Military Service, Military Collecting, Military History? (1 Viewer)

[gk5717]

I have always been interested in military history, always collected soldiers, however I hated every minute I was in the service. When I got my draft classification in 1965 of 1-A, eligible for the draft. That very day I joined an Army reserve unit. No I had no political connections etc to get in the reserves, just luck. Remember this was VietNam.
My dislike had nothing to do with the war in VietNam it was just the actual military duty.
I think I,m considered a veteran, I did 6 years in the reserves with an honorable discharge,but I don,t consider myself one.
Maybe it was the times. As I look back I,m actually not proud of the above, but it is what it is.
Anyone else have similar feelings about their time in the service?
Gary

 

[bromhead]

I have always been interested in military history, always collected soldiers, however I hated every minute I was in the service. When I got my draft classification in 1965 of 1-A, eligible for the draft. That very day I joined an Army reserve unit. No I had no political connections etc to get in the reserves, just luck. Remember this was VietNam.
My dislike had nothing to do with the war in VietNam it was just the actual military duty.
I think I,m considered a veteran, I did 6 years in the reserves with an honorable discharge,but I don,t consider myself one.
Maybe it was the times. As I look back I,m actually not proud of the above, but it is what it is.
Anyone else have similar feelings about their time in the service?
Gary

No to be honest I do not consider you a veteran,,I give you credit for stating your history it ends there,,to be honest not PC we both know the guard and reserves were a ticket out of the war for 99 percent,,I volunteered and you did not,,you chose maybe riot duty in some city for a week because you had to, I was in three corps for a year knee deep in it,,you live with what you did so do I ,,the difference being no one really cares now.I survived,, a lot of my fellow soldiers in the active military did not,,"remember this was viet" define that,, pick and choose your danger?

And your "no political connections "were luck of course as opposed to the draftees from watts ,,Compton etc who didn't have your "luck " when they were recalled in 1967 after being rejected for illiteracy etc with a 50 percent casualty rate,," project 100K" take a minute to research it and post again about your Luck,,I trained them in 1967 while you "guardsmen" were on your way out the gate so happy to go home after that tough six months on to your REMF career,," COMMAND SGT MAJOR" LOL

 

[Currahee Chris]

Hello Gary

Interesting thread, I think there are probably a lot of people out there who may feel the same as you, though admittedly, I am not one of them. My time in the service was a very hard and trying experience but there is no doubt that without it, I wouldn't be as successful or appreciative of my life and freedoms I have today. I will fully admit that it isn't a life for everyone which is why I will never support a compulsory service for our nations children. The lifestyle was lonely at times, dangerous at others, humorous more often than not and mind numblingly mundane at other times. Still, there hasn't been any other experience I have had in my working life that has ever completed me more. I can find buddies from 20+ years ago and shake their hands and know that I couldn't be in the company of finer people on the planet.

My good buddy Dave Namiot (aka Moderator- 6 in army parlance {sm3}) said something that made a lot of sense to me "You can always look at a guy's uniform and it will tell you his story better than his words will." I have found that to be painfully true over the years in dealing with "civilians"