re: A little history on Viet Nam

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Lied about age.
Enlisted at 14.
Was a big kid apparently.

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8,283 were just 19 years old.

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My uncle was one. August 1968.

Watched my dad live with the pain of losing his best friend at such a young age.
Memorial Day was always a somber time at our household while growing up

My immediate family was lucky, I guess. None of them got drafted, but it sure as hell wasn't due to dodging or status. One of my Mom's brothers had a low draft number and they thought for sure he was going to get drafted. My Pops was the youngest son, graduated in 1969. He was spared because my grandad (his dad) died in '68, and Pops was the youngest son still living at home. His oldest brother, who was four or five years older than him suffered a terrible injury playing football his senior year, a compound external femur break that required multiple surgeries. He walked with a limp the rest of his life. That DQed him. The rest of the uncles just didn't get drafted.

My Pops and his brothers all went on to work at a chemical plant making a bunch of the shite used over there, though. Those were dangerous times to be in that line of work....virtually no standards and few fricks were given.

Respect and appreciation to the families of all those who made the greatest sacrifice. I know a few who were over there, and there were more distant family members, two cousins, who didn't make it back.

Gotta get that bone spurs diagnosis.

supposed the Vietnam era conscripts made up the highest educated army we’ve ever had, not quite sure what means/proves, just thought that was an interesting stat

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Gotta get that bone spurs diagnosis.

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Or asthma.

There is nothing like visiting Arlington on Memorial Day. Very moving. The flags and roses on every grave.

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West Virginia had the highest casualty rate per capita in the nation. There are 711 West Virginians on the Wall.

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Rich man’s war
Poor man’s fight.

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58,000 American lives lost

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And 51,000 died at Gettysburg in 3 days....

That’s a very good question. The volunteer service men are true hero’s. If you had a draft starting with the Iraq war, I hate to see it but we would have not been as effective. The young generation starting in the 2000’s would want NO part in fighting for this country. Not that they don’t love this country, but what it would take to make them a true soldier. Boot camp would crush a lot of young men at that time. And since day 2010 it would be even worse.