It starts out with an individual's choice to serve their respective country's cause, political agenda or religious conviction. Underlying all this is a basic simple truth: a youngman's longing for a sense of adventure and glory.
Next thing the youngman knows he's fighting for his very life and the lives of those around him who he's come to love as brothers. This love and kinship is forged even deeper thru shared hardships and pain few will ever know.
As the youngman's friends begin to violently disappear he begins to withdraw and close up until all that’s left is a false sense of bravado to mask his never ending pain. He becomes angry and just wants to be left alone as he ponders the futility of the age old question: why do old men get angry and young men have to die?
When the old "youngman" finally escapes the horrors and sheer madness of war, he realizes he did indeed accomplish something with his youth. In his own small part of the big event of his time, he showed up when many wouldn't, and stepped where many couldn't.
While he no longer believes in cultural, political or religious rhetoric when the bugle sounds the call to arms, he would do it all over again. Why? Because just like before, it's still simply the right thing to do whenever a man perceives an injustice being done to his fellow man.
And when it's all said and done, he prays that one day he’ll meet his former foe and they'll share pictures of their grandchildren and laugh at the folly and futility of it all. Because after all, his foe was once a youngman too.
Bump so there are no false ideas about what you're getting into. There is still a shooting war going on so make an informed decision, not a foolish one. We're here to help, not mislead you. Thats why we call it "The Service" because we still serve others and thats what makes us Marines.
Bravo-Zulu. Well said. I'm going to show this to a few doctors who never served and never spent any time in combat and don't understand why I wont discuss anything with them. I don't know who Nate is but if he's a brother I'll including him in my next toast.
Nate is short for Nathanial Victor, North Vietnamese Army Soldiers. They were also known as Luke the G**k which is considered racist so we called him Nate, Luke or Vic. Viet Cong were known as Charles or Chuck. Very dedicated hard fighting troops worthy of all the respect they earned. Like us, they were youngmen too. God bless us all, each and everyone.
I totally understand your feelings of not relating your experiences with your peers. I felt the same way too. What is there really to say anyway?
God Bless you Brother. Welcome home. Job very well done. Semper Fi!
Bump for the next generation. Even though we leave the Corps for civilian pursuits, the Corps never leaves us because Semper Fi isn't just two words it's our warrior way of life. The change really is forever.
Your welcome AK. Consider the military like pro sports, sooner or later we all end up in the open job market after we rejoin society but the change is indeed forever. God's blessings in all your pursuits.
