Tell us, please: Did you serve in the military? If so, thank you very much for your service! This poll is for the ladies and gents of the audience, so don’t be afraid to vote.
If you feel like leaving a comment and telling us when and where you served, we’d love to hear your stories. Thanks!
We hope you had a lovely Veterans Day weekend. We were thinking of you!
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US Marine from 1968 to 1974
An incident during my draft physical earned me a painful experience and a ” Available for Service only in times of national emergency” status.
22 years and 2 wars.
I never served, but I have always regretted not serving. Most of my family and in-laws all served the Navy. I was in college and in the lottery for the draft for Vietnam, I ended up being classified 4F, because of a heart condition.
As a mom who never served, I’m a proud mom of an Army Major and an aunt of a Lt Col – both active duty.
I am U.S. Navy (Ret.) for 22 years of service. I was on aircraft carriers in fighter squadrons. I’ve been all over the world a few times. I went on active duty in 1973 until I retired in 1995. I sure do miss those days. I would do it all over again if I could.
I was drafted into the Army in 1965. Spent a 1 year all expenses paid tour of Viet Nam. As you can tell I made it home.
RIP for my brothers who didn’t.
Did my 20 in the USAF. Best 20 years of my life and would do it over in a heart beat. Though at this age I know I’m done but still have the feeling my contact never expires.
After 20+ years, I retired from the Air Force over 30 years ago. It was the best 20 years of my younger life. A 5-year vacation at Madrid, Spain, a 4-year vacation at Naples, Italy, and other fill-in assignments here in the US (Kansas, Texas, New Mexico). However, I don’t think I could serve in today’s political and social environments. Being that old Sergeant, my mindset would cause an early end to my career. Still, I’m glad I served when I did.
Retired from US Army Reserves as E-8 with 24 yrs served. Been retired now over 30 yrs. Smartest thing I did in my life was staying in the reserves. Fortunately I was never activated during my service.
Army combat engineer Reserves 1967 to 71 Active Duty Regular 1971 to 76. Lost a lot of good friends….
I joined the navy to beat the draft. Stayed in for one ‘hitch’ and got out.
I didn’t, but every man in my family did…
There was not an option for “both” as an answer, but my wife and I met at a California Naval Air Station in 1992 while we were both active duty. I retired after 23 years, she got out after her enlistment was up after 6 years. Still married after all those RV back-ins!
The military wouldn’t have wanted me for a variety of health issues. In return I have volunteered for several public roles that keep the wheels turning to serve the people our armed forces have sworn to protect. Our son was a combat engineer. He thought he would be supplying people with clean water and electricity, but it turned out there are people who don’t want their country’s people to have that much quality in their lives and did earn his combat badge and a few other bits of ornamental cloth and stamped metal.
US Air Force 1962 to 1966
I served 7 years and 7 months to the day, I was in the Marines 3 years and 7 months when Vietnam ramped up and was notified everybody’s enlistment was extended indefinitely. After thinking about it I decided to re-up and make some money off it, I re-enlisted for 4 years thinking this won’t last long. Little did I know our politicians was going to continue making mistakes about the war and keep it going so many years. So now my military commitment is complete by 1 1/2 years I’ll take my discharge and go home. After moving my family from Cherry Point, NC to Memphis TN most of my re-enlistment bonus was gone. Only 4 more years to go. Wow!
I was married with child when Vietnam broke out. I was put at the back of the draft line and never got the call (despite being 1A). Served 35 years in law enforcement instead.
Thank you to all those who served and heartfelt sorrow to the families of those who served but didn’t return.
Never again will a generation of veterans abandon another generation of veterans. You know who you are if you still able to read.
When my carrier, the USS Ticonderoga CVA 14 pulled into North Island after our Vietnam “tour”, there might have been 100 people on the pier to welcome us home. There were, reportedly, 2,500 marines and sailors aboard. What’s wrong with this picture?
A special thank you too all who served. I am a Purple Heart veteran who served from 1967 to 1970.
I’m a Vietnam vet and served in the USAF 1970-74. While I did well both in and after serving if I had it to do over again I would have stayed in.
To beat the draft I enlisted in the Navy for 4 years from ‘68 to’72, served aboard aircraft carrier Ranger.
USN, 1967-1993
Proud 3rd generation member of the Army. Grandfather served in WW1, father in WW2, Korea and Vietnam. I served 1970-1996, activated for Urgent Fury, Just Cause and Desert Storm (although didn’t deploy outside CONUS).
While I didn’t “serve”, I spent 32 yrs as an Army wife.
Thank you for your service Grandma!
Air Force 4/1/68 – 6/30/90; Dad and one uncle, Army, WWII; two uncles, Navy, WWII; grandfather, Army, WWI; and many other family members.
2 Purple Hearts, Combat Medic, fought in in the Mekong Delta of South Vietnam. Thank God for our Country🇺🇸
Thank God for people like you Brian!
While I did not serve, I spent 36 years (16 of them deployed) working for DOD and components. My Dad was a WWII POW for nearly 4 years and he would not endorse applications to service academies. Hit a reasonable compromise. Lot of spent in uniform.
Yes USN
1957 – 1962
NAS Glynco Georgia NAS Jacksonville Florida
I thought that I should join the military after high school. Instead I accepted a scholarship to run for a college. Later, I was floundering in grad school and broached the subject of enlistment into the Marines. Their reply was that I was too old (28? 29? years of age). I never gave it another thought thereafter.
Twenty-eight years. Dad-Korea Era; granddad-WWII; great granddad-WWI; great great granddad-Spanish American; great great, great grandad-Civil War. We go back to the Revolutionary War…it was the thing to do for our country.
Wow-amazing Family. Thank You 😊 all!
As the draft was cancelled (I was #7) out of high school there wasn’t any reason to enlist. By the time I was in my mid 20’s nobody wanted me, said I was too old. Our family tree shows branches (and some roots?) in Navy service going all the way back to the revolutionary war.
Father Medic WWII, Me Combat Engineer South Korea during Vietnam. All my uncles were farmers and kept home to feed the troops and Nation. (We cannot forget those who stayed on the home front and did their effort to support the troupes.)
4 years active duty in the Navy. Communications technician rating. 1 year of schooling, 18 months on Adak, Alaska (where there was a woman behind every tree – but Adak had no trees), and 20 months at Skaggs Island (north of San Francisco), California. Then spend an additional 8 years in the Naval Reserves. 12 years total – and never once set foot on a ship.
My wife and I both did, in the Navy. I retired, she got out after six years.
AF – 42 years, 7 mos. 28 days!
i was between VietNam and Desert Storm but i respect the heck out of anyone who served
U.S Army right out of high school. 1966-1972 South Korea, Vietnam, Germany. Love the good ole USA.