Cowboyjg
Country Club Member
I would like to extend a heartfelt thanks as well to those who did and do serve. Most all my family did to some extent and I have a couple of nephews who are Army Reserve and curently deployed. Despite my overwhelming desire to enlist, Uncle Sam wouldn't take me due to lack of vision in my left eye (Birth issue). It didn't stop me from trying to join though, which is a pretty funny story.
A childhood friend of mine (early 70's) had an older brother (oldest of 6 kids) who had been RA went Reserves and finally Guard. A lifer of sorts. We were so into the military thing that he would arrainge for us to spend time with his Mechanized Infantry unit at the armory and other events. I studied all the training manuals I could get my hands on, all the way thru E5. The guys taught me how to assemble and disassemble various weapons. They'd explain the ins and outs of various vehicles they used. We would talk tactics and stuff too. By the time I was to graduate HS I was psyched. I just knew the "ARMY" life was for me. Kind of like "Alices Restuarant"....lol Anyway, I trapes into the local recruiters office lookin to kick some tail. I score a 96 on my ASVAB. The recruiter couldn't stop wipin the slobber off his chin. We discussed AIT talked about counter intelligence and other MOS choices.
Comes time to go for my physical (Newark, NJ). There had to be 200 people in this place all walkin around in thier underwear gettin poked and prodded and measured and stuff. To this point I still had no idea how I was gonna get past the eye exam.
As luck would have it, it was the last exam for me. (in more ways than one) I'm standing in line waiting my turn to go into this room where a Navy 2 striper is sitting at the table writing and stamping and giving instructions as each person would walk up and stick thier face on one of those exam machines they use at the Driver License office. I noticed that every time someone would step up, this seaman would bark out directions and write and stamp and never look up at the machine. I figured out how I was gonna beat the system.
I step up to the machine,"Right eye" he barks. I read with my right eye (the good one) Thank God. "Ok, Left eye" he says. Ever so gently and slowly I slide my head to the left and start reading the lines. He looks up at me and says "WTF are you doing?" "Reading the lines like you asked me to", I replied. "Your supposed to use your left eye" he says. "Oh, That one doesn't work very well" I said matter of fact like....
Needless to say, that was the extent of my military career. BTW...I had to sit in the back of the van on the way home. I'm sure if he would have had his druthers, the recruiter would have made me walk back.
A childhood friend of mine (early 70's) had an older brother (oldest of 6 kids) who had been RA went Reserves and finally Guard. A lifer of sorts. We were so into the military thing that he would arrainge for us to spend time with his Mechanized Infantry unit at the armory and other events. I studied all the training manuals I could get my hands on, all the way thru E5. The guys taught me how to assemble and disassemble various weapons. They'd explain the ins and outs of various vehicles they used. We would talk tactics and stuff too. By the time I was to graduate HS I was psyched. I just knew the "ARMY" life was for me. Kind of like "Alices Restuarant"....lol Anyway, I trapes into the local recruiters office lookin to kick some tail. I score a 96 on my ASVAB. The recruiter couldn't stop wipin the slobber off his chin. We discussed AIT talked about counter intelligence and other MOS choices.
Comes time to go for my physical (Newark, NJ). There had to be 200 people in this place all walkin around in thier underwear gettin poked and prodded and measured and stuff. To this point I still had no idea how I was gonna get past the eye exam.
As luck would have it, it was the last exam for me. (in more ways than one) I'm standing in line waiting my turn to go into this room where a Navy 2 striper is sitting at the table writing and stamping and giving instructions as each person would walk up and stick thier face on one of those exam machines they use at the Driver License office. I noticed that every time someone would step up, this seaman would bark out directions and write and stamp and never look up at the machine. I figured out how I was gonna beat the system.I step up to the machine,"Right eye" he barks. I read with my right eye (the good one) Thank God. "Ok, Left eye" he says. Ever so gently and slowly I slide my head to the left and start reading the lines. He looks up at me and says "WTF are you doing?" "Reading the lines like you asked me to", I replied. "Your supposed to use your left eye" he says. "Oh, That one doesn't work very well" I said matter of fact like....
Needless to say, that was the extent of my military career. BTW...I had to sit in the back of the van on the way home. I'm sure if he would have had his druthers, the recruiter would have made me walk back.
The real support for you comes from the silent majority in this country.. the citizens who's houses go silent when news of the war comes on, the people who include you in their prayers, the ones that look at the flag and have pride, because they know that it is more than just fabric.
You served in some of the worst places there were in Nam.
