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..
36 views
Shipmates and sea stories
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..
35 views
A win-win
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..
69 views
'I knew I belonged there'
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,..
111 views
'With a family history like this, how could I not serve?'
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..
103 views
'The Navy was my college'
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..
80 views
Four brothers
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..
85 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..
100 views
'The best shipmates in the world'
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..
93 views
Honored and blessed
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..
102 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..
88 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..
121 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..
112 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..
117 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...
97 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..
87 views
'I'm ready to join up'
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..
143 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..
92 views
Why I chose the Navy (and the Marines, and the Army)
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..
141 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..
78 views
'What do we need journalists on ships for?'
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..
123 views
'Some of the best years of my life'
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..
127 views
Four years, three ships
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..
81 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..
154 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..
85 views
'So many memories I cherish'
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..
115 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..
124 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..
150 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,..
173 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..
131 views