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WHY I CHOSE THE NAVY
Travel and see the world
Baxter, TN
In October of my senior year in high school, me and three other friends were in the library during a..
81 views
WHY I CHOSE THE NAVY
Shipmates and sea stories
West Hartford, CT
There were several reasons I joined the Navy. My grandfather served briefly as a sailor during World War I. Some..
65 views
WHY I CHOSE THE NAVY
A win-win
Wilson, NC
My dad was an active-duty naval officer when I finished college, so I'd grown up seeing the lifestyle, traveling the..
102 views
WHY I CHOSE THE NAVY
'I knew I belonged there'
Trenton, NJ
I chose the Navy Seabees because I knew I belonged there. I had a friend who had been a Seabee,..
134 views
WHY I CHOSE THE NAVY
'With a family history like this, how could I not serve?'
Ogden, UT
My ancestral heritage, and indeed my family's history, is the story of America. My eighth great-grandfather, Samuel Lincoln, immigrated from..
143 views
WHY I CHOSE THE NAVY
'The Navy was my college'
San Luis Obispo, CA
I chose the Navy for three reasons: 1) To be close to the beach. 2) Women’s uniforms are the..
109 views
WHY I CHOSE THE NAVY
Four brothers
Cedar Rapids, IA
I had three brothers serve in the Navy. The oldest one joined in 1932 and served 35 years; he had..
109 views
WHY I CHOSE THE NAVY
'A great way to meet people and see the world'
Hastings, MI
Why did I chose the Navy? My grandson asked me this question recently as we were coming back from the..
150 views
WHY I CHOSE THE NAVY
'The best shipmates in the world'
Portage, MI
I wanted to explore space. It was 1981, and the space shuttle program was just beginning. I knew I didn't..
124 views
WHY I CHOSE THE NAVY
Honored and blessed
Stevensville, MD
As a first-generation Ukrainian-American, I had a strong desire to serve my country - especially after hearing stories from my..
116 views
WHY I CHOSE THE NAVY
From a long line of veterans
Castleton, VT
My family, which came over in 1635, has a long line of veterans, officially starting with the Revolution at the..
118 views
WHY I CHOSE THE NAVY
'Blessed to be part of both worlds'
Seymour, IN
I joined the Navy on April 17, 1961, in Columbus, Ind. Times were somewhat difficult; the economy was not the..
150 views
WHY I CHOSE THE NAVY
'I would do it over again'
Jacksonville, FL
I graduated high school in 1976 and tried community college for almost a year. I was still living at home..
151 views
WHY I CHOSE THE NAVY
From California to Italy
Chula Vista, CA
In high school I hadn’t thought of joining the military or even signing up for the draft. My parents never..
148 views
WHY I CHOSE THE NAVY
'One of the best decisions of my life'
Wenonah, NJ
I chose the Navy with aspirations to become a dentist. On Nov. 4, 1979, the hostages were taken in Iran...
127 views
WHY I CHOSE THE NAVY
'Let the adventures begin'
DeLand, FL
In June 1960, I graduated from high school. The military draft was in force. I wanted to join one of..
108 views
WHY I CHOSE THE NAVY
'I'm ready to join up'
Rio Rancho, NM
My story is simple. I was a freshman at Hunter College in New York City. I studied most of..
183 views
WHY I CHOSE THE NAVY
Three reasons I chose the Navy
Chesapeake, VA
1) My father and uncle were in the Navy during World War II. 2) I was 17 and the draft..
119 views
WHY I CHOSE THE NAVY
Why I chose the Navy (and the Marines, and the Army)
Little Falls, MN
At 74, my memories of why I joined the military are somewhat foggy. However, I do remember at 13 telling..
187 views
WHY I CHOSE THE NAVY
'I wanted to serve to give back'
Virginia Beach, VA
I came to the United States at 10 years old. My father became a U.S. citizen after Hawaii became a..
98 views
WHY I CHOSE THE NAVY
'What do we need journalists on ships for?'
Indianapolis, IN
It was pretty simple for me. I was a writer, and I wanted to do that for the military. I..
153 views
WHY I CHOSE THE NAVY
'Some of the best years of my life'
Tustin, MI
I was a senior in high school in the winter of 1974. I knew I wasn’t going to college and..
158 views
WHY I CHOSE THE NAVY
Four years, three ships
Napa, CA
It was July 1968. The Tet Offensive had occurred in January. I had just graduated from high school and did..
92 views
WHY I CHOSE THE NAVY
'I would do it all over again'
St. Johnsbury, VT
After graduating from St. Johnsbury Trade School in 1957, I spent six months living with a friend and his family..
186 views
WHY I CHOSE THE NAVY
From USS Midway to weekends at Waikiki Beach
Lincoln, DE
The year was 1970. I was set to graduate from high school in western Massachusetts at age 17, with no..
98 views
WHY I CHOSE THE NAVY
'So many memories I cherish'
Berkeley Springs, WV
My father became a U.S. citizen on Ellis Island in 1923 after leaving Ireland due to his involvement in the..
138 views
WHY I CHOSE THE NAVY
Continuing a family tradition
Walhalla, SC
I have always had an interest in aviation. For that reason, I thought I would join the Air Force. My..
165 views
WHY I CHOSE THE NAVY
'I wanted to see the world'
Fayetteville, NC
I joined the Navy for several reasons. I was raised by a hardcore lifer Army paratrooper who reached command sergeant..
180 views
WHY I CHOSE THE NAVY
'He made a believer of me'
Greenwood, AR
In 1966, I received my draft notice in the mail. My parents owned a small grocery store in Fort Smith,..
206 views
WHY I CHOSE THE NAVY
'One of the most defining experiences of my life'
LaGrange, OH
Patriotism has been ingrained in my family for generations. My great-grandfather fought in the Civil War, and my grandfather served..
166 views
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