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

Guys in my class were running from joining due to Iran embassy hostage situation, and I didn’t want to go to college or work at a shirt factory so I enlisted.

My Marine Corps Mom and Dad! My heroes!!!

The nice lady who ran the local draft board in Swampscott, MA. who sent me a letter I got Christmas Eve 1965. I went and talked with the recruiters the following Monday. Choice not Chance as we said back then.

My brother who was active duty Air Force.

There are many reasons that influenced my decision to enlist in the Army. I applied to all the utility companies in my area, and all of them told me to get my military service behind me and then reapply. My father served in the Navy in WWII along with several uncles, and they encouraged me to enlist and serve my country. I was a wild and crazy guy, with an uncertain future, so, looking back over the many years since I enlisted, I know that I made the right choice.

My WWII Seabee father.

Primarily my need for training, but what weighed on my mind for 3yrs was a gentleman J. Mankiller once told me "One regret I have in this life, was I never joined the military just to experience what it was actually like". I believe he meant more of the combat experience, I chose Navy Electronics.

It was really an easy choice for me to make. The military draft was coming the next day. I wanted to choose what branch of the military I was going to be in.

Watching the movie Gettysburg and Chamberlain's Charge! Later on my decision was validated at WLC when in the manual under leadership there was the story of Chamberlain and the 20th Maine at Gettysburg.

needed to get out of hometown