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Vet, you did your duty even more than me. Sorry your Mom thought less for you not being a Marine, they are not the end all. That kinda makes me sad. The only thing I ever did in my life that made my parents proud was to join the Aviation Navy, and that's even less hazardous than Army. Along with your thinking, I also didn't want to experience a continuing boot camp like the Marines do.

While I have felt bad sometimes for not being in the "shit" with some my buds, I still recognize that I was targeted by the Soviet machine and could go down to ole Davy Jones Locker any time. No matter what you were in the Army, I'm sure you did your part.

From the most macho SEAL to the supply clerk, we all did our duty and sacrificed. As young men we all wanted to make a difference and be in the "shit". Being Viet-Nam era Vet, I'm glad I wasn't in "it". Saw too many friends come back too screwed up. Be proud and be certain in your beliefs about your service, I am.

I did 11 years of old Navy away from home and my wife and eventually lost her because of it. Still, I'm proud of every moment on that flight deck and wouldn't trade a second for anything. It was the best thing I have ever done and will go to my grave knowing I did something right. Sure you will too.

I still recognize that I was targeted by the Soviet machine and could go down to ole Davy Jones Locker any time.

So did our guys in our cinder-block building on top of an ancient, emergent reefrock ridge. We used to talk about how we could tell the balloon was going up: a loud "bang" would remove the cinder-block building , and then the rest of us would get to watch a big Soviet Charlie-class SSGN surface about 400 yards beyond the reef and start putting spetsnazy into rubber boats.

We didn't have nearly enough machine-guns ..... and we kept what we had in one of the two larger cinder-block buildings.