My story is simple. I was a freshman at Hunter College in New York City. I studied most of the night for a biology exam. When I left for Hunter that morning, I had no idea that I would be enlisting anywhere that day. When I got to school, the teacher handed me my exam, I looked at it and said, "Forget it." I walked out. I went to downtown Manhattan and walked around. I saw a recruiter's office. I walked in. The Navy was closest to the door, I sat down and said I was ready to join up.

Going home and telling my folks what I did was much harder.

Ed Mieszerski, American Legion Post 118, Rio Rancho, N.M.