I come what seems like a military family... many certainly served....
Grandmother on step dad's side had 3 sons not return from WW2.....6 of her sons served in Korea, 3 of which served in WW2 also...
Step dad served in Korea in the USMC, was with the first troops sent for reinforcement in Korea from Japan... he was there from Nov 1950 at 18 years old, and the war ended on his 21st birthday.... he went to Korea weighing 160 lbs.... he left Korea weighing 95 pound, and pretty much skin and bones....he was in all the major actions , Chosen Reservoir etc..... he never really came home from Korea....did 10 years in the Marine Corps, and then after becoming a pilot there, re enlisted into the Air Force.... tour of SAC with B 47s then B 52s, flew RF4Cs in England, then did 49 months in Vietnam, one tour in B 52s, and then 3 tours flying C130 Blackbirds, covert operations...retired after 26 years, Colonel...
was shot down 13 times in Vietnam over 49 months...
Biological Dad, he and mom divorced when I was 2 years old... had bad PTSD from WW 2....USMC from 1941 to 1946....Guadalcanal, the Solomons, a bunch more...Iwo and Saipan...Occupation force in Japan, 1945 and 46.... his 4 other brothers were also Marines in WW2... all saw combat and each made it home in one piece..
Grandmother's Brother, career Army officer, served in Merrill's Marauders in WW2, was on MacArthur's staff, and was in the photo of Mac and his staff coming ashore in the Philippines in 1944....
Plenty more WW2, Korea.....I missed Vietnam by the skin of my teeth...served 6 years active and reserve, got out....
Proud of my family members who have served, especially those in harms way....but also felt sorry for them, as they carried the scars both externally and within for the rest of their lives...
Myself, have always felt guilty for not serving in harms way, but that was evidently not the Good Lord's plans for me... Lost my best friend growing up, 19 years old in 1970 in Vietnam.... Special Forces.. his dad also died in Vietnam, Flying Hueys in 1967.....
Many of my parents friends, when I was growing up, and were mainly military... too many of them didn't come back from Vietnam...
answering the call has been an expectation on both sides of my family....
ancestors fought for this nation, from the French and Indian War, right thru Vietnam... only exception, no one on record wore blue between 1861 and 1865....
and many on mom's side, served under Lee, Stonewall Jackson in the Army of Northern VA, especially in Mosby's Rangers.... many came home and many didn't...
God Bless all who served and special blessings on those that didn't make it home...
