My uncle enlisted into the US Navy in 1966 shortly before he turned 21. He believed he would safe and not be on the front lines. He was made a Gunner's Mate and he wound up being in the "Brown Water" Navy and served in the Mekong Delta at 21. He left the Navy in 1970 and received a Purple Heart and three Navy medals one with a V (for valor) pin.

Thank you for your service Uncle Jim!! RIP Uncle Jim!!

First you “volunteer” for the Reserves or if you’re connected you join the National Guard.  Next you “volunteer” for a service that has the lowest probability of ground combat…Air Force or Navy.  If you “volunteer” try to get a guaranteed school that puts you as from combat as possible, German language specialist.  Never volunteer for the Marines or Navy Corpsmen.  Not everyone went to Vietnam, my buddy spend his time at the Army Recreation Center at Garmish, West Germany.

When he extends, I knew exactly why. And he even says it; because: "Here, you know you are useful." I tried to stay in Iraq in 2007 after being there nearly 2 years. Me and a few of my close friends all tried. Our extension request to stay on with the newly arrived 82nd AB made it up to the Colonel, who immediately said: "Hell No! you men can do what you want when we get back, but I am not explaining to your families why I left your asses in Iraq after being here for 2 years already. I'll go to bat for you gents any other time, But I am NOT facing your wives with this news. No way, no how." Never felt more alive and more useful than I did in Iraq. Everything after Iraq just felt "meh....whatever...." Still to this day. Been almost 20 years.

My brothers father in law was in Vietnam. 1965-66, 1967-68, then extended and stayed there until 69. THEN, he was forced to rotate back, which he did agreeably. Then his youngest brother was drafted, so he went back, around the time his brother would have finished Infantry training at Tigerland and deployed, near the end of 1972-73 when the draw down brought him back home permanently.

What no one knew,  only I knew because in the Marine Corps I heard about it from a few of the remaining Vietnam Veterans I served with, that you could volunteer to take your brothers tour. And that's why this man, my brother's father in law had been doing all those tours. He was the oldest. He had 4 younger brothers, 3 of the 4 were drafted. The 4th was still young when the war ended for the US. He did his 3 younger brothers tours so they could remain home and safe. He never told anyone that, and here I come and blurt it out to my brother and his wife. So naturally, she asked her Dad if it was true. And he told her yes, but not to tell her uncles. What a stud, huh? Marine Grunt, was there from the very beginning when it was getting froggy, the the bitter end in 1973. Well, 1975 was THE END. But for 99% of the US in South East Asia, it ended in 1973 with some of MACV-SOG, Marine FR and SEALS remaining as "advisors." That wasn't true, they weren't "advising." They were leading the South Vietnamese Army and Marines into battle on their own. My brother's father in law didn't agree to do that! Even though he was Force Recon. He was only doing it to keep his little brothers out of it. Once they were safe from the war he GLADLY left it all behind.

“You look around you and notice something odd: every man, woman and child on the planet is wearing black gloves… just like the ones you’re wearing. You wonder why. You also wonder why you’d never noticed this before.” 🤔

Lol. Too late. Been there done that. 2001 to 2020

Please don't volunteer to join the military! Who is looking after your loved ones?