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Today we got the word that our son is fully qualified for enlistment into the Corps.
I'm a veteran. I served 14+ years, enlisted and commissioned, combat arms (for most of it) and combat service support in the Army.
My son wants to be a Marine. I don't want him to be a Marine. I don't want him in the Armed Forces at all.
Under other circumstances, I would have reservations, but I would support his decision.
But this isn't "other circumstances."
I enlisted during that little tiff in South East Asia back in 72. I was 17 and one day old at the time, and they weren't shipping 17 year olds. And that's good, because I was something of a klutz, and I probably would have blown myself up sometime before the middle of my 17th year.
I enlisted, frankly, because I had no where else to go. My son is not cursed with that situation.
Now, he wants to be a Marine. He's wanted to be one for quite some time. (Years, in fact) I respect and understand his desire to join. Marines are exceptional individually and as a group. If you're going to go, it makes sense to go with the best, and they are certainly among that.
But it has to matter.
Our country offers much better incentives than when I jumped in for my first 4 years. They grabbed me for $1200 for a combat arms enlistment. The base pay for the newly minted E 1 (private) was $288 a month.
Now, the VA package for college and the insurance and so on is much better.
But it doesn't do any good if you're not around to collect it or if you're not capable of going when you come back.
It has to matter.
The clown running the show gives "shout outs" to a bunch of civilians when a large number of his soldiers, men and pregnant women, have just been slaughtered.
He takes 90 days to make a self-evident decision and then provides only some level of what's needed when the roar became so loud that even a moron like Obama couldn't ignore it.
He calls his soldiers a "damn good photo op."
And my son wants to go into the middle of this?
He wants to join up and put his life on the line for an utterly clueless, uncaring moron who views him, if anything, as cannon fodder for his political agenda?
It has to matter.
And I can no longer see where it does.
But my son is a man and the decision is his. I will support him no matter what.
Don't do it. Not now. Not until it matters.
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I can't disagree with you. I was lucky, I had all daughters who came of age early in the 1990's.
ReplyDeleteYou are right, his service must mean something. I wouldn't want to serve currently due to the extreme lack of reliable leadership.
I enlisted early in 1969, 20 years old with a draft notice in my pocket.
To avoid Viet Nam, as my career officer cousin told me, enlist and chances are you won't go.
Didn't happen, 8 weeks basic, 8 weeks helicopter training, short leave and on to Viet Nam, where I spent the next 18 months.
My only regret now in going is how the ending was forced upon us and the Vietnamese.
In all, I gave a bit over 8 years. Jimmy Carter getting itno office and granting amnesty to draft dodgers was too much for me.
13 men died from my unit while I was there and his act invalidated their sacrifice as he in effect, made the draft dodgers the heroes, not those who willfully served.
You're right, I felt my service no longer meant anything and serving under this current jokers seems all too much the same.
I can't fault your boy for wanting to serve, I think it is great that he does. Shows me good parenting.
Whatever he decides, let him know this gray-haired old Viet Nam Vet is behind him too.