daveshoot - 4/1/2009 11:52 PM
In all honesty my service was a party cake walk and not to be compared to veterans of either VN or the Gulf Wars. I was a placeholder for a (cold) war that never happened. I am glad I went in, but I know kids were there in Nam while I partied in college, that didn't come back. I supported that war at the time as an 18 or something year old and I still think the mission was misunderstood, and could have been successful. But I did not volunteer for it.
So I still feel a little bad about that, to be honest.
You should not feel that way. My step-father fought in WWII, Korea and did two tours in 'NAM. He died from "Hairy Cell Leukemia" which I understand is something you get from exposure to Agent Orange. My father is a Chosen Reservoir survivor. My father in law is a Pearl Harbor survivor. I am a line of duty disabled veteran and my son was shot in the neck by a sniper in Iraq 18 months ago (he is fine). So, yeah, I was born into the military. My number did not come up, but when I volunteered. I took the tests and the recruiter said, "Son, you can go to any school you want to go to." I said, "What is the longest school you have?" He said, "Language school." I said, "What is the longest language class?". He told me then he asked, "Why, what difference does it make?" I said, "My step father and my father tell me that Viet-Nam is winding down and if I take a long enough school, I won't have to go." I do NOT feel bad about that and I DO feel good about what things I did to help my country while I worked as a linguist.
Y
ou volunteered to serve. You are part of a band of brothers who chose to take the chance that it might happen on their watch. Maybe it did not happen on yours but it sure as hell could have. You have nothing to feel bad about and a lot to be proud about.Just my two.
