Posted on Jan 12, 2016
Did where you grow up have an impact on your decision to join the military?
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Where are you from and why did you join? Did you know that Appalachian folk (Hillbillies is what we are called sometimes) are more likely to die for their country than any other region in America. We also comprised 17% of the military force during WWII. That sounds negligable but it is also the highest per capita service among American Regions.
Theres a lot of reasons for this based on my reading. Appalachian men are very patriotic for one, and the job market is horrible in the mountains. Lack of education was also a prime motivator for joining the military.
This phenomenon of Appalachian military mortality is called Sgt York Syndrome and has been widely studied.
I became curious about the current military and what region they hail from and what was their reason for joining. If I didn't fully encompass your region in the poll/survey, please respond with your location.
This question is to assist me in a research paper that I am working on in college so the more data, the better.
Theres a lot of reasons for this based on my reading. Appalachian men are very patriotic for one, and the job market is horrible in the mountains. Lack of education was also a prime motivator for joining the military.
This phenomenon of Appalachian military mortality is called Sgt York Syndrome and has been widely studied.
I became curious about the current military and what region they hail from and what was their reason for joining. If I didn't fully encompass your region in the poll/survey, please respond with your location.
This question is to assist me in a research paper that I am working on in college so the more data, the better.
Posted 10 y ago
Responses: 20
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I was born in Pa. where my Father and six uncles were all in the military during WWII, the Japanese occupation, and Korea. IIRC, Pa. fed more than any other state into WWII. I grew up in S. Fla, and I seem to recall it fed Vietnam more than most other states for that period. BTW I would not call the South part of the Atlantic plain. Dividing by time zones doesn't seem to make much sense here. A cultural divide does.
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SSG (Join to see)
You're correct. The cultural divide plays more of a part than geographic region.
PA has always been a military friendly state.
Hell, the USMC was born there!
PA has always been a military friendly state.
Hell, the USMC was born there!
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I was raised in the Red River Valley, both the Okie and Texan sides. When I had to get shotgunned wedded at 17, I blew my chance of college. So I graduated early and went job hunting and could not find any work. Air Force recruiter spin several tall yarns and I enlisted to get college. Turned 18 in Boot 2 days after that my wife misscarried and moved back home with her parents. I stayed in and made a whole enlistment.
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Born and raised in Akron, OH. Got into military history as a kid because my old man was always reading WW2 books. When I came across the 82nd Airborne Division and paratroopers I was hooked. Left for BCT the day after graduation. I wanted to be a part of something. Here I am.
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SSG (Join to see) I am not a hillbilly. Some of my folks may have been 'butternuts' during the Civil War, but some were wounded in the U S Army.
At Ft Knox, 1953, after supper, Harry Lane would get in his top bunk, unscrew the lightbulb over his head,plug in his radio and listen to hillbilly music. Us Yankee we'uns would flee until Harry fell asleep and we could unplug his radio!
At Ft Knox, 1953, after supper, Harry Lane would get in his top bunk, unscrew the lightbulb over his head,plug in his radio and listen to hillbilly music. Us Yankee we'uns would flee until Harry fell asleep and we could unplug his radio!
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SSG (Join to see)
That's hilarious. I'm guessing Harry Lane was a little crazy about his banjo picking.
The invention of headphones was a good thing. On deployment, I would turn on my iPod before bed and let the smooth tones of Kentucky Bluegrass take me home.
The invention of headphones was a good thing. On deployment, I would turn on my iPod before bed and let the smooth tones of Kentucky Bluegrass take me home.
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CSM Charles Hayden Passed 7/29/2025
In 1953, the country music available at Ft Knox was WILD for me after living in CA for 6 years! Near Lima, OH in 1946/47, young people would gather on the school lawn and do some 'picking'. That was mild compared to Harry's which was out of ?Knoxville!.
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Not so much where, but when. My father and all of my uncles served in WWII, and I grew up on war stories. I knew from a young boy that I would go to war when I grew up, and when I did Viet Nam was hiring. I grew up in Arizona, but I don't know that made any difference.
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This is extremely interesting. It hits home for me as I was born and raised on the edge of Appalachia, in the Ohio Valley.
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SSG (Join to see)
Give this article a read for more details on the Appalachian folk and warfare
http://articles.baltimoresun.com/1991-11-11/news/ [login to see] _1_appalachian-counties-vietnam-war
http://articles.baltimoresun.com/1991-11-11/news/ [login to see] _1_appalachian-counties-vietnam-war
London, Kentucky -- When U.S. casualty figures in the Persian Gulf War are analyzed, we may learn that this war ended not only the ''Vietnam Syndrome,'' as President Bush proclaimed, but also the...
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I grew up outside of Fort Drum plus most of my family was military. Growing up my family was always active in the VFW as well. So, I believe where you grow up definitely has an impact on your military status.
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SSG (Join to see)
Absolutely. Family ties have a lot to do with military service. I'm fairly certain that my boys will be in the military regardless of my protests. Hopefully they'll at least wait until after college
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SrA (Join to see)
My son too! His grandpa was a ranger, my dad was army, I'm army & my husband was army... My son (who is not quite 4) says he wants to be an army guy when he gets older!
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I lived in Pasadena, Texas when I joined. I joined because I believed aiding South Vietnam was a just cause. A little bit of adventure was also a plus.
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SSG (Join to see)
I bet it was a hard decision to support South Vietnam with all the hippy propaganda out there
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Sgt (Join to see)
SSG (Join to see) - When I returned from Vietnam, I was at LAX, and an older woman told me to repent for my sins. A younger woman, who could have been the older woman's granddaughter, asked me how many babies did you kill. I was not polite with my response to these two women. For the most part, I tried to tune out these folks. In 1971, when I was stationed at 29 Palms, myself and a corporal were sent to Denver to pick up an AWOL Marine who was in jail. We went to the jail and made arrangements to pick up the prisoner the next morning. Before heading to the motel, we stopped at a bar for a drink. We were in uniform, and there was complete silence when we walked in. We had a drink and left the bar. We were very lucky at that bar.
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SSG (Join to see)
I love to hear these stories even though it's horrible. It was another dark time in our country. I'm am glad we have mostly evolved beyond that. I've read lots of books on Vietnam, it is definitely one of my favorite subjects. If there was ever a story of endurance, it is that of a soldier in the 60s and 70s. Thank you for your service during that horrible time
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Sgt (Join to see)
Thank you SSG Jason Murdock for continuing to serve as, first a Marine and now as a Soldier.
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I grew up in a small farm town (pop: 1200) in northern PA. I joined the military because I just wanted to get out of that small town. Had nothing to do with patriotism or anything like that. I really didn't pay much attention to world affairs. I joined in 1965 and was just vaguely aware of the Vietnam war - until I was sent there. I was going to join the Navy until a recruiter from the Army Security Agency came to visit me at my high school. Being a "spy" just sounded like a lot more fun than being on a ship in the middle of the ocean someplace.
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