Who Influenced You To Take The Oath And Join The Military? - Login & Share to Win!

My ROTC instructor

Draft Board #33 Catonsville, MD. Made infamous by protestors Daniel and Phillip Berrigan who broke in the Spring of 1968 and poured blood on the records. I was in OCS by then, so moot.

My Navy and Coast Guard Uncles

My Grandfather served in France during WWI as a supply truck/ambulance driver. My Father served in the Army Air Corps during WWII rebuilding engines and superchargers. My main influence though was my Uncle who served in Korea from 1951 to 1953 as a combat engineer. I joined the Army in 1969 to follow his footsteps in the engineers, but "because my test scores were so high" I was somewhat persuaded to go into the Army Security Agency (ASA) - a top secret radio intelligence component of the Army. Although my job was in radio direction finding, in Vietnam detachments needed to be set up and supplied all around the country for increased success in radio transmission triangulation efforts. Whereas I had some kind of automotive background and interest, I was assigned to run convoys to those sites (hence my logo shown above). I'd like to think my automotive and military influence came directly from my Grandfather, Dad, and Uncle all combined!

My brother was in or should I say drafted
I sort of followed a little in his foot steps
I also saw a opportunity
37 1/2 years later I retired
1976 to 2013 Still Miss It

Some older man gave me pamphlets when I was at the unemployment office. He was kind and his timing was perfect because I was extremely frustrated. I took the pamphlets home and my sister and father discussed it with me. We couldn't afford college, and being from a small town, there were few jobs open at that time. They pointed out many good points, and I went to see a recruiter. I have never regretted it. My uncles, father, brother, and aunt had all been in the military. Since then, my son and daughter, nephew and niece have also been in. My son and nephew have been to Iraq many times. All are retired now.

the year was 1972 , was getting ready to be done with high school, and the draft was going strong so I thought it was in my best intrest to go ahead and sign up with the Navy , I didn't want to go Army and end up in Nam . so it was off to boot camp and then I wanted something more , I talked to a man who was a submariner and I was hooked, rode a missle boat for 4 years then got to go to a fast attack sub for 6 more years. would not change anything about my time in the service for anything.

Drafted!

No one influenced me. I had just graduated from high school, was working on the farm. One day at noon these two marine recruiters pulled up in the yard got out of thei8r vehicle and we started talking. These were the first military recruiters that I had seen in my life, they talked to me for an hour, so when they told me I could join the marines for two years I said fine with me. went to boot camp at Parris Island SC and AIt Training at camp NC from there I was sent to NAS Iwakuni Japan. I was in the marine for one year and ten months, got a two-month cut. the marine will always be my favorite service as I was in three total

To be totally honest I was getting ready to have a son right out of high school and had no real skills and all of a sudden I wanted to be a adult to take care of that son so I guess you can say a child coming into the world my world