A.C.: Fixed Bayonets. It was July 1958 and I was stationed on the USS Essex, (CVA-9) anchored in Piraeus, Greece. Liberty was good with lots of wine, woman and Greek dances. We were in port with the Battle Cruiser, USS Boston. There was a civil war brewing in Lebanon. The Christian Democrats were being challenged by a right-leaning faction of Muslims. On 14 July the pro-Western government of Iraq was toppled and the President of Lebanon feared there would be trouble in Lebanon and asked for U.S. assistance. President Eisenhower responded by sending in the aircraft carriers USS Essex, USS Saratoga and the USS Wasp, plus two cruisers and two destroyer squadrons. The immediate goal for the Navy was to take and hold the port in Lebanon through a land invasion from the ocean side! The U.S. Army and U.S. Marine Corp followed with about 14,000 men with the goal of cutting off all transportation in and out of Beirut and the capture of the airport and the harbor. Vice Admiral "Cat" Brown became the supreme commander of U.S Forces. Normally, the Navy was not involved in sea/land invasions. It was always our job to bomb the beachheads and land the Marines from troop transports. In this case, the Navy was on-site quicker than anyone else and Admiral Brown ordered a contingent of four - 8 man squads from the USS Essex to deploy onto the beach in Beirut and immediately secure the port. The word went out through the Essex for volunteers to make the "initial invasion". The only requirement was that you must have experience with the M-1 rifle and hand-to-hand combat training. I had both and I volunteered. To this day I can only attribute my action to patriotic fervor! Looking back it was probably the dumbest thing I did in the Navy! From the first moment this "hair brained" scheme became a comedy! We were ordered to suit-up in full dress whites, with white leggings, white ammunition belts, a bayonet, a white combat helmet and black combat boots. Oh yes, we wore a white armband that said "SP" (shore patrol in Navy lingo) in dark blue letters! If you have seen the movie "Sand Pebbles", with Steve McQueen, then you can envision what we looked like! A Navy Lieutenant was going to lead the "invasion". He was about 24 years old and the rest of us were between 18 and 22 years old. He briefed us, explaining our goal was to land on the beach and proceed to the main drag, where two squads would block the road to the pier. The second group was to proceed to the pier area and "capture" the port. I was a squad leader for one of the squads group. I was also the senior member, so I would be directing the 2 squads. I was 21 years old and was about to go into "hand-to-hand combat' - where the hell were the Marines! The four squads were loaded aboard "liberty" launches, small craft used for delivering sailors to the local piers in towns where we anchored out. We were going to land on the Christian -side of Beirut, the ride was about 3 miles. As we closed in on the beach we could hear a 50 caliber machine gun in a Muslim minaret, or prayer tower. At the same time we could see a Navy Skyraider dive in and fire two rockets at the tower! It was a direct hit! Then we heard the Lieutenant holler, " Sailors! Fixed bayonets"! My first thought was, "Holy S... " this is for real! The liberty launch approached a pier sticking out from the beach. The coxswain put the liberty boat at the end of the pier. We quickly off-loaded and began to jog toward the beach - yelling "Go Navy"! Fear would have gripped us all, but with our chanting, the 50 caliber, the Skyraider and the adrenaline rush - all I could think of was here we are "the fighting men" of the US Navy! As we jogged off the pier we were stunned to see girls and guys in bathing suits welcoming us with open arms! The public beach was packed with swimmers, all startled by the machine gun, rocket explosion and the American Navy coming to their rescue! People were patting us on the back and cheering as we ran to block the road above the beach. I took my two squads to the right, down the road, toward the pier area. There was no resistance, just people lining he streets and cheering. I remember seeing a pretty young lady waving a small American Flag. When we got to the pier the mood of the people was more "war like". We had run into the longshoreman who obviously weren't expecting us. We had two lads that could speak Lebanese and they quickly explained our purpose and then cheers went up. All I could here was "Yankee, Yankee" and a lot of clapping. I immediately ordered all 16 of us to form a line at the landing just above the pier. We stood at "parade rest" with our rifles and bayonets. Soon another Navy Officer appeared and took over command. I later learned that Admiral Brown had ordered the Marine Detachment aboard the USS Essex to capture he beach. The commanding office of the Essex, Captain Hawk Christopher, had requested the Marines be held back to protect the senior officers when they went ashore! Eventually, the Marines landed on the beach and the "war" was over before it started. The ship went back to sea for two weeks of flying and then we anchored in the bay at the Isle of Rhodes. It was here in Rhodes where I received a surprise set of orders to return to the states for school in Memphis. The trip back was another adventure and a story yet to be told!

A. C.: Getting promoted to corporal.

A. S.: During my in country tour in Viet Nam and serving on a LST was to Salute and serve the soldiers fighting deep in country. They were the bravest. We were there to serve them and we did. My prayer, on Sunday, is always a prayer of remembrance to those that gave all.

D. D.: I served 2 tours of duty in Vietnam 1968 and 1970. The most memorable thing I remember was coming home, being spit on, swore at and totally disgraced. I love my country so much I was prepared to die for it, and for that I was humiliated. God Bless This Great Country I would do it all again.

F. R.: The crossing the equator, Shellback initiation. It wore us down, but we got thru the initiation.

G. M.: My husband served in Iraq in 2004 as a member of the National Guard. As a wife of a soldier, it was an eye opening experience, particularly when you have to consider that your husband may not return home to his family.

J. K.: Though I can't think of anything brave I did while in the Air Force I did serve honorably during the Iraq War while stationed at Khobar Towers Saudi Arabia as a firefighter in 1993. But I thought I would use this as an opportunity to remember the 19 Airman who lost their lives at the bombing of Khobar Towers three years later. They served most honorably and paid the ultimate sacrifice for our country and are definitely heroes in my book.

K. M.: Being deployed to New Zealand and playing the part of a terrorist during a military exercise.

L. B.: When I had a photo opportunity with the First Lady Michelle Obama.

L.R.: I was in the Navy. Served on 2 cruises (deployments) during Vietnam War. I was an Aviation Fire Control Technician. The bravest thing I ever did was being called up to the flight deck of the USS Independence to troubleshoot an aircraft that had lost its radar while sitting on the catapult ready to launch. About the only thing I could do with the plane ready to launch was raise the radome and replace the radar receiver crystals. It was a long shot, but it worked. The aircraft was the lead aircraft in the flight going out, so the launch was successful. During the mission, the aircraft lost its radio, tacan, INS and every other means of communication and navigation. The only system left to guide it back to the carrier was the radar that I repaired on the #1 catapult of the USS Independence in 1971. It was not so brave, but I have always been proud of what I did.

O. H.: The friends I made and those relationships that carried over into retirement.

P. B.: Emergency refueling of a shot up fighter aircraft coming off target leaking fuel.

S. G.: Fighting next to those brave enough to risk their lives for the freedoms we have.

T. R.: I was injured and taken to a hospice that was full of burnt up and dead Iraqi's lost by my command. They pumped me full of what later after I was recovered was told was chemicals. I came back a mess with PTSD, Gulf War Syndrome to include Multiple Sclerosis, Fibromyalgia, Chronic Pain Syndrome, Chronic Joint Pain, Chronic Fatigue, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Loss Of Spincher Control, Loss Of Bladder Control, 9 Herniated Disk w/ 3 Impingements, Major Nightmares snapping my teeth in front twice from grinding, having to have them all redone twice, Depression, Panic Disorder, Lacerated Liver, Ruptured Kidney, and several more issues. As bad as all that sounds, the Girl I was dating then was also deployed there and was the person who found me 6 days later, to be recovered on the 7th day after reporting my location to my command. Mind you this was in Desert Storm. Upon returning we were married. It has now been almost 26 years we have been married. Most of us in that area came back sick with Gulf War Syndrome and some have passed away. She also has Gulf War Syndrome, with Lupus as her auto Immune Disease, Chronic Lung Disease, Fibromyalgia, Chronic Pain Syndrome, Chronic Joint Pain, Fibromyalgia, PTSD, and others. But we love each other and although I'm Wheelchair Bound, she has been there for me and I for her this whole time and we can't say we would take anything back. Our children were also born with illnesses such as Spinal Bifida Occulta, Spondolysiosis, and other illnesses. But we are happy Church going Christians which has kept us strong. On September 19, 2018, we will celebrate our 26th Wedding Anniversary. I am hoping to try and go somewhere nice. Although this story sounds horrible, it is a tremendous Love story. I founded and am President Of Safe Athletic Environmental Environment Inc. A nonprofit that helps our youth and wheelchair Veterans found at safe4youth.com and wouldn't change a thing to disrupt what has brought us so close together. Praise God !!

W. L.: Just being in other country.