Photo reportedly taken during the Viet Nam War.
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Nothing ruins a war story like a witness
What is it about mortal combat and warfare that turns people into smartasses?
Every Vietnam book ever had the damn word in the glossary, what’s the issue?
Or could it be that, as has happened since time immemorial, the vets from THIS war have their own lingo? You’ll notice a lack of ricki-tic’s, fuckin A’s, freedom birds, and land of the big PX coming from dudes too.
The issue is denial that this was ever the spelling, it’s silly sounding but there are people who violently protest the true roots of the word, like it’s some mighty fight they must shoulder to prove POG is an acronym. The struggle is very real to them; so much misdirected passion…
“like it’s some mighty fight they must shoulder to prove POG is an acronym”
Well gee, have you been around soldiers during the GWOT/OIF/OEF era?
You can play “denial of evidence” all you want, but it doesn’t change that POG is also an acronym.
It seems you, of all people, are emotionally invested in this “pogue” vs “pog” nonsense.
You are taking me far to seriously, I’m pointing something out, not preaching.
Trying to teach you heritage.
Oh please, guy…
Ahh – the good ole days when you were allowed to leave the FOB for whoring and drinking.
Now you just have to find the AF chicks.
“Pogue” is a synonym for a “Fobbit.” Fobbits often had pockets full of Pogs, which AAFES gave as change, instead of real quarters, nickels, or dimes (though I don’t think they had penny pogs…)
Guys using POG as an acronym was around before the PX chips. Trying to draw a correlation between the two is a bit of a stretch. Things tend to morph over time and take on new meanings.
I hope the argument over semantics here never makes anyone lose sight of the heart and soul of the issue, which is to call non-combat troops as many pejoratives as possible.
Christ, I used “Pogue(s)” back when I first joined the Army, in the mid 80’s.
“Pogue” and “POG”…..whts the difference if they mean the same thing?
Because these whippersnappers are too lazy to use the U and E.
You seem bitter. Your war is over, let it go. Servicemen now and in the future don’t give a shit how it was spelt. Spelling slang correctly for rear echelon types makes no odds to absolutely anything
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pogue#
A POG is the little paper or styrofoam liner/gasket in a milk jug lid. Back in the early 1990s there was a craze for collecting POGs that the manufacturers had printed all sorts of designs on them.
Pogues are the R.E.M.F.’s that are the only ones on base that have time to concern themselves with such trivialities whilst screwing Combat Arms Men out of pay, chow, and leave by dicking up the paperwork required to coordinate such things. This is probably because they were to busy collecting POGs, eating and drinking pogey bait, and playing video games.
You say it like finance asshats only screw over trigger pullers, trust me when I say they screw everyone.
It was my understanding that the term started in the Marine Corps, as Marine Infantrymen were often reffered to as Grunts. I was told it was always to be written as it was pronounced, that the acronym was only used to explain it, and if you were not part of the 03 MOS you were one of them.
For some reason the Army uses the word now too though, I feel like much in the same way everyone wants to be an Operator, everyone wants to be a grunt.
So… you think the term grunt is a recent adoption by the Army infantry? That’s fucking hilarious, tell me more stories from your world, please!
heh…can you be a bigger strawhacker?
Much bigger, should I use smileys to emphasize humor?
why can you just comply and be angry 😉
Saying everyone wants to be a bullet sponge is a bit of a stretch.
“It has been used in the United States Navy and Marine Corps since before World War II, entering Army usage around the time of the Vietnam War.[2]
Originally, the term was a sexual insult in early twentieth century gay culture, as “pogue” was slang for a young male who submitted to sexual advances.[3]
The word “pogue” was never originally spelled “pog” nor was it an acronym. The change of spelling from “pogue” to “POG” may be a direct result of the word “póg” meaning “kiss” in Irish Gaelic. A popular Irish phrase “póg mo thóin” literally means “kiss my ass.” The Irish punk band “the Pogues” derived their names directly from that phrase.[4] Coincidentally, the spelling itself is anglicized “pogue” because “pog” is pronounced like the word “rogue.”
Due to having lost contact with its linguistic source, the modern military vernacular has turned “pogue” into a retronym/backronym. “POG” is said to stand for “Personnel Other than Grunt” or “Posted On Garrison.” The spelling “pogue” itself is sometimes “retronymed” out to “Person On Ground with Unused Equipment” or “People Of Good Use Elsewhere.”
“Pogey bait” is a reference to sweets or candy, which was in usage in the military as early as 1918. The term simply alludes to food (and other luxuries) rarely afforded to grunts in the field.[5]”
From wiki
I truly believe this topic deserves all of the teenage angst both sides of the issue are pouring into it. That being said, as a member of the GWOT generation, it’s spelled POG, cause reasons!!!
Too lazy to use the “u” and “e.” Right bae?