50 years ago today I left Cherokee, KS for Great Lakes Naval Training Center

Bill Martino

Bill Martino

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Mar 5, 1999
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I was 18 years old, second semester in college, and it was time to go. I remember when I was checking out of college I went over to the gym to check in my gear and tell the track coach I was leaving for a tour of duty with the Navy. I'd joined the reserves down at Joplin, MO while I was still in high school and the Korean War prompted my call to active duty.

I remember the coach (who had a vested interest in my staying because I was the best broad jumper he had available) saying, "You don't have to go. Phil (the commander of the reserve unit in Joplin) and I are good friends. All I have to do is make a phone call and you can get deferred until you get your degree."

I declined because I remembered WWII. I saw so many give so much, including their lives, and I also saw those who were unwilling to give anything and I knew what I thought of these latter men and was smart enough even at age 18 to know I couldn't stand myself if I fell into this lot so there was no choice.

I told the coach, "this is something I've got to do," and that was the end of it.

I went and although it became the longest two years of my life I have never regretted giving those two years of service to my country.
 
Such things build character. Unfortunately such people are becoming less and less common.
 
Nice post Uncle Bill:) And thanks for sharing that.

After knowing you for 2 years even if only on the forum, I'm not surprised at the choice you made back then.
 
Living thru WWII even as a boy had a profound effect on me -- perhaps even more because I was a boy and trying to get a value system established within myself.

An old now retired college prof pal of mine a few years older than me puts it this way: What this country needs is another great depression and WWII.

I sum it up simply: Those who lived thru WWII are different.
 
I, along with many others I'm sure, hope the same is true of the events of 6 months ago today.

Although I worry that the horror, while unspeakably awful, may have been too brief of an experience to influence people the way WWII did, given its duration and widespread affect on the economy, not to mention huge loss of lives.
 
Originally posted by Bill Martino
.........
I sum it up simply: Those who lived thru WWII are different.
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I agree completely. Those who have seen war or live through war times are more inclined to count their blessings each day. The one exception was Vietnam. Those who lived through it were forever changed but lots of the folks back home didn't understand or appreciate what so many gave for their country. One can debate whether that war was just or not but one can never question the sacrifices made by the men who served. The country called, they went.
 
My dad was in Vietnam and he is a big one when it comes to counting your blessings! He has taught me alot about life and how we are trully blessed to live in the good ol' U S of A! Love it or leave it!
 
That was a bad war (probably our worst) fought by good men.

It also had a profound effect on my life.

Most Americans really don't know how incredibly lucky they are.
 
He even started to cry when watching Rambo II at the end when Rambo said something like "all we(veterans)want is for our country to love us as much as we love it!" War is a touchey subject it affects people in many different ways.

Thanks Dad, Uncle Bill and all the brave men and women who have fought for this great land!
 
There's another group I don't have much use for and that's the guys who were office jockeys like me but who wear all the combat ribbons and valor medals. Makes me want to :barf:
 
Being a veteran of 22yrs service, I remember the difference of public reaction to me during Viet Nam and during Desert Storm. Like you said Uncle Bill, just did the job.
 
A bad war run by bad politicians but fought by good guys who did the best job they could with tied hands but had to take bad heat. Rotten situation.

I often thank my lucky stars I served during the Korean War. There was enough WWII mentality left in the US so those of us who served were still considered decent men, perhaps even a little heroic, and not villians.
 
Originally posted by bobrap
.... Like you said Uncle Bill, just did the job.
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Every one who served just did their job. What ever that was.

It's the Billary crowd who make me want to :barf: Those that ran off to Canada or England to avoid service.

They don't know the meaning of the words...Duty, Honor, Country.
 
I often thank my lucky stars I served during the Korean War. There was enough WWII mentality left in the US so those of us who served were still considered decent men, perhaps even a little heroic, and not villians.
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Yea, but don't the Korean vets tend to be the forgotten ones? Very little is spoken of those who served and made the ultimate sacrifice. I'm not sure if there is a memorial built for Korean War vets:confused:
 
That's what they call us but it doesn't bother me. We were treated well at the time we were serving and that's something Nam vets didn't get -- and damned well should have.

And as long as we're here I'll salute all the Nam vets who handled the treatment they got as well as they did. You're better men than me.
 
Very simply, I owe them ( the Vietnam vets who came back but couldn't live with themselves afterward ) my life.

I spent ten years doing child abuse and neglect investigations and interventions. When I fell apart from what I saw people do to their own children and reached the end of my rope, I found some of the gentlest, kindest, most loving and caring people among the Vietnam vets. They helped put me back together in spite of what I couldn't forget.

So to the ones who came back crippled and changed forever ( mentally too ) thank you for loving me until I could love myself again.
 
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