Why did some of you men and women join the military? What motivated you when you first wanted to join? What motivates you now? For me, it may sound naive, but I want to join the Marines so I can be the person I've always dreamed of being. I want to make a (what seems to me) a real difference and do my time.

I joined because I was interested and sought answers from vets or active military men. That helped me make up my mind!

Iwas an eighth grade drop-out and my two older brothers were in the army. That was the first time in 1954.

In 1958 the air forces off er me Palm Beach AFB FL and to keep my rank, E4 from the army.

In 1962 I went back in to the army as an E2, because my wife got sick need to go into the hospital immediately and I couldn't reenlist in the air force for 93 more days. Four years later I was an E7. I finally fell in love with the army. Two later I was a WO1. I retired in 1977 as a W3.

For me it was pretty much that "duty, honor, country" thing.... that and I wanted to be a paratrooper so bad I could taste it. I still believe in the "duty, honor, country" thing but John Wayne was a liar about the rest.... should of been a REMF and learned something useful..... naaah, then I would have always wondered... better to have learned nothing useful for society and had become a logging engineer then to have learned something useful and made the big bucks... Would do it again in a heartbeat.

There is nothing wrong with keeping good order in the world. The traits of Duty, Honor and Country go a long way towards us all being better people in the end.

Just natural.
Followed my five older brothers starting in 1943.
One got out another took his place.
Well cept in WWII,3 were in at one time.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: YankeeeSgt,

The Corps has offered me a future as an engineer serving in a cause I believe in. The Dept of Navy is paying for my PhD while I serve.

An professor at Cornell placed the bug in my ear. He was a Marine reservist and teaching at an Ivy League College.

The Corps has given me the experience I would have never received in civilian life. Heck, I'd probably be bagging groceries like a bag boy at my local Safeway. He has an engineering degree from CSU Hayward and is unemployable.

I just wanted to serve one hitch and then move on. No way I was going to have my young years slip by without signing up. The miltary was one of the best moves I ever made, it should be mandantory for every person in this country IMO.

The look in their eyes when you have just helped them or relieved them of their pain.

I was just on a long bender from july and woke up at Ft. Ord in aug of 75.
But I would not change a thing. Met alot of good people and had fun while I
was in. I would have stayed longer but when you break your neck and back you
do not get to do alot of hard work after that.

quote:

Originally posted by TheBigRedMFT:
I was just on a long bender from july and woke up at Ft. Ord in aug of 75.
But I would not change a thing. Met alot of good people and had fun while I
was in. I would have stayed longer but when you break your neck and back you
do not get to do alot of hard work after that.

My brother joined the Army. I recently told someone that and asked where he went to basic training. I told him "Ft. Ord." He was like, that's a long time ago. My brother was in 3/67 ADA in Germany.
I joined the Navy in 1971. Wanted to learn job skills, serve my country, and earn a paycheck. Decided I didn't like it all that much so I got out; in 1991...

I joined the Army for many reasons. I loved the old TW uniforms with the spit shined boots the paratroopers wore, the chance to go to a war and fight little people running around in the jungle wearing black pajama's, and a chance to protect my country from evil people from within like Pelosi, Reid, Rangel, Dodd, and Frank. I failed on that mission.

Duster, Pelosi,Reid Rangel, Dodd and Frank are like insurgents, they breed like rats. No matter if you get rid of one...another one pops up to take it's place!

quote:

Originally posted by scooter_mech:

quote:

Originally posted by TheBigRedMFT:
I was just on a long bender from july and woke up at Ft. Ord in aug of 75.
But I would not change a thing. Met alot of good people and had fun while I
was in. I would have stayed longer but when you break your neck and back you
do not get to do alot of hard work after that.

My brother joined the Army. I recently told someone that and asked where he went to basic training. I told him "Ft. Ord." He was like, that's a long time ago. My brother was in 3/67 ADA in Germany.
I joined the Navy in 1971. Wanted to learn job skills, serve my country, and earn a paycheck. Decided I didn't like it all that much so I got out; in 1991...

After going to Corpus Christi and seeing the USS Lexington, I kinda wish I would
have tried the Navy. But I tried the boat thier that goes out so you can gamble
on. About half way through that trip, it was all over for me. I have never been
so sick in my life. I went into the store on borad and bought a pack of dramamine
and ate all 6 or so pills in that bottle. I then laid out on the deck for the
rest of the cruise. I was ok outside, I just could not deal with being inside.

Many, many generations of military in my family. We have been in every engagement from the Civil War on. Only OEF and OIF lack my family name attached to them in some way (assuming my son didn't join up).

For me, all that matters is God, Country, Family. Without those, in that priority, a man isn't a man.

To this day I don't get along with civilians. It's an Infantry thang?

To serve, to learn (both about a skill and about myself), and to get away.

My brother and sister followed.

Now I just want to serve again. But that's a hard decision and a long road with 4 kids and a hubs on AD.

I enlisted in the Navy in March 1970, just two weeks in front of my draft notice. Remained for 20 years. I would do it again, the good days far outweighed the bad.

I was 17, so too young for the Navy;
Being color blind; the Air Force was eliminated;
Then I scored too high on the IQ test, there went the Marines!
All that was left was the Army