A little off topic, but while we are while'ing away the time, I thought it would be very interesting to hear about you guys military service. If you don't mind, I'll start off and if you want, you can tag off.
I joined the Army in February of 1966. Due to the initial test scores, or so I was told, the Army recruiter offered me any course the Army had; I settled on Military Intelligence. There was just one hitch, the class-A school was almost a year long, so the initial hitch was a four year one. I was 18 years old then. The day I left home I visited my Dad at work (he was a body and fender man-repaired cars). Niether one of us knew what to say, but he took off the rest of the day and went with me, with my Mom and three brothers, to the bus station. My youngest brother was just six years old. I got on the bus, and didn't see him again for ten years. Goodbye, Las Cruses, New Mexico! You dusty old town!
Went into processing at Fort Bliss, and then on to Fort Leonard Wood, Mo. for basic training. Did the running, marksmanship, and learned how to be a soldier. Thought I was hot ****, man! When I graduated out of basic, I was asked where I wanted to go. Vietnam, I said. Gung ho all the way. The guy in front of me said Germany, so they sent me to Germany and him to Vietnam. My first lession in how the military thinks. didn't stay long in Germany, still don't know why, I was then sent to Kagnew Station, Asmara, Ethiopia. (Damn, wish I could spell!). Great tour, spent 18 moths drinking, the enlisted club charged 15cents for a draft, and 25 cents for a hard drink. The drinking lessions I learned there stayed with me for most of my adult life, and have caused me some trouble over the years. I guess I'm finally old enough to handle it, though. Anyway, from Kagnew station, I went to Two Rock Ranch Station, Petaluma, California. (I got ALL the rough tours, didn't I?). And, as my enlistment was drawing to a close, I extended for one more year. I was a Staff Sargeant by then. Finally, I went to Fort Devens, Massachusetts and then I got out. When I was in Mass, though, I got married, had a kid who died at six weeks old, got divorced, and...well, eventually ended up in Virginia, finally went to college, got remarried, had another kid, and have lived happily ever since. Not much of a story, and I certainly did not have a distinguished military career, but I am proud of my time in the Military. It changed me in so many ways, some good (most of them) and some bad.
I've spent the past 30 plus years in the aviation industry, and I'll be retiring in three years. I'll get myself ten or gtwelve acres in the Shenendoah Valley here in Virginia, do some gardening, knife making (if I can ever learn how), and continue to raise bonsai trees (my other hobby). How about you guys?
Dave
