Remember 1988

[Anybodyhome]

1987 into 1988 was not a good time for me. Deployed to the Persian Gulf where Iran and Iraq were shooting at each other, the U.S. Navy was escorting the oil out of the Gulf, the U.S. was supplying intelligence and financial support to some guy named Saddam Hussein while we were looking for any excuse to turn Iran into a parking lot. My, how times change, eh?

 

In May 1987, the US Stark was hit by an Exocet missile fired from an Iraqi Mirage fighter jet, killing 37 sailors, a few of whom I'd worked with during the deployment.

 

And that was just the beginning of a very long year in the Gulf that lasted into June of 1988 for me. If there was a brief respite along the way, it was spending Christmas 1987 in Freemantle and Perth, Australia and spending New Year's 1988 in Sydney, Australia. Both of those visits remain at the top of my list for the best places I ever visited while serving.

 

As for 1988, mine ended and began again in July with the USS Vincennes (CG-49) shooting down Iranian Airlines Flight 655. That's a whole other story, but while that incident got me out of the Gulf and brought me home to San Diego, it then began a 3-month assignment of interviews, recreations, documentation and other investigative formalities in an attempt to figure out wtf just happened.

 

The next 6 months, a transfer and the subsequent 18 months following were the worst of my career and essentially launched a period of reflection and thought which ultimately resulted in my decision to retire. So, yeah, 1988 was not a good year for me.   

[Shufdog]

 

 

As for 1988, mine ended and began again in July with the USS Vincennes (CG-49) shooting down Iranian Airlines Flight 655. That's a whole other story, but while that incident got me out of the Gulf and brought me home to San Diego, it then began a 3-month assignment of interviews, recreations, documentation and other investigative formalities in an attempt to figure out wtf just happened.

 

They mention that at 15:42 in the video. Not to turn this into a "political" topic, but why would we shoot down a civilian plane? I was an 18/19yr old party machine, and couldn't give a rats ass about stuff like that back then.

 

[Anybodyhome]

The Vincennes was engaging more than 3 targets simultaneously as a group of small skiffs began launching RPGs and opened up on the cruiser with small arms fire. At the same time, the airliner entered into international airspace. It was not squawking any IFF and was not responding to voice ID demands and was on a direct course toward the cruiser. The Navy had a 2-year history of being able to call off any Iranian aircraft via radio as the vast majority of Iranian pilots were US trained. So, it was a rare instance this was a commercial airliner with no IFF and no radio response.

 

There is a lot of classified information I'm not at liberty to discuss, but I will say without reservation there are a lot of doubts as to the veracity of the information provided by the Iranian government regarding the "passengers and crew" on the plane.   

[jasonluckydog]

in 1988 I was 13 and I could buy cigarettes with no problems at any gas station also that year I lost my virginity and got a Nintendo game boy

 

1988 was awesome.

[PhillyB]

i think i learned to use the potty that year

[Brooklyn Bully]

Was 13 in 88. No clue what I was doing. I'd guess that was 7th grade.

 

Oh ... I bet I know what I was doing, lol.

[Doc Holiday]

in 1988 I was 2, and only remember 1 damn thing.

 

my family at the time was living in a rural part of VA about 1 1/2 hours out of VA beach.  there was a corn field across from my house and 4 Blackhawk Helicopters landed right in front of my house.  From what I've been told one of them was having mechanical trouble so they all landed together to see what was going on. I only remember them landing and thats it.

[MadHatter]

Was a soph in college that year....thanks for making me feel old.

[MadHatter]

Was 13 in 88. No clue what I was doing. I'd guess that was 7th grade.

Oh ... I bet I know what I was doing, lol.

You will go blind

[Jangler]

I was tripping....a lot, so no.

[KendrickPanther]

I got a Nintendo Entertainment System from my grandpa for Christmas. My father hated video games, my Grandpa trolled him before trolling was a thing. 

 

Growing up we had a VCR of Back to the Future. Recorded off television. The movie is better watched on Blu Ray or a streaming service these days. But the commercials, oh the commercials. The graphics, the music, the lazers. Hulk Hogan was a god. Like the Channel 7 news out of NYC had the most basic graphics, any 12 year old on you tube could do better these days.

 

But certain things did not exist and I liked it. No smart phones, no internet. No "awkward" commercials. When a company made a commercials, you knew what they were selling because they would repeat it over and over again with a phone number and po box.

 

I used to go watch my dad land at the airport. No check points. No body scanners. No boarding pass required. There are lots of awesome things we have now but I do miss certain things.

[Bronn]

I was 7 until December, when I turned 8.

But yeah, the 80's as a whole was the best generation ever... we had all the coolest stuff and the booms in technology that led to where we are today.

You're welcome, rest of the ages.