THE MILITARY AND ME—MY VETERANS DAY REFLECTIONS

ENLISTMENT: In 1964, I was newly graduated from High School, 17 years old and living on what was almost a farm at the end of a dirt road a mile from a blacktop road that led to the Meramec Caverns in Stanton, Missouri. I wanted to join the military based on a sense of duty (a war was on), and a desire to follow in the footsteps of my father who had served in the Pacific throughout WWII. Only 17, I needed a parental permission statement from my father to enlist.

I walked into the woods where my dad was mending a fence, and asked him if he’d sign. He said, “I’ll sign it, but you need to know son, that no one will ever care much that you’ve been in the military.” I hadn’t given this any thought. But apparently he had. Before long I was sitting on the steps of the Stanton Post Office in the darkness of early morning when a Navy van pulled up, picked me up, and made the 2 hour drive back to the recruiting station in St. Louis.

EXPERIENCE: After boot camp, I received 11 months of special training. Graduating at the top of my class I was offered my choice of duty stations ranging from really “cushy” ones in England, Scotland, Spain, etc. to less desirable ones in Alaska, Vietnam, or onboard one of the Navy’s six special communications ships, etc. I chose a ship. (I thought it would be embarrassing to have been in the Navy, but never on a ship, and wasn’t taking any chances on being deprived of the “opportunity.)

Soon I was on a ship stationed off the coast of Vietnam in the South China Sea. Although I spent a year in the combat zone, I never personally engaged in combat. But I spent enough time on land to see and hear something of it and to see the effects of it in the medical tents, etc. I went from Vietnam directly to Japan where I served out the rest of my enlistment. I didn’t, and I haven’t, regretted one minute of my military service.

ENCOURAGED: I’ve been saddened by the changes that have taken place in the military since I was in it—especially the radical changes introduced during Democrat Presidential administrations. The woke influence in, and politicization of, the military under the likes of presidents Obama and Biden diminished what our recent veterans have been able to take pride in where the military in general is concerned.

Now, I’m encouraged beyond what I can express, by the rapid and radical return to military tradition, standards, discipline and philosophy, etc. that have taken place under the Trump administration. I’m encouraged and thankful for the record-breaking numbers of new military enlistments by young people who want to be identified with a military they can be proud of as they serve their country for whose future they now have some hope. I’m glad for the surge of patriotism sweeping across the country and the revival of interest in, and enthusiasm for, Veterans Day.

More than 60 years have passed since my meeting in the woods with my dad. I’ve learned that he was partly right and party wrong. There have always been, and there always will be those poor, stunted souls who are inappreciative and indifferent, and “don’t care much” about anyone’s military service. But there always have been, and always will be far greater numbers of Americans who are thankful for, and welcome the opportunity to pay some special tribute to, our military veterans; and we should all be encouraged by this.