Here are more readers explanations of why they joined the military. I'd like to keep this going as long as I can, so, if you'd like to give your own explanation of why you joined the military or have a military story, please e-mail me with the subject "Military". Thanks.

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Greg writes:

Why did I join the Military? Let see the choices were being Drafted into the Army & going the tropical paradise known as Vietnam, or joining a branch of service that not enjoying that paradise. So I joined the Coast Guard (which had just pulled out of Vietnam the year before). I thought the war in Vietnam was bad, not because we were there, but we weren't allowed to win. The service taught me several things (other than the skill of electronics repair): it taught me how to be and act like a man, how to work with other people (even though you do not like them), it taught me camaraderie (sailor bar fights), and self sacrifice (having to save a stranded fishing boat in a raging hurricane, plus our unofficial motto was "You have to go out, but you don't have to come back").
Am I happy I joined the Coast Guard, you bet!! I probably would have been a worthless snot nose Liberal if I hadn't.
Semper Paratus "We're Always Ready" to Do or Die

John writes:

Grew up reading about WWII and Korea. Found the American Heritage history series in the school library. Took up building models as a hobby, first aircraft, later ships and tanks. Would sneak downstairs to watch 12 o'clock High (came on at 10pm Friday). Thought the pilot episode of Combat was the best of the series (had American tanks, even though they got knocked out.)

Won $20 on a bet over the 68 worlds series, only Mets fan in the town that had the Orioles Triple A farm team (Rochester Red Wings).

Saw Battle of the Bulge when it came out in theaters, memorized the Panzerlied, wondered how come we didn't have similar songs. Took up wargaming courtesy of Avalon Hill and SPI. Watched Kelly's Heroes in the theater, numerous times, appreciated the actual M4s used in the film and the effort to turn T34s into Tigers. One of the few roles I've seen Donald Sutherland in that I liked. Oddball was a tanker's tanker.

Did the math early on and figured out that I could graduate after summer school following my junior year if I dumped study halls and substituted classes that were creditable, also take summer school following soph and junior years. Army recruiter gave a talk to our high school government class, told me to stay in and graduate, then join up if that's what I wanted.

Graduated summer of '74 (class of '74.5?). Actually went back to high school that fall auditing a couple of courses, Geometry and AP Chem, as I recall. Occurred to me in November that I was spinning wheels, stopped in at Army recruiter, joined delayed entry program December of '74, went active January '75, retired February '95.

Grant writes:

I joined the Marines in 1999, signing on for a stint in the infantry. It was something I always wanted to do. I am proud of my country and I felt that this would be a good way to pay the debt I owe to so many men who have served this great nation. I fought in Iraq last year, and I must say that it felt good to go over there and take care of business since we missed out on kicking the Taliban out of Afghanistan. There are a lot of people in that part of the world that needed (and still need) killing. I am still serving with a reserve infantry unit in Utah while I am going to college.

Tough?
Definitely.

Worth it?
Worth every inch of shit I wade through - and it is above my head sometimes.

SEMPER FIDELIS!!!

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Our Military
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