great info here! great stories too, i like the history ALOT !
my whole family is pretty much military.
my father, lt.comdr. USN loaded the big one on Enola Gay after helping build it (my mom helped) and taking it over on the Indianapolis.
we have fought in EVERY war this country has ever had, and some not readily known from the first indian wars..onward, to the gulf
( had people on both sides of the french indian, and the war of northern agression..)
we still have family in today.
last i heard, i have a nephew doing duty at the white house or the camp, or gulf.
the ONLY time i came close was Aug. the 8th 1968, while watching the news ticker in piccidilly square, i see the soviets "invaded" chechoslovalia ( and if i can't spell it, why i did this i'll never know..)
so i see a UK army enlistment office, and go walking in, and ask the seargent
mind you, a british seargent, is frighening...where to join..
he looks dumbfounded, and after a few minutes of explaining why i feel it's my family, allied, civic, and manly duty to go in now to fight the BIG one, he stands up, shakes my hand, and tell me to go away..big voice, small smile.
he tells me nothing will happen, and if it does, i can come back..
( maybe it was because i weighed all of 120 at 5'9...maybe..)
on the way out, he tells me: "never, ever, volunteer for someone elses fight, and think twice about getting in any for your own".
so, my brothers joined, my ex wife joined, i'm too old even to do the french foreign legion..( although i thought about that too...long story i spent all my teenage age years in africa...)
i will always appreciate all who have, are, and will.
i'll go if i can wear my wallace kilt, and take my sword...
a frightful sight.