I graduated from high school in 1968. A year later, I was going to enlist in the Navy for six years, to be on submarines.

My older brother was in USMC Force Recon and spent a year in Vietnam. I went to the recruiter's office and the Navy guy was at lunch, so I enlisted in the Marines and went to three electronics schools (MOS 2841), and was in the California Campaign at Camp Pendleton. I never made it to 'Nam.

Nineteen years later, I enlisted in the Army National Guard, then transferred to the Army Reserve. I retired in 2010, after 21 years, and lived happily ever after.