new here.....and a question

America has a fan club?In Germany?Are you kidding me/us?

[Tamaroa]

I joined because every male generation in my family had at least one person serve. I was in the Coast Guard 67-71 on the Tamaroa a Search and Rescue vessel. My son is continuing the nautical tradition started by my father and uncle. We are all sea goers. Dad was merchant marine and Navy. My Uncle was Navy, I was Coast guard and my son was just commissioned as an Ensign in the Navy.

Bill

[MORTARDUDE]

It just occurred to me that I may be one of the few on here who was drafted. I went to college for 3 years and was in the Advanced ROTC program, but kind of mentally lost my way. At that time ( June 1969 ) most of my friends and classmates were either in the service or had just got out. If I had had any sense ( I didn't ), I would have joined something and got out of the infantry, and gotten a marketable skill. Sometimes it seems we are a product of some irresistable force.....
My father was drafted in 1941. He was a 60MM mortar crewman.
He got out of the service in 1944 and worked until 1976 for the federal government, including a lot of rotating shifts, changing days, swings, mids every two weeks as a boiler plant operator. I was drafted in 1969. 81MM mortar crewman, and have worked for the civilian federal government including a stretch from 1972 to 1987 where I worked rotating shifts..days, swings, mids..every two weeks in computer processing...go figure...

I was ambivalent about serving and the War at the time. It all seemed such a waste, but we had a great military tradition in our family, so the thought of avoiding service was never a consideration. I tried to explain all of this to my wife's sister ( she is 32 ), but she didn't quite get it.

As someone said, it was the best of times and the worst of times...

Larry

[frisco-kid]

First of all, thank you for stepping up to the plate for our country and "WELCOME" to the Patriot Files. My son did 4yrs. with the Air Force. I steered him there when he was trying to decide which one to go for. I knew the Army firsthand. My choices for him was the Air Force or Navy. I told him they both eat WAY better than the Army, and have MUCH nicer living quarters. They don't yell at ya as much, and there's more cushy jobs to choose from. I told him the Marines wasn't even an option. His IQ was too high to get in .

I joined the Army because my college grades weren't going to keep me from being drafted, and I wanted some say in what I was going to be doing. I wanted to be a paratrooper and a Green Beret if possible. Turned out, I was too young to be a Green Beenie. I also wanted to see the war. The Army, in their accomodating way , granted my wish. Six months later I was in Nam as a 19yr. old paratrooper.

Good luck to you. I hope your military experience is all you hope it to be.

RON: Looks like you joined for all the fun reasons. You sure know where to look to find a good time .

[HARDCORE]

Whatever your reasons for joining the service Mech28, you will always, throughout your life, know that you did a good thing ,for God, Country, and yes, even for yourself!

[MORTARDUDE]

Mech28 :

First, good luck !! Second, my youngest son has expressed some interest in joining the Air Force. Just curious about how long the usual wait is from the initial paperwork until induction. I suspect it may be dependent on the school or MOS involved. My son has no clue right now about his future and I believe it would do him a world of good. Take care.

Larry

[PHO127]

I went off to college and immediately was bored beyond all reason, spent part of one semester and then enlisted in the Army, I had to go see what the war was all about. It was an E ticket ride for homocidal maniacs. Spent 1st tour as an unflashed SF. went back to states to OCS then back to SF for two more tours then to the 25th ID and the 23rd ID. Kill a Commie for Mommie.