esrosedotblog

VETERANS DAY

I am not a veteran. I am a retired USAR. US Army Reserve.

A six month wonder. Summer camp and six months active duty. Three months of that was more training and three months were to protect my nation from the rowdies at the Fort Lee Officers' Open Mess (Officers' Club).

Then six years of weekly meetings with a reserve unit and two weeks summer camp with an obligation to be called up with my unit, if I had one which I did not, or as an individual in my specialty. Quartermaster. Club Officer. I had a nice military presentation.

Of course, this is absolutely correct. I should not be thought of as a veteran. I was ROTC because I did not want to get drafted.

Even in my six years I didn't do much. I went to summer camp but my advisor in Philadelphia, where I was located then, got me out of unit activity. A thing about my civilian work. I had to do correspondence courses.

Not very distinguished.

But here is what my brief time in the military taught me.

I met the guys who were the real soldiers. They were dedicated. They were fine people.

They knew who they were and were willing to do the ultimate to meet the mission goals.

They were fun and funny. They had a lot of ideas that were different than anything I had seen before.

My CO was a Captain who really had not much of a career. He had been passed over several times. But he stayed. He liked the life. I would not have wanted that life myself but I honored that in him.

I learned a lot from this man. One thing which sounds negative was how to work the system.

He could yank the cords and get stuff done. It is just that he was a little lazy and his private poker games got some publicity.

He was funny as hell.

I suppose that isn't a meritorious military story but he was a great boss. He was clear in his orders. And most of all, he backed me up. I was on nights when all hell could break loose at the bar or anywhere on the grounds. He was always there on the phone and I used him but he let me carry the thing out and to use my judgement.

So I got a lot more out of the Army than it got out of me.

My summer camps were non-unit. We were sent to Ft. Lee to be attached to some real military group so we could learn something. We often did. I had several friends and we would go together.

Once, we got the guy we were attached with to let us go south to Fayetteville to be with a group of Rangers who were practicing air drops. They did not want us around. So we stayed in the motel for a few days and the guy signed our papers. Laid back.

So thank the gods that I never got sent to war. But pray for the ones who do and are committed and are there because they want to be and are proud to be.

Labels: gay military, life