I did not exactly choose the Army. It chose me in 1968. However, I did choose to honor my citizenship duties by showing up.

I grew up watching all the depictions of sacrifices made by prior generations and my generation, as Vietnam was a TV war. I felt obligated to those past servicemembers: Valley Forge, Fort McHenry, Gettysburg, Verdun, Iwo, Normandy, Pork Chop Hill, Tet. Realizing and seeing the effects of war (KIA and wounded) made me feel guilty, like I was getting a free ride while others were paying for their fares.

I did not intend to make the military a career (and I didn’t). In fact, if the Vietnam War had not been raging, I might not have served at all. My 2-S status was like Nathaniel Hawthorne’s "Scarlet Letter" in my mind. I trained at Fort Jackson, S.C., and then honored my orders for Vietnam after leave.

I also studied economics, and learned the difference between nominal GDP and real GDP. Real GDP is the actual goods and services, not just the dollar designations. Well, freedom is not free, and the real cost of war is reflected on a wall in Washington, D.C. Many at home can “hide” behind the wall, but those names on the wall are the front lines.

Wayne Carlson, Saco, Maine