I was at Treasure Island, in electronics "A" school when JFK got it.
Joined to get away from what I knew.


"Vic Smith" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 14 May 2008 01:29:11 +0000, Larry wrote:

Vic Smith wrote in
m:

AFAIK it's a better Navy today. Smarter.

We were just prisoners....volunteer prisoners avoiding the Vietnam Army
draft.

I enlisted in the Navy when I was 16, about a month before JFK was
shot. Everything was done but the oath taking.
Took the oath and was in boot camp all in one day a couple months
later, the day after my 17th birthday.
My ma wouldn't let me go on my birthday.
Viet Nam and the draft had nothing to do with it.
I never had a draft card.
If Viet Nam had been hot when I turned 17 I probably would have joined
the Marines to fight commies.
A couple years into my Navy time there was a call for Swift boat crew
for Viet Nam and I volunteered.
They didn't want boilermen on Swift boats, so I never scored that
hazardous duty pay.
Like I said, smarter Navy today. Mostly due to better education,
better training, and fewer 17 year-olds.
And not a one of them is dodging the draft.

--Vic

We were just prisoners....volunteer prisoners avoiding the Vietnam Army
draft.

That's one "exit strategy," I guess.

Vic Smith wrote in
I enlisted in the Navy when I was 16, about a month before JFK was
shot. Everything was done but the oath taking.
Took the oath and was in boot camp all in one day a couple months
later, the day after my 17th birthday.
My ma wouldn't let me go on my birthday.
Viet Nam and the draft had nothing to do with it.
I never had a draft card.

Well, you guys are older than me... it's a different world now. I
joined up in 1979 during the Carter Recession, when the employment
section of a major metropolitan newspaper was less than 2 columns.
There were not "Help Wanted" signs on every fast-food joint & gas
station. If there were, I would not have enlisted. As it was, I took
the Navy over the Air Force because they could take me in sooner.


If Viet Nam had been hot when I turned 17 I probably would have joined
the Marines to fight commies.

My cousin, a few years older than me, elected to join the Marines when
his draft number came up.

MIA

I still have a copper bracelet with his name, rank, & service #; but
nowadays I only wear it to family occasions where people know what
it's for.


Like I said, smarter Navy today. Mostly due to better education,
better training, and fewer 17 year-olds.
And not a one of them is dodging the draft.


Agreed. And the military has learned different methods to socialize
young people to the task of being in the service.


"jlrogers±³©" wrote:
I was at Treasure Island, in electronics "A" school when JFK got it.
Joined to get away from what I knew.


Can't recall where I was when the Embassy people were taken hostage in
Tehran. It was certainly an "oh ****, here we go" feeling that went on
for a long time.

Regards-
Doug King, ex-BT1(SW)

On Fri, 16 May 2008 05:45:21 -0700 (PDT), wrote:


Well, you guys are older than me... it's a different world now. I
joined up in 1979 during the Carter Recession, when the employment
section of a major metropolitan newspaper was less than 2 columns.
There were not "Help Wanted" signs on every fast-food joint & gas
station. If there were, I would not have enlisted. As it was, I took
the Navy over the Air Force because they could take me in sooner.

And it's a different world now than in 1979 too. About 30 years ago
one my brothers, 5 years younger than me, clued me in when he told me
we were in different generations. There's probably a new one every
year now.
BTW, the worst unemployment since the Great Depression was in 82-83.
The Reagan Depression.
You were the Navy and missed it.

--Vic