Did you have a nick name?

[Hal O'Peridol]

Sasquatch. I'm 6'4" and was, at the time, 215 pounds. And wore size 10 1/2 EEEE boots. Tallest guy in every unit I was in. Was ALWAYS right guide for every friggin parade.

[Big_Al]

Nickname was Big Al, I guess because I was 6'3" and my last name is Allen.
I wish I still had a 32" waist.

[Hecklerusp45]

When I was watching Band of Brothers, I wondered how "Shifty", "Popeye" got their nick names. What was yours and how did you get it?

I asked "Shifty" face to face how he got the nick name. He gave me some weak story about how it had something to do with the way he played basketball. I could tell he was putting me on. I really wanted to know where it came from, so I eventually asked his son. He said it had more to do with his "woman chasing" then basketball. I never knew "popeye" so I can't help there.

[Ron James]

Most in service nickname's had to do with the last name ( it was always visible ) or some physical factor. Paterson was "Pat", James was " Jessie ". " Man Mountain " was 6'5. " Alphabet " had a Polish name that no one could pronounce or even spell." "Snake" was a Ex green beanie, Thissen was " Big T ", "Farmer" was, well, tall, lanky and couldn't march at all and came from a farm in Wisconsin.Many times you could know a person for quite a while and never learn their real first name. There were some nicknames that were given to the officers that were never spoken out loud if they were with in a mile of the area, and never in their presence. Other officers had nicknames that were fondly given by the enlisted and the officer's were proud of them, such as " Red Bul or just Bull " or " Fireball " and the "Red Baron " {Who was a hell of a pilot ).

[Michael Tompkins]

Some of the nick-names that I remember for some of the other guys were "Popcorn" for Procopio. There was "Tiny" for 6'6" Shoemake. "Rat Salad" for Randy Soma. "Charlie Tuna" for Chuck Taylor. Guy from Texas was "Shorty". Torruella was "Trucker". "Everclear" for Holiday because he ALWAYS had a canteen with grape Kool-ade and Everclear. Haines was "Burn-out Bud". Brice was "Spider Monkey". SSG Aikens and SFC Payne were collectively known as "Aches and Pains". Brisbane was "Pizza Face". Plues was known as "Father Plues". James Collins was "Bootsy". WO 3 Mr. Leon was known as "Lightning Leon". SGT Calhoun was "Shakey". SFC Willams was "Sgt Wee" because he always chopped off the ends of hiwords while speaking and SSG Boller was "Dick-head". Mike

[Guamsst]

Not one I can repeat in front of respectable people. I guess it's ok for you guys though. I got called "the cock" for a long time after one of my airmen found out both my ex wives still slept with me after the divorces.

[Ben Hartley]

At the time I was on active duty there was a major league baseball player with the same last name that went by the nickname "Doc" so a few people called me "Doc" (we were military police, not medics - that are all universally called "Doc" because of their function)

The First Sergeant of the cavalry troop in which I was the XO (and later when we were assigned to the Division G-4 shop) frequently called me "Daiwie", which I believe is a Vietnamese term of respect, at least I hope it was! I never heard him use the term on anyone else.

"Dai-uy" is Vietnamese for "Captain."

[dryheat]

We had a guy called "Bear". This was in Zumwalts navy when you could grow beards. Just a big old country boy that looked like Grizzley Adams.
I showed up at the bowling alley one Sat. morning for cokes with some buds. My ol' Texas buddy drawled, dam Nielsen, you like like a dam Grubworm(hadn't shaved that morning). Grubworm to this day to the Texan whom I still write to.

[Guamsst]

"alphabet" Reminded me of two guys from supply at one of my bases. One was named something like Guetsenlechtersen and one was named something like Goetsenlechtens.

They called one G-16 and the other G-14 because their names were a G, then 16 letters or 14 letters.