52 years ago today

[AndyS]

I was in Ft Bliss raising my right hand and swearing an oath to defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies foreign and domestic and to obey the orders of the President of the United States.

It was an interesting time to be in the military,

[bottomofthehill]

1. Thank you for taking and keeping your oath

Many have forgotten what it means.

[DFW]

2. 1969? I bet "interesting" is understating things a bit

I was still living in Spain until the summer, wondering what awaited me when I registered for the draft the next year.

[GP6971]

3. I was in Army ROTC at the time.

We're were called ROTC Nazis.

[Chainfire]

4. You beat me by two years, I swore in in Feb of '71.

I come from a long line of cowards, so I joined the Navy before Sam could get his hooks in me for the Army.

[AndyS]

5. I didn't think they would take a man with one arm longer than the other

and I held on to the front porch as long as I could . . .

[Chainfire]

7. Yep, I knew a lot of people with that ailment.

What was funny in our pre-induction physical (must have been 500 kids there) they weren't failing anyone. You could be 8 to eighty, blind, crippled or crazy and come out of that line 1A. I had a heart murmur, and it was no problem baby. Now bend over and spread your cheeks.

When I got to boot camp, we had twin brothers, in my company, that were very intellectually challenged (putting it mildly) and they made it through several weeks of hell before they disappeared. I got so damn mad about the way one of the permanent staff was treating those kids, I almost crawled the asshole, and to this day, I feel guilty about not slugging the bastard. I should have done it, took my beating and jail time.

[rickyhall]

6. They stopped the draft just before I graduated high school. I registered but never got a number.

[keithbvadu2]

8. 54 years ago last month for me.

54 years ago last month for me. Family car, bus ride, plane ride, bus ride, boot camp about 2:00 a.m. reveille about 5:00 a.m. did not need a watch very much for the next 11 weeks.

Graduated high school Saturday, went to work in the mill Monday. Earned about 47 bucks a week and paid my old man 20 of it for room and board. Recognized that this was not the path to riches and saw my friendly recruiter. On the bus five weeks after graduation.

We had 'service week' in the middle of boot camp where the boots did some kind of work for the base facilities. Could be easy (or not). I worked in the galley/mess hall. About 104 hours. After that, time went by much easier for the rest of boot camp.

Boot camp dental cleaning. Many dentists' chairs wide. Long lines feeding the chairs. They picked someone out of line to hold the suction hose. Standing there watching the blood and carnage. People would ask if it was bleeding and the lying snake of a dentist said 'Oh, no!' Then it was my turn. I was petrified. I did not bother to ask if it was bleeding.

A little over a year of school/training before my first command.

Very few people go to a first command without training.

Made about 86 bucks a month and had more spending money than when I made 47 bucks a week.

Now I have a military retirement and my medical benefits are worth more than the check.

Medical benefits in your early years are mostly shots and such.

Now older/geezer,,,,,,, medical is much more valuable.

[Niagara]

9. Thank you for your service.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

10. And you never forgot that oath, as so many have, to the detriment of our nation.

It helped make you the man that you are today.

I am proud to know you.