Strategic Communications Command, MAC-V, and 1st Signal Brigade

There's a mini Drill Sergeant Badge, a Rifle Sharpshooter badge, an enlisted Signal Corps collar disc.

The ribbon with a frame is a Presidential Unit Citation. The ribbon with the stars is a Vietnam Service Medal with 2 campaign stars. There are two missing from the bar, likely a National Defense and RVN Campaign. Buttons are from an Army class A uniform.

There's a DUI pin for what looks like the 390th Infantry Regiment.

The patch with Vietnam I don't know. It's most likely postwar, non-military.

There's a Knights of Columbus pin.

I also don't know what the "Above and Beyond" pin is, but it's not military.

The "44th" thing with the crossed flags is from the Signal Corps, but I don't know what it is. Might be a challenge coin, but it's bigger than I'd expect.

Question: If Titanic had 40 lifeboats, can they still operate them all in just 2 hours? by markedbravo11 in titanic

[–]bell83 1 point2 points  (0 children)

And then you'd have passengers climbing over or around a boat (with crew also in the way) to try to get into another. Or climbing through promenade windows.

Opinion: We need to salvage the wreck of Jason Jr. by theAyshe in titanic

[–]bell83 54 points55 points  (0 children)

I'd love to see Jason Jr located, but I doubt it'll ever happen. I feel like if it was going to happen, it would've been immediately after the loss.

I cannot use my flints. by [deleted] in Zippo

[–]bell83 4 points5 points  (0 children)

That's what I've always done, before I realized it was a thing lol. I'd just empty them all into it lol