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

It was Christmas time, I was still back in my home town just graduated HS, I went out drinking with a carload of my buddies, Army, Navy, USMC, all home on leave. They all said the same thing, "Join the USAF!" They were damn good recruiters.

That's an easy question, Uncle Sam influenced me. He must have really wanted me, or perhaps needed me. In fact he sent me a personal letter telling me to come on down and take a physical. This was when I was between wives. I went down, and after coughing I was told to go out the back door and get on the bus. This was 3 or 4 years after the Air Force said they didn't want me because I was probably born with a rupture, and the Navy told me I had flat feet. Funny thing, the Army found neither to be true. Went on to Basic Tng, AIT, applied and graduated Artillery OCS, additional year at Fort Sill, then one year off to Vietnam. Almost stayed in, except for one Major.

Myself

The threat of being drafted :-) Old guy.

I did, my junior year we had recruiters come out to the high school, and the thoughts were already crossing my mind. I wanted to be a part of something much bigger, none of the four jobs I had which were all different had appeased me as much as becoming a mechanic or technician. I took the ASFAB test and scored better than average, so I signed up for the delayed entry program and guaranteed a job in an area I really enjoyed. I did the research, the recruiter took me out to Ft. Hood, which now that I remember and have been deployed, when I saw Ft. Hood it looked a lot like Camp Taji did in 08-09 back in 94-95. The trip didn't make up my mind, my mind was already made.

A poster in front of the post office in Cambridge MA. It was a sailor in salty dress blues. He held a young boy's hand as the stood in front of USS Constitution.

I wanted to be like my Dad ,a Marine. He told me to join the Army.Everytime we went to Ft.Meade or Ft.Holabird all I saw of the Army was Working Parties with green bags and pointy sticks...So I told my Mom that I'm going to be a Marine like Dad.

I New Since i Was 2 That I Wanted To Join The Army Most Of My Family Served And I Wanted To be Like Them When I Grew Up At 17 I Quite High School To Get My G.E.D. So I Could Enlist And With my Parents Consent I Was So Happy To Finally Take My Oath To Be A Member Of the greatest Army In The World The U.S. Army

Draft board

My Dad. He served in the Navy, going in at 17 years of age, from 1954 to 1957. He wanted me to join the Navy but in high school, no Navy recruiters came around. The Army recruiters came to our school and we took the ASVAB. I did pretty well and a month later, the Army recruiter came back and asked who would like to see their scores. Of course, I did and he said I could join a lot of technical jobs. I said I want Infantry. Couldn't go to Germany at the time so I went with Lance Missiles. My Dad was real proud that I joined anyway!!!!!