On Being a Military Veteran
I was in the USAF from 1965 to 1969. I enlisted because I had dropped out of college and was suddenly 1A. It was only a matter of time, in 1965, before my draft board would send me a "Greetings" letter. I realized that, and dropped in at the Air Force recruiting office. There, i took a test and arranged with the recruiter to enlist immediately after getting my draft notice. My score on that test hit the maximum numbers in all areas, so he was happy to make that arrangement.
Not long after that, the draft notice appeared and I went back to the recruiter's office in Santa Barbara, CA. The next day, I was in Los Angeles for a physical and affirmed the oath that all enlisted people take. The following day, I was in San Antonio, TX on my first day of Basic Training.
Four years later, I got a DD Form 214 and went back to California. In between, those two dates, the USAF taught me Russian and had me doing classified work in Turkey and at Ft. George Meade, home of the NSA. So, I am a military veteran.
I don't have a veteran's hat. I don't belong to any veterans' organizations. Most people I know don't know that I was in the USAF, and that's just fine with me. I don't have any photos of myself in uniform. I don't have a bumper sticker or anything else that says I'm a veteran, either.
The USAF was where I was for four years. That's all. Nobody shot at me, nor did I shoot at anyone. I know many people, however, who were shot at and who were involved in combat operations. I honor their service, whether it was in a time of a popular or unpopular war. Their very lives were at risk. My grandfather (WWI), my father (WWII), my brother-in-law (Vietnam era), and many of my friends and acquaintances went in harm's way. I did not.
Instead, I got some additional college-level education, was sent to interesting places, and did some work that may or may not have been important in some way. But, my life was never at risk. In that respect, I am like very, very many who have been in the military but who were never at risk.
So, when veterans are honored, I salute them silently, with an emphasis on those who risked or lost their lives in service to their country. As for myself, I don't expect or want such honors. That's why I don't make much of anything of my time in the USAF. In many ways, it was no different than what others were doing during the same period of time. I went to school and had a job. I have some good memories of that time period, but was never at any risk.
My grandfather was shot at, shelled, and subjected to chemical warfare in WWI. My father was a B-17 pilot, flying missions over Germany in WWII. My brother-in-law was stationed in Germany on the eastern border during the cold war, where there certainly was at risk, had things gone differently. I was not at risk. Ever.
I'm a military veteran, too, but not in the same category. I served, but was never in harm's way. I salute those who were. I have enormous respect for them and their life-risking service. My hat is off to them all.
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but I've never talked about it to my family, friends, etc., I wear nothing that would indicate I'm a combat vet, nor do I have any bumpers stickers, etc. on my vehicles.
It's enough to know that I did serve and I don't need to brag about it.
To all who served, whether in a combat role or not.
To all those who didn't return alive.
