Thread: nearly old members

Yes. I have a couple of Delta ordered and they will have german type reticles' illum centre dot and 50-56 objective hd lenses. Also going to check that Docter that @Sarvo brought in.
Can't find any new knees though, dammit.

Originally Posted by Woody

Yes. I have a couple of Delta ordered and they will have german type reticles' illum centre dot and 50-56 objective hd lenses. Also going to check that Docter that @Sarvo brought in.
Can't find any new knees though, dammit.

Talk to the "Docter"
Hope it will distract the knee pain for a while

Post Tracking has gone complete AWOL
Everything I sent Friday still show only pick up scan
Think the system needs a major revamp for this new era of online shopping

Originally Posted by Woody

I can relate to all of that. Now I am working on upgrading my scopes as visual acuity fades. Will soon be selling some favourites to finance oones with large objective lenses. Just gotta adapt. No other choice.

How does a larger objective lens improve your visual acuity?
I'm finding that scopes that I haven't used for a couple of years just need the reticle refocusing and all's good again.
Of course, if visual acuity is a stated "reason" given to the finance department to justify upgrading who am I to ask the question. :-)

More light entering the retina darktime rods. Also some help with cararact interference affecting percieved contrast. Light perception decreases with age and I am about 60% of a younger person. You will find a number of older guys taking youngsters along partly because they become your "eyes and ears".
As for the "finance dept", rhey prefer to avoid the grumpiness that occurs if insufficient hunting is done

my oldest M8 4x is still the easiest for my eyes,it has large rear eye box so just works.... got a lovely kahles here and the thick outerbars or Xhairs really work well...just havent put in on 223 as the 3x9x50mm thats on it is just so good for that rifle,with its high mounts it sort of just works perfectly,a smaller scope just looks wrong on it.
tell you what,lifting the 130lb sow onto ute ungutted tonight told me I wasnt 18 anymore,knew she had to go on first,or wouldnt be able to lift all 4.... ungutted as in hurry to get home and my only knife wasnt flash,its my for work one....and ran out of daylight.

Only just found this thread ,rather ironically while l wait to hear from a good friends family in the USA , after he just passed at 77 living a full life that most could only dream of,.A Veteran from a UDT background & becoming one of the first SEALs ever into Combat. Even after having a Russian Satchel Charge land next to him in Vietnam,with the only thing saving him was a small pile of rubbish from the NVC camp they were infiltrating,but the down side was it made for ,DIY shrapnel . As the guys who treated him on the ground said ,he was the worst casualty bleed they had seen & had that many bleeding wounds, his state as relayed to the Dust Off crew in bound, was described as a Pin Cushion ,a nick name that stuck with him for his 30yrs hard charging service.

All the guys on the ground did not expect him to live that day & yet with all the broken bones,torn flesh & internal bleeding he was still actively involved in conflicts around the world,lead & trained some of the most elite fighting forces in the world & fit & active until till recent times some 50 years later

During his life among a lot of other things ,being among the first to ever deploy at "Mission Depth", while on a active mission from a Nuclear Submarine,deploy on a mission from a Submarines Torpedo Tubes at maximum depth,for concealment ,causing a ear drum to blow & becoming disorientated, all while being hunted by a enemy force.Helped develop the parachute & diving rig & completed the jump to become among the first to parachute with a Atomic Bomb strapped to them .His wounds & growing age never stopped him from living life to the full & after he "left" the military become a successful business man .

I will be 60 at the end of the year & was very fortunate to become friends through Guiding with a lot of the original SEALs & Macv/SOG of Vietnam war era & we traveled the world for 26 years Hunting/fishing/Sky Diving & motor bike riding .Their commitment to staying fit & active even with severe injuries & amputations meant they out performed many much younger clients in the field & were great inspiration for me to keep fit & continue my involvement in Sky Diving,Martial Arts & Scuba Diving .I stopped competing in Martial Arts & Sky Diving at 55.Still love all out door pursuits ,becoming more interested in Rafting as means to explore & hunt & fish remote areas ie launch from point up stream & then get picked up at some remote point down stream by chopper after living off the land,with only what you can carry .

Very lucky to have a group of mates who for 14 years (until Chyna Flu)have done multiple extended group Hunting /Fishing/Diving trips ie Latte Land for Sika,private fly in blocks & diving/fishing ,Gods country for Stewart Island ,Fiordland etc & bird hunting .A few of the guys are turning into grumpy old men with lots of excuses of late ,so no doubt may have some pull out,but some do have a decade on me,so we cut them a bit of slack just don't tell them .

@hamsav I know the feeling with the rattling when you walk & setting off airport alarms ,l raced bikes off road for nearly 30 years & completed the Finke Desert Race twice, got clipped & busted left collar bone ,forearm,wrist & every bone in my hand except my little finger & then 5 years later dusted my left wrist again & right collar bone & ribs ,so it is held together with more metal than bone now,but thankfully gives no problems unless l really push it rock climbing/abseiling.I was lucky & when l was young & dumb,l took up shearing after leaving school & seeing how the guys suffered with bad backs have always taken care to work on core strength through swimming etc & kept fit & l think that has paid off in later life as l do not have real aches & pains & knees etc are all good.


Funny you mention those beautiful Moto Guzzi 850t ,in 02 me & a mate rode across the Simpson Desert in Oz ,on a couple of KTM 690's & up the infamous Big Red sand dune, out of Birdsville QLD & we were fucking knackered ,as we put in a big 5 days(too big) & it took 6 attempts to get up the dune .Who rides up from the civilization side but a "Old Bloke" (to us then) on a Moto Guzzi 850t he had just turned 62 & had rebuilt himself & was doing a lap of Oz on it. l also have a shed full of bikes in various stages of swearing at ,a Harley Road Glide, a KTM690& Yammy WR450 all set up for long range expeditions as we have done Oz & SE Asia adventure rides .




@grandpamac I was going to message you to see how you were going before we left for our Roar hunts ,great to hear the fitness program is working out ,very proud you have stuck at it & done so well signs of a Good Keen Man.Those boots Sarvo has a very good for the $$ very comfortable & l often wear mine around the farm they are that good on the feet

When ever you are feeling old & worn out & wonder if you have done enough in life remember there are men like Capt Ron who knew what living life to the full was all about & many more like him ,these guys have pushed me to keep testing the limits through 3 Decades of True Friendship .

To show you what sort of guys they are back in 2014-15 my wife & l were ticking off a Bucket list item of Sailing around the South Pacific.we did it in a old yacht l brought cheap after the financial melt down in Singapore & restored it while it sat at anchor in Singapore harbor,l get a phone call out of the blue asking would l join & help a couple of the Nam era SEALs Captain "Pete" Peterson & Captain Rick Woolard, with a group of others & give them a hand for a few days,so l got a 7 day leave pass from the missus & she flew down to visit our daughter in oz ,l grabbed a cheap flight & ended up being part of this .

Although thankfully l am only briefly shown in the background a couple of times,l carried my ratty old stoney creek pack. loaded up with cartons of cigarettes with packet wrappers like they had in the 60-70's ,to be dispensed at will to authorities blocking our access & gifts ,l became known as Smoko to the locals much to the others amusement .

if you have not seen this documentary l highly recommend it ,this also shows what great people these guys are,who even after having seen & done unimaginable horrors they are loyal, great men with hearts of gold .Have you ever seen or heard about the documentary" A Bond Unbroken- The Why Of Minh- "about the Vietnam War era SEALs & Brown Water Navy guys on a mission to find their Vietnamese combat interpreter,who was lost during the confusion of the evacuation & never heard of for decades after the Vietnam war had ended ?

-A write up on it -


"A reunion 40 years in the making. After decades of wondering what became of their combat interpreter, a group of U.S. Navy SEALs attempts to find Nguyen Hoang Minh, left behind in the aftermath of the Vietnam War. When they discover him living in abject poverty, the bond they forged during the conflict is so strong that the entire SEAL community takes up funds to ensure that Minh has financial security for the rest of his life. The film documents the circumstances that created that bond, the reunion, and the impact on the Vietnamese-American community"


Capt Ron & a lot of the guys l have been talking about are in this as well & it shows how even in their later years they maintained activity & fitness it also has some really good home movie style combat footage of SEALs ,Brown Water Navy & Seawolves -

" A Bond Unbroken- The Why Of Minh- "


https://vimeo.com/185166669

Just, WOW

Originally Posted by Woody

Just, WOW

As for Capt Ron IMO he is one of the greatest unknown Warriors of modern Military history ,largely unknown because he came fro the era where,Loose Lips Sink Ships meant something & you did not join elite forces to get a book deal to grease your way through .He was not only one of the first SEALs to go into Combat but also paved the way for the Infamous "RED Cell"teams that tested security both in Top Secret Military bases & Critical private industry around the world ,meaning his service was kept on the down low .

Here is a brief run down on his "official on the books "service record of a man who was among the first ever SEALs to fight in Combat -


https://imgur.com/lYvzw7p

Captain Ron, - Just a note to inform what sort of warrior he was, a Bronze Star is recognition enough of bravery in battle ,from memory only 1 in 45 is awarded with a combat V indicating valor in combat.Capt Ron was awarded 4 Bronze Star's with the V for Valor .




30 distinguished years of military service in the US Navy included, but certainly were not limited to; U.S. Navy Captain in Naval Special Warfare Operations where he served in a variety of high level Navy and joint service operational, command, and staff positions. He was an Underwater Demolition Team Frogman (UDT) and Navy SEAL, participating in 3 SEAL combat tours to the Republic of Vietnam with SEAL Team 2, “The Men with Green Faces”, where he earned 9 medals with a combat V indicating valor in combat including 4 bronze stars, the Republic of Vietnam Cross of Gallantry, 7 Campaign Medals, and the Purple Heart. He also served as the Commanding Officer of both Underwater Demolition Team 21 and SEAL Team 6. During his illustrious career he was awarded a total of 45 individual medals and ribbons including the Superior Service Medal, the Navy Legion of Merit, and 5 Defense and Navy Meritorious Service Medals.

After he "left" the Military he had a highly successful business career on top of all else he had achieved- He received a Master of Arts Degree from the Navy Postgraduate School, attended the Navy War College, and was president of the 1993 class of the National War College. Following his Navy career, he served 6 years in such positions as Program Manager, Director of the Marketing Department, and Division Vice President with the Research Planning Inc. professional services firm in Falls Church, VA. Following his relocation to Florida, he served 14 years with the Wackenhut/G4S Professional Armed Security Corporation.

IMO just a outstanding man & like a lot of the original SEALs & MACV-SOG Veterans l got to get to know & become friends with a very Loyal,kind hearted & generous person,who do not suffer fools,but would put their life on the line for a close friend.The one thing they all shared in common was no matter how old or what injuries they carried all the way up to amputations ,loss of eyes,hearing etc ,they reused to just sit around & let death creep up on them ,they all pushed their physical & mental capabilities to the limits. Capt Ron was a consummate Diver & some of the best Dives l have ever done was with guys with a decade + on me & some with amputations on the WW2 wrecks in PNG & Guadalcanal ,weeks on board at sea & grueling days in the water,living in each others pockets, these guys were pushing me expand my limits & teaching me how to read the under water conditions better & be a better diver .Not realizing they were also making me a better person in the process,l can only hope l never let them down or take my foot off the throttle of pushing myself .


"Fair Winds and Following Seas" - Capt Ron you Glorious Bastard

@bunji. That vimeo about Minh and the Seals is great. Thankyou.

Originally Posted by Woody

@bunji. That vimeo about Minh and the Seals is great. Thankyou.

Glad you found it interesting ,it was a long hard slog for the guys fighting Bureaucrats both in the US & Vietnam .I was on just one of many trips for them & as well as being a good watch l hope it shows how fit & active they kept themselves throughout the ages discussed here & beyond,even with significant injuries.

Being there while some of the guys returned for the first time to old battlefields where they lost buddies fighting beside them ,was a humbling experience . Like a lot of my time with them ,l was also extremely honored for them to share memories & feelings they had never shared with anyone until sitting quietly around a fire in a remote location,often just blurting them out during periods of silence & deep thought only a open fire gives the avenue for ,while we sat listening to fires crackle & with its warming glow the only light .

Captain Rick is another great bloke & true Warrior & Capt Pete is one of the kindest men l have ever met ,one of those people that even in strange foreign places ,shy young children would let loose their grasp of their mothers leg they were hiding from shyness behind & walk up to him & take his hand with a big smile ,like they finally feel safe among all the madness around them .

Had some good news over the last couple of days,among the SNAFU of the last few weeks -I was informed Capt Ron was honored by the UDT/SEAL Association by having the UDT SEAL Museum in Florida having re-dedicated their Vietnam section in his honor.Was just sent these pics -

https://i.imgur.com/Udx8Lrm.jpg



https://i.imgur.com/mdFt7he.jpeg


Capt Ron will also be given the rare honor of the UDT-SEAL association are going to perform a ‘swim out’ ceremony in Ft Pierce, Florida (adjacent to the UDT-SEAL museum, where the first Frogmen were trained). Navy SEAL legend Fred Fritsch is going to swim out from the beach and cast Capt Ron's ashes under full military honors.

A fitting tribute to a good man & warrior

https://i.imgur.com/fbRSceG.jpg

"Fair Winds and Following Seas" - Capt Ron you Glorious Bastard

well Bugga me talking about resilience and shouting about hunting for three quarters of a century on this thread on 12.07.21 i scored the quinella I had a bloody stroke...just to go with my heart attack of 21 months ago....some re-hab to be done now before I head down to Clements Mill Road late spring....don't ignore the signals and signs fellas get checked out.....'hot barrells' boys....

Originally Posted by BruceY

well Bugga me talking about resilience and shouting about hunting for three quarters of a century on this thread on 12.07.21 i scored the quinella I had a bloody stroke...just to go with my heart attack of 21 months ago....some re-hab to be done now before I head down to Clements Mill Road late spring....don't ignore the signals and signs fellas get checked out.....'hot barrells' boys....

All the best for a full and speedy recovery @BruceY

Yep go well @BruceY


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Take care @ BruceY

Yes, go well BruceY