50 years ago today

[jb]

I was rudely awaken by some big ass drill instructor throwing a GI can down the middle of the barracks and yelling "Get up, Get up ladies" as I started my first day of an 18 week vacation on Parris Island. :usa2

[BarryBobPosthole]

Haha! What a coinkydink! 38 years ago today was my first day in Air Force basic training!

BKB

[Thumper]

I'll be coming up on 42 years in a couple months. Seems like just yesterday. :(

Odd, but my closest personal friends were friends I made in the military. They're closer than my old school mates or any of my workmates over the years. It wasn't the best time to be in the military ... but they were actually the best days of my life in many ways. Weird how that works. I guess we learn to make a positive out of a negative in some instances.

[Niner]

Wow JB, that's a loooooong time ago! I was in the 1st grade.
Lemme see here.....
I "signed up" in October of 1976, but they delayed my actual entry until the following March (1977) so I just missed out on all of the SE Asia fun by 2 years.
It was at the height of the Cold War though, and military folks were still not the most popular people.
I never saw the Sailors and Dogs Keep Off The Grass signs that some of the old salts talked about, but I'd say (in my memory) most of the civilian population at that time was not "unfriendly" towards military folks....I think they knew a LOT of their local revenue came from "the base".

1655

[Captain]

That's cool JB. 50 years ago I was 5....

But 31 years ago tomorrow Mrs. Captain drug me down the isle and began her journey as one of the happiest wimmin' in the world! :D
Take Care, Captain

Sent from my iPhone using Forum Runner

[DeputyDog]

Happy Anniversary Cappy!

50 years ago, I was 4 1/2 years from even being born.

[Thumper]

Ha, I can relate Niner.

I graduated h/s in 1970, the same year they came out with the draft lottery. (remember, there were 366 number possibilities)

My brother was in college at the University of Southern Mississippi at the time and he drew #4 !! He quit school, joined the Coast Guard, went through his training and received orders for Hawaii, then spent the remainder of his 4 year tour there. He also went to night school while a "Coastie" and graduated from the University of Hawaii.

The next lottery drawing was for me in '71. Lucky me! I drew #51 !! I was an engineering student at the University of Tennessee at the time. I joined the Army (because it was the only service with only a 3 year stint). Once I was tested, I was asked to join the Intel field ... one catch, due to the extensive training, it was a 4 year sign-up! I went through my training and received orders for Vietnam! Like my brother who spent his entire tour in Hawaii, I never left S.E. Asia until I got out in '75.

I flew back to the States and landed at the San Francisco Airport where a bunch of "hippies" approached me, called me "Baby Killer" and spit (spat?) on me. I went to deck the closest asshole to me and a Warrant Officer I was walking with grabbed me, told me to hold my head high and keep walking. All that went through my head was all the old war movies I grew up watching and the GI's returning to hugs and ticker tape parades! Needless to say, I was a bit confused. It didn't really bother me all that much until after the first Gulf War and the military returned home to parades and yellow ribbons tied around every tree in town. I have to admit, after the Gulf Vets returned, I went through a pretty rough period of "minor" depression ... a LOT of crap memories rolled out of my head. I finally moved on but it still gets to me once in a while. I truly believe that's one of the reasons I'm so close to my old military buddies ... they're the only ones who can really relate. :(

[jb]

50 years ago (1963) Vietnam was a word very few people even knew. The only reason I joined the Marines was all my buddies and girl friends were headed off to college. My 2.5 gpa in HS got me into the local Junior College but my advisor wanted me to basically retake the classes I had my senior year to bring up my gpa for better transfer options.
I was pretty sick of school anyway, already sick of working the 3-midnight shift at the local factory, so my buddy and I skipped work and joined up. If we were going to serve, why not be a Marine. When we sat down with the recruiter (a very honest guy) he asked a lot of questions about our goals and where we wanted to be 4 years from now. He listened and said the local Reserve Unit was under manned and recommended we join the reserves vs the regulars. He said if we liked it we could go regular at any time.
Sometimes small events in your life turn out to be major decisions, this was one of them.
Spent the next 6 months playing Marine and when it was time to go home and attend monthly weekend meetings we were both ready.
Only time I even stopped to think about going regular was after I took all the tests they gave you. I qualified for Marine Corp Aviation Cadet Program, went on to the next step to find out what this was all about and learned I'd have to enlist for 6 years and go through pilot training to become a Warrent Officer. I said what planes would be available for me, they said because of my size it would be multi-engine or helicopter, but if I flunked out I'd still be in for 6 years. It didn't take me long to say thanks, but not thanks. Can you imagine flying helicopters from 1964 to 1970 !!!!
Got home, applied to a small Division 2 College, got accepted, and as the say "The rest is history"