>Tom,
>After I graduated highs chool I had no intention of going to college. I talked my best friend into going into the service on the 'Buddy' plan. I was the boy from the wrong side of the tracks. He was the boy from the good, church going family. I took a test, made 95%, and qualified for rocketry at some "cape" somewhere. We both went to down town Denver to the inlistment center to get our physicals and ship out. He passed and I failed. Hammer toes. Got classified 4F, IIRC. I was devistated at the time. Ended up going to the Barnes School of business to study data processing on IBM 402 tabs and the rest. Later on, as my college degrees increase my qualifications for cannon fodder increased also. I was 4A after graduate school
>
>Our paths might have crossed if I had made it to the cape. My buddy ended up going to Korea, and the experience messed up his life. The last I heard he was a used car salesman in Denver.


Jerry;

The physical we got at the Oakland Induction Center was something like “Raise your right hand. Raise your left hand. You are 1A!

Now, I went into the Air Force at age 17 – right out of High School. After doing “my thing” I received an Honorable Discharge. After six years from my original enlistment date I received a card from Selective Service stating I was 5A, and I had no further military duty requirement.

A few weeks later I received a very nasty letter from the Selective Service Board, stating I had broken the law as I had never signed up for the draft! The law stated you had to sign up at age 18 and since I was 17 and in the service I saw no need to do this. After explaining I had served a four year enlistment and was a Viet Nam Veteran I thought that would be a suitable explanation. Wrong! More nasty letters and finally they said I had better sign up for the draft or else! I did not sign up and if they want me at my age I can tell any Sargent or Officer where to go and how to get there!

Seventeen-year-olds are easy to mold to the requirements of the military. When you get to a certain age this is no longer true – for most of us!

I saw many guys in the military who had very serious problems with alcohol and etc. Those with the greatest problems typically had no religious affiliation or belief and did not have a good family relationship. I saw a program recently about the General who was in charge of the Army Air Corp Bombers in England during WWII. He was discussing casualties, which were enormous! The General was asked what men did to survive the physical, mental and emotional trauma that flying B17’s caused. His answer was they had no such thing as psychological counseling. Those men that did the best job and endured were Mormons, Catholics and Baptists! They had strong family values and were able to handle what had to be done.

For anyone who may not have had the "best" family relationship - the real job in life is to provide a good family environment. No reason to continue problems from one generation to another unless that is the desired effect. This is easy to say but requires heart and soul to make it successful and is well worth the effort.

Tom