'The greatest time of my life'
WHY I CHOSE THE ARMY

'The greatest time of my life'

Oberlin, KS
I joined the Army in 1978 and retired from the Army Reserve in 2015 after 36 years and seven months...
39 views
'Something larger than myself'
WHY I CHOSE THE ARMY

'Something larger than myself'

Lorain, OH
I wanted to be part of the world's best fighting force, so I joined the U.S. Army in 1976 and..
49 views
'My parents couldn't talk me out of it'
WHY I CHOSE THE ARMY

'My parents couldn't talk me out of it'

North Tonawanda, NY
I chose the Army primarily because of my grandfather, my mom's father. He was an infantryman with the 86th Infantry,..
55 views
'The Army gave me wings'
WHY I CHOSE THE ARMY

'The Army gave me wings'

Green Valley, AZ
It was 1967, and the war was raging. I had been in college and Air Force ROTC. I had scored..
58 views
From the lodge to the Army chaplaincy
WHY I CHOSE THE ARMY

From the lodge to the Army chaplaincy

Guaynabo, Puerto Rico
When I attended seminary, I enrolled in the chaplaincy course, which focused exclusively on hospital ministry. I had no idea..
107 views
A matter of happenstance
WHY I CHOSE THE ARMY

A matter of happenstance

Colleyville, TX
Initially, it was not so much that I joined the Army for personal reasons as much as it was happenstance...
89 views
'The Army found me'
WHY I CHOSE THE ARMY

'The Army found me'

Silver Lake, OH
I graduated high school in 1969. I had little direction or guidance for post high school. My guidance counselor thought..
97 views
WHY I CHOSE THE ARMY

'A chance to see the world'

Little River, SC
I come from a long line of soldiers. My great-grandfather on my mother's side fought for the Union in the..
131 views
Engineers Lead the Way!
WHY I CHOSE THE ARMY

Engineers Lead the Way!

Live Oak, FL
I always knew I was going to serve, even as a young boy. My dad was an ROTC officer briefly..
113 views
The nuclear option
WHY I CHOSE THE ARMY

The nuclear option

DuPont, WA
Between poor grades from goofing off in high school and not knowing what I wanted to study, I decided there..
112 views
'What I needed to do'
WHY I CHOSE THE ARMY

'What I needed to do'

Milwaukee, WI
I grew up a tail-end baby boomer, as the country was being run by the World War II generation and..
115 views
WHY I CHOSE THE ARMY

'The person I am today'

Folsom, CA
In 1984, I had flunked out of college, was working a minimum-wage job, was dating a girl, and felt like..
93 views
WHY I CHOSE THE ARMY

'The Army taught me respect'

Trout Lake, MI
I chose the Army because of my ancestors, who served from the Revolutionary War to Vietnam. The Army taught me..
100 views
WHY I CHOSE THE ARMY

'I did my best to be all I could be'

Burlington, MA
First of all, I did not choose the Army, I was drafted in 1968. My father fought the Japanese in..
137 views
WHY I CHOSE THE ARMY

An uncle's sacrifice

Mitchell, SD
While at San Diego State University in 1965, I failed the hearing test for advanced Air Force ROTC. Upon graduating..
112 views
Life experience, education and a way to purchase a home
WHY I CHOSE THE ARMY

Life experience, education and a way to purchase a home

Dunedin, FL
I'm sad to say that doing my patriotic duty was not my reason for going in the Army. During my..
145 views
WHY I CHOSE THE ARMY

'My honor and privilege'

Deland, FL
I chose the U.S. Army to expeditiously fulfill my military obligation to our country. I had been drafted but used..
105 views
WHY I CHOSE THE ARMY

An honor and a privilege

St. Cloud, FL
I am the youngest of seven brothers. All my older brothers served in the Army, beginning with World War II..
96 views
Like father, like son
WHY I CHOSE THE ARMY

Like father, like son

Waukesha, WI
My uncle served in the Army during the 1930s. My father was a World War II veteran. All my buddies..
102 views
WHY I CHOSE THE ARMY

An Army guarantee

Philadelphia, PA
I planned to join the Navy after high school because my father served in World War II and during the..
142 views
WHY I CHOSE THE ARMY

'I wouldn't trade that experience for anything'

Abrams, WI
I was drafted into the Army in April 1970 and served 14 months in Vietnam as an infantryman. Even though..
89 views
WHY I CHOSE THE ARMY

Money for college, and Sunday duty

La Plata, MD
There are many reasons I chose to join Army Reserve: 1) to get out of my hometown; 2) to earn..
94 views
WHY I CHOSE THE ARMY

'I loved my time in the Army'

Auburn, WA
I went into the Army in 1967 right out of high school. I chose the service because I wanted someone..
155 views
WHY I CHOSE THE ARMY

'I knew this was right for me'

Staten Island, NY
My father, William Lawrence Gallagher, served in North Africa during World War II. My great-great-grandfather, Nathaniel Augustus Conklin, was a..
130 views
'Suppose I volunteer for the draft today?'
WHY I CHOSE THE ARMY

'Suppose I volunteer for the draft today?'

Cumming, GA
As a recent high school graduate in the fall of 1957, I knew that the United States government expected every..
100 views
'I wanted to be part of something bigger'
WHY I CHOSE THE ARMY

'I wanted to be part of something bigger'

Land O' Lakes, FL
I grew up on the streets of Baltimore. The area where I lived did not offer much opportunity for success...
181 views
WHY I CHOSE THE ARMY

'The heck with it, I'm joining the Army'

Milford, CT
As a male high school senior in 1967, the Selective Service draft was always on my mind. And as a..
107 views
WHY I CHOSE THE ARMY

A knock at the door

Montgomery, AL
My father, William Glen Cornwell, got his Army commission as a second lieutenant in 1937 from Iowa State College and..
115 views
WHY I CHOSE THE ARMY

The real cost of war

Saco, ME
I did not exactly choose the Army. It chose me in 1968. However, I did choose to honor my citizenship..
91 views
In the footsteps of family
WHY I CHOSE THE ARMY

In the footsteps of family

Chapel Hill, NC
My ancestor, David Chamberlain, served in George Washington’s army. I wanted to honor his service and that of my grandfathers,..
137 views