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

I myself made my decision to enlist. I knew I was headed down the wrong road, and if I didn't change my ways, I would of died or spent my life behind bars, I knew the military would change me! And it did!

My Dad was a Marine and my Mom was a Navy nurse and I greatly respected them both!

I come from a long line of people that have served. I knew I wanted to join because of my Grandfather and my 6 other uncles who served in Army/Navy/Airforce.

Had to get away from my girlfriend,so I joined the Marines,spent two tours in Vietnam and was fortunate enough to make it homw.

Both Grandfathers who served in WWII and Korea. My Father who served in Vietnam. I wanted to follow in their footsteps and make them proud.

I didn't know why I joined at the time. But in retrospect, the Marine Corps was the natural progression from how I was raised. Uncompromising hierarchy, no talking back, no love, wear the same clothes every day, life is a bitch then you die. But the food was better than home, that I didn't expect.

The week I graduated college in 1978, I convinced my oldest sister to take me to the West Berlin, NJ, USN recruiter. My father was WWII Army Infantry (carbine) and earned a bronze star. All his siblings were USMC Officers. My one brother, as we found out when he died, was Green Beret. My other brother was a RM on the U.S.S. AMERICA(CVA66), last tour 1967, Tonkin Gulf, had a Russian trawler tossing apples on their deck. I met and married my husband at boot camp in Orlando, Fl, in the little chapel on base. I started black shoe, he was a MM, Nuke power sub(SSN-704), plank owner. I transitioned to admin aviation at a rag unit VA-42, then MdANG 135th TAG out of Baltimore, MD, just south of Aberdeen. My daughter then went onto marry an S.A.S. sniper out of York, U.K. Second generation S.A.S., his father wore black and repelled down the London Embassy in May, 1980.

A Recruiter

My father. He taught me how the military changed him and how it secure his future. Best decision I ever made.

Uncle Sam draft