Growing Up In NYC Memories

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Seems to me we are pretty good at winning all those next wars, no matter how/where fought.
 
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Really?  Korea?  Nam?  Iraq?  Afghanistan?  I wouldn't call ANY of them victories. 

But that wasn't the point of my post.  We always look backward when we are planning for, training and equipping our forces.  It's almost impossible to predict where, when or how we'll fight our next adversary (ISIS not included . . . I see them as a continuation/direct result of our fiasco in Iraq).
 
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At the Paris Peace talks back in the 70s, an American general noted to his North Vietnamese counterpart, "You never defeated us on the battlefield." The reply: "That is true, but it also is irrelevant".

In none of the conflicts you cite were American fighting forces defeated. Be careful, raybrag, to not confuse military with political outcomes.

You make a good point in that in that "it's almost impossible to predict where, when, or how we'll fight our next adversary" (your words). Considering the military results in all these conflicts, we military planners must have done something right. If not in foresight then certainly in adaptation to the war at hand.

Just as the FDNY learns from its previous incidents, from the Chiefs to the firehouse kitchen table, so too does the military, from the Pentagon to the squad leader. We all only know what we already know. Foresight (and clairvoyance) can only be based on that.

Just as the City of New York still has not burned to the ground, none of us are speaking German, Japanese, Russian, Korean, Vietnamese, Arabic, etc.,...yet.

But all that's still up to the politicos, not those in the uniforms (civil or military) who have to get it done.



 

mack

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I lived a block away from my grandparents.  My aunt lived next door to my grandparents.  My other aunt lived down the block.  Families ate together Sundays. 

We walked places.  Or rode our bikes.  Or took the subway.  Or a bus. 

Cops had night sticks.  And were respected.  If I ever got in trouble with a cop, it would have been worse answering to my father. 

Rookie cops wore gray uniforms.  Couldn't figure that out. 

Cops communicated with call boxes.  I think they were green.

Billy clubs:
NYPD_Billy_cklubs.jpg

Cop call boxes:
Callboxcomp.jpg

Rookie cops
Grayscomp.jpg


NYC had fire alarms boxes every few blocks, in schools, public buildings.  The orange globe light on the pole above the fire alarm box lit up where they were at night.  No cell phones but I knew if I needed help, I would always be close to a fire alarm box.
 
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The gray uniforms for NYPD rookies were like having a "kick me" sign on your back.....they were stopped in '68 when the Police Academy was cut dramatically short from 6 months to just weeks in order to get Cops onto the streets due to turmoil ......the gray uniforms  also were a waste of money as they were not good for anything afterwards......in '68 the cost of an NYPD uniform & gun was $500.00.
 

mack

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NYC had cops. 

NYC: NYPD/Transit/Housing Authority/Sanitation Department/Hospitals/DEP/Corrections/more

Federal: US Park Police/National Park Service/US Marshals/FBI/DEA/Secret Service/Post Office/Immigration/ATF/Treasury/Amtrak/more

Military bases: MPs/federal departments

State cops

Animals/Airports/RR: Port Authority/ASPCA/SIRT/LIRR/more

Other:  Sea Gate/Co-Op City/more

Court officers, probation officers, more.


And FDNY Fire Marshals
 

mack

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mack said:
Cops communicated with call boxes.  I think they were green.



They were, indeed, green with a white (?porcelain?) sign on the front: ?To Call POLICE Use This TELEPHONE?
 
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nfd2004 said:
How about we make a list (similar to our Grandpa's and Great Grandpa's list), of those site members "who DID grow up in NYC". And we list which boro you grew up in as a kid.

We just add to it as it goes. I know there's more.

I know of a few, so I'll start the list. We can update it as it goes.

  "mack" - Joe M. - Brooklyn
  "mikeindabronx" - Mike D. - Bronx
  "svd385" - Steve D. - Bronx
  "Guitarman314" - Tom E. - Bronx
  "68jk09" - Jack K. - ?
  "Atlas" - Kenny F. - Bronx
  "fdce54" - Frank D. - Bronx
  "KFD274" - Kevin D. - ?
  "Raybrag" - Ray B. - ?
  "JOR176"  - Jack O' -  Brooklyn
 
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EFD274 and KFD274 in the great "non-fire" borough of Queens where an abundance of fire houses were situated close to the LIRR - we grew up around the corner from E274 on Murray St - probably our most famous FDNY member is our recently retired Chief of Department, Ed Kilduff, who grew up on Murray St and chased fire engines with us.
 
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I'm technically not from NYC . . . East Rockaway in Nassau County.  But between my aunts in Brooklyn, HS & college in the city (Manhattan, Queens & Brooklyn), and time spent with my old man (who was a Queens plumbing inspector) on his job, not to mention the 46 years I spent on the Van Wyck Expressway between 1955 & 1963 (at least it SEEMED that long), I like to claim I hail from there. Besides, the locals here in Virginia don't know the difference, and even some New York natives think that East Rockaway is in Queens (sounds like it, doesn't it?).
 
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Born in Manhattan (St Clares Hosp) & lived in Manhattan as a kid then QNS were i still live. (haven't grown up yet).......reminds me of the story where a young boy said to his Father when i grow up i want to be a FF......the Father replied sorry Son you can't do both.
 
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Joe W. a.k.a STAjo Flatlands/Marine Park BKLYN - Where I Grew ah, uh ... Older. [ also Brighton Bch., worked in Manhattan ]
 
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Grew up in Astoria, Queens. Thinking back was a great place to be a kid 40's and 50's. Astoria Pool free in the morning I believe 9 cents in the PM. Had 7 or 8 movie houses within walking distance, played basketball, softball, stickball PS 70 school yard. Could go on, today Astoria Pool probably not, no movie houses and PS 70 school yard fenced/locked in. Bronx was a great place to raise a family, saw it burn down 70-76. Shame, who do we blame?
 

mack

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City pools on hot summer days.  They were fun.  City schools were open in the summer for recreation.  We played softball games on concrete playgrounds with spongy softballs.  Ball took off the bat and stretched to about a foot long.  Played basketball, pick up games, on city courts in playgrounds and schoolyards.  Shirts against skins.  No one had bottled water.  We found spigots or hose lines on buildings.  We didn't have umpires or refs to play games like kids seem to need for everything today.  We played everyday - outside - in the neighborhood.  Everyone knew everyone. 
 
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