12 November 2023
Thank goodness for home grocery delivery! I could probably make it to the grocery store today and even shop but I really don’t feel like it. I still have zero energy and I’m in the negative range for motivation. Neither Catherine nor I feel like going to breakfast today.
My hope that night sweats would end didn’t occur. I still put down a towel on top of the fitted sheet at night and I’m never disappointed that I did. It wasn’t too bad last night but I’ll soon need to wash the outside of the pillows. To show you where my brain isn’t, I noticed one of the pillow cases was inside-out. I corrected it this morning.
One of my favorite web sites that I check daily is electoralvote.com. Yesterday, on Veterans Day, they had a letter from a reader about the appropriate response to “Thank you for your service.” The reader was at a loss of what to say because, as you probably know, not all military service is the same. My personal opinion is that I don’t care for the phrase. Monday’s site intends to run other readers’ comments as to the appropriate response, and I assume, their feelings on the issue.
For example, I went into the Coast Guard because it was the least likely to be sent to Viet Nam (Coasties did go and did die in that conflict). My brother Archie was on a submarine during the Cuban missile crisis and was probably far more exposed to danger than I. Dad fought in both WWII and Korea and was in far more greater danger than either Archie or I. Not all military service is the same. If I had not been under the threat of drafting into the army, I probably would have not enlisted.
There are some that would bring back drafting personnel into the military. You are still required to register for the selective service even today. Most military professionals will tell you they prefer an all volunteer army as opposed to a forced draftee. Even more amazing to me are the number of people that have never been in the military that are the most vociferous about universal military service.
My four years of experience in the Coast Guard provided me some insight. There are good and bad things about the experience. For example, I learned to type and copy International Morse Code. I learned how to operate complex equipment and even learned how to steer the ship. I made some life long friends while in the Coast Guard.
Unlike the recruiting commercials on TV, military life has its ugly side. We had some officers and enlisted men with egos that didn’t match their abilities. Military academy graduates were referred to as “ring knockers” because they would often tap their ring finger on surfaces to make sure you know they were an Academy graduate. There was a great deal of pettiness in both enlisted men and officers. In some cases, there was a meanness. In one case, we housed in our ship’s brig an enlisted man up on charges of murder. I remember one of the engineering crew slashing the tires of an officer he didn’t like. Favoritism was rampant.
Alcoholism was prevalent and probably accidentally promoted by service clubs with cheap booze and beer. We often had incompetent crew that put your life needlessly in danger because of their incompetence. We had one particularly challenged ensign who was standing nights watch while we cruised at 18 knots in and among oil rigs in the Gulf of Mexico. He was probably a threat to the entire crew while on duty. The Band of Brothers concept was tenuous at best.
Of course, I realize this was during the Viet Nam war and everyone was trying to stay out of the conflict. You had to volunteer to enlist in the Coast Guard for four years as opposed to two years service as a draftee into the Army. The result was you got a real mixture of people. I learned to interact and get along with all types. I also learned when to keep my mouth shut.
So, back to my original point. I don’t really like “Thank you for your service” since there are so many variations of service in the military. It was a job, like anything else for me. For others, it was the ultimate sacrifice, willingly or not. Would any of the dead of any of the wars or conflicts say they willingly gave their lives?
Just realize that those military recruiting advertisements are exactly that. There are both good and bad things about the military. The majority of military personnel are support personnel for those who are active in the field, dodging bullets, bombs, and bullshit. They are the ones to thank for their military service.
I’ll get off the soapbox now.
Stay tuned!