Text 6280, 63 rader
Skriven 2004-12-14 19:03:00 av LEE LOFASO (1:123/140)
     Kommentar till en text av SEAN DENNIS
Ärende: Breaking News!
======================
Hello Sean,

>LL>There is not much of a market for fixing tanks in the civilian world.

SD>No, but it's fun driving one (like my old '78 LTD ;).

Michael Dukakis should have stuck with cars.  :)

>LL>Most folks who join the military are basic high school grads.  And
>LL>the military does afford those kids to move out of their parents'
>LL>house. As such, the military is good for something.  Furthermore, some
>LL>kids choose to make the military a career.  Not a bad choice, if
>LL>one survives.

SD>I joined because I'd driven myself out of my home and out into the streets,
SD>basically.  Note that this was my own doing-I have a very loving family that
SD>tried very hard to help me, but with both parents being disabled to a point,
SD>was hard for them.  At the time, I was an able-bodied young man with an
SD>attitude problem... the attitude was fixed soon enough. ;)

Must have been the ladies.  :)

SD>I grew up fast and hard in the military and learned a lot of rough lessons,
SD>including not to marry the first woman you meet. ;)  For that, I'm eternally
SD>grateful.  I took a lot of unnecessary abuse in the military and that put me
SD>edge for years (still does), but it'll be ten years since I joined next year
SD>and I really am a different person.

Life in the military changes people.  For better, or for worse.

SD>When I joined, I did have some college under my belt.  I was older than many
SD>my class (at 23, I was a good five years younger than most of the other
SD>recruits).  I got special privilges (such as being allowed to get weekend
SD>passes and show up Sunday night blasted off my ass, heh) and more
SD>responsibility.

In Vietnam, the average soldier who died was age 19.
In Iraq, the average soldier who died was age 20.

SD>I can't recommend the military to everyone and certainly wouldn't.  It worke
SD>for me and that's all I could ever say about it to anyone else.  I just wish
SD>hadn't been so naieve and had taken advantage of the opportunities at my
SD>disposal.

The military does offer some folks opportunities they would not have had
otherwise.

SD>At least I have affordable healthcare.  I am now on ten medications and if i
SD>wasn't for my veteran's benefits, I don't know what I would do, to be honest
SD>Some of my medications are rather expensive.  However, my overall health is
SD>improving and I'm hoping to be taken off of some of them Saturday (my first
SD>appointment in the Atlanta Regional VA)...

With Bush cutting veterans benefits, many veterans are concerned about
what coverage they will continue getting, or if that coverage will
continue at all.

--Lee


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