Navy, 1968 - 1975, active and reserve. Served in USS LIMPKIN (MSC195) coastal minesweeper, USS HOIST (ARS40) salvage/rescue ship, USS DAMATO (DD871) destroyer and Seabees (construction). I was in the HOIST's engine room when one of four new Cat main engines was first started. It ran away until failure.

Navy. Went to college on an NROTC scholarship (Marine option) until I washed out of OCS. Was involuntarily recalled to go to Parris Island, but I found a Navy recruiter and lateraled over to the Navy instead, picking up two paygrades in the process. I became a construction mechanic in the Seabees and served two years active duty before getting out and finishing my bachelor's degree. A few years after that I joined the reserves just in time to mobilize and head to Iraq. I'm looking forward to mobilizing again some time next year. I don't know where we're going yet.

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Whoever said there's nothing more expensive than a cheap Mercedes never had a cheap Jaguar.

83 300D Turbo with manual conversion, early W126 vented front rotors and H4 headlights 400,xxx miles
08 Suzuki GSX-R600 M4 Slip-on 22,xxx miles
88 Jaguar XJS V12 94,xxx miles. Work in progress.

I didn't realize there were so many ole farts out there I am one myself.....

Joined Navy Reserve 1968, went to the Nam in 1969-1970, deactivated in 1970, went to college & bought house on GI Bill.

To all you Nam vets, salute..........and the same to the rest of you

USN 75-77. After the Navy got my BSEE and hired on at the Naval Ship Weapon System Engineering Station in Port Hueneme (Formerly Naval Ship Missile Systems Engineering Station (NSMSES pronounced nemesis) and is now Naval Surface Weapon Center Port Hueneme Division (NSWC PHD)). Worked on TERRIER launchers for ten years and now I work on Aegis Weapon System Computers and Displays. Just spent last week in San Diego working on USS HALSEY (DDG 97). I tell people I'm in death tech. I've been working for the Navy for 25 years come December. I've met amazingly talented and dedicated people in my work, and I wouldn't change a minute of it.

If you enjoy your freedom, thank a vet.

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mjk

'84 300SD 119KMi (Liesl der Diesel)
'84 300D 326KMi when the oil left (former parts car)
'82 300SD 253KMi (new parts car)

USAF 2002-present. 2 years at Fairchild, 3 years at Barksdale as a Nuc Missile Tech. I am retraining now.

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My Primary Driver - '85 300CD - 4-speed conversion, 2.47 rear, lowered, euro headlights, rebuilding (not restoring so much)

Wife's - '08 Saab Sportcombi Aero

Riding a '03 Yamaha Warrior

USAF 73 to77 electronics tech ECM.Things have changed since then min wage was $2.65 rent $80 new entry level Ford $1995.
Now cars have increased 10 times,wages 3 times.C.E.O.s in the millions.
Seems what I joined to protect America from,happened in the name of being rightheous.
Glad I'm still a Democrat.

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1999 w140, quit voting to old, and to old to fight, a god damned veteran

Current active duty Army. Blackhawk helicopter mechanic, Apache/Longbow helicopter avionics/armament mechanic.

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08 R320 CDI current

Past
95 E420
87 300D Turbo 5spd
90 300TE
83 300SD
85 300TD
92 400E
85 190D

joined June 71 went to Port Hueneme jan 72 to equip operator A school. 2 years at Kenitra, Morocco, then one of the circles of hell in Little Creek, VA. couldn't wait to get out, wasn't asked to re-up.
all in all, was the best experience i could have had at that age.
E03

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1985 300SD
1998 Jetta TDI
Previous: lots of diesel VW's, MB's, KW's, Pete, Freightliner


Walking isn't a lost art: one must, by some means, get to the garage.

Thanks for your service guys!

My dad served on the USS Daniel Webster in the late 70's.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Daniel_Webster_(SSBN-626)

My grandfather fought in the Philippines and did occupation duty in Japan. I still have his M1 Carbine that he picked up in the Philippines hitting the beach. As he said the PO didn't need it anymore and it worked. Maybe I'll go fire it this week, its been a bit over a year since he died and I miss him.

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1999 SL500
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

US Army. 68-71. Groundpounder RVN 68-69. Grad school and married thereafter. Same wife 37 years later.

US Army 1972-74, 1985-present. But that will end soon.

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Strelnik
Invest in America: Buy a Congressman!

1950 170SD
1951 Citroen 11BN
1953 Citroen 11BNF limo
1953 220a project
1959 180D
1960 190D
1960 Borgward Isabella TS 2dr
1983 240D daily driver
1983 380SL
1990 350SDL daily driver alt
3 x Citroen DS21M, down from 5
3 x Citroen 2CV, down from 6

What bratwurst I ate I bought from the little street vendor stands.
My German friend showed me a large picture book of the destruction after the War. There was not to much left standing except some Churches. So I believe the Old City Square would have to have been rebuilt.
I walked all over the City without knowing exactly where I was sometimes. I would guess that I had been to the Town Square before but never made a special note of it.
Is it the place where they have the Outdoor Market and where there is a nice Water Foutian?

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84 300D, 82 Volvo 244Gl Diesel

I did 4 years in the Army as a commo tech, and now 6 years in the AF reserve as an aviation maintaner, nearly 4 of it mobilized in support of various recent activity.

I never got to play when I was on the ground in Germany, but spent many hours wandering the streets of South Korea, eating from the little street vendor carts. Who knows what I was eating though, I just decided to try anything that was cooked enough that it didn't look like it would try to run off the plate!

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-Josh
Testing the cheap Mercedes axiom, one bolt at a time...

U.S. Marines 1974-78. Aviation electrician and avionics on KC-130's, A6 Intruders & TC-4C (modified Gulfstream I with mock cockpits for A6 fire control (bombadier) training). Came within "a couple of sheets of paper" to going to Nam for the Embassy evacuation. Outside of schools, stationed in Cherry Point, NC and flew all over the U.S. Got out during the peanut farmer's administration when there was runaway double-digit inflation and interest rates of 21%. It looks like were about to relive those days.

Went to school on GI bill and picked up FCC licenses, later Airframe & Powerplant. Spent several years traveling all over the western hemisphere as an avionics field service engineer for Mitsubishi Aircraft.

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Sam

84 300SD 350K+ miles ( Blue Belle )

Damn, you guys served a long time ago. Me, USN 86-07, Electronics tech. Would do it all over again in a heartbeat.