Fifty Years Ago Today. . .

Eupher

Eupher

U.S. Army, Retired
Location
Arkansas
. . . I enlisted in the US Army on active duty.

Basic training and cook school at Ft. Jackson, SC.

First duty station - Ft. Devens, MA as an Army Security Agency cook.

Reenlisted in the summer of 1977 for the School of Music (Army Element) at the Little Creek Naval Amphibious Base, near Norfolk, VA. Graduated in April, 1978.

Second duty station - back to Ft. Devens in MOS 02C20 (euphonium player) with the 18th Army Band.

Third duty station - 1st Armored Division Band, Ansbach, Germany, arriving in March 1979.

Fourth duty station - 2nd Armored Division Band, Ft. Hood, TX, arriving in March 1982.

Fifth duty station - 298th Army Band, West Berlin, Germany, arriving in January 1983. Became a qualified German linguist in 1990, MOS 02C4L GM.

Sixth duty station - 8th Infantry Division Band, Bad Kreuznach, Germany, arriving in September 1991. Division reflagged to the 1st Armored Division in January 1992, so I once again wore that patch.

Ft. Living Room, on transition leave beginning in November 1994, retiring in February 1995.
 

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IKE said:
Didn't realize how long it had been since I was in the military till I put a pencil to it.

Went in early July 1967 and got out late June 1970.....57 years ago coming up on 58.
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Much appreciate your service in Vietnam. A tough gig for most. I was a little too young for VN, but I knew some family who had served, and more than a few VN vets with whom I served.
 

IKE said:
Didn't realize how long it had been since I was in the military till I put a pencil to it.

Went in early July 1967 and got out late June 1970.....57 years ago coming up on 58.
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Same. Can't believe it's been 58 years.
55 since I got home... someone please tell the demons that I, (and more so my wife), have paid enough.
 
Today, 20 Feb. 2025 marks 55 years to the day since I went on active duty with the Air Force on 20 Feb. 1970.day delayed

I had signed up on 24 November 1969 on the "120 day delayed enlistment plan". That was one day before the day my draft board had ordered me to "Report for Induction into the Armed Services" Silly me, I thought that would give me 120 days before I had to actually go in. But somewhere I had apparently missed some fine print where it said "up to" 120 days. So I only got 88 days before my recruited said "Getyerass down here, you're going in".

Yes, I enlisted in the Air Force to dodge the draft. The TI's in basic even sometimes refered to us as "Draft Dodgers" because many of were just that. One of their threats during basic was "If you don't make it here, the Army will take you. They are not as fussy as we are"
 
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Trade said:
Today, 20 Feb. 2025 marks 55 years to the day since I went on active duty with the Air Force on 20 Feb. 1970.day delayed

I had signed up on 24 November 1969 on the "120 day delayed enlistment plan". That was one day before the day my draft board had ordered me to "Report for Induction into the Armed Services" Silly me, I thought that would give me 120 days before I had to actually go in. But somewhere I had apparently missed some fine print where it said "up to" 120 days. So I only got 88 days before my recruited said "Getyerass down here, you're going in".

Yes, I enlisted in the Air Force to dodge the draft. The TI's in basic even sometimes refered to us as "Draft Dodgers" because many of were just that. One of their threats during basic was "If you don't make it here, the Army will take you. They are not as fussy as we are"
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Personally I would never call anyone in the service a "draft dodger". All veterans signed that blank check to their country. Sometimes, I wish I had been smarter and joined a different branch. (hindsight 20-20 and all). That said, I have no use for genuine "draft dodgers", (those who ran to Canada for instance). There were other options such as C.O. (conscientious objector), where they could have honorably served their country.
 
Trade said:
Today, 20 Feb. 2025 marks 55 years to the day since I went on active duty with the Air Force on 20 Feb. 1970.day delayed

I had signed up on 24 November 1969 on the "120 day delayed enlistment plan". That was one day before the day my draft board had ordered me to "Report for Induction into the Armed Services" Silly me, I thought that would give me 120 days before I had to actually go in. But somewhere I had apparently missed some fine print where it said "up to" 120 days. So I only got 88 days before my recruited said "Getyerass down here, you're going in".

Yes, I enlisted in the Air Force to dodge the draft. The TI's in basic even sometimes refered to us as "Draft Dodgers" because many of were just that. One of their threats during basic was "If you don't make it here, the Army will take you. They are not as fussy as we are"
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"If you don't make it here, the Army will take you. They are not as fussy as we are"

Lol, I was Army and plenty of jokes but over time I have found Vets bit sensitive about our branch so I sheath my sword with the jokes in here .

I was getting gas one day and a guy in next pump had an Airforce cap on so we chatted I tried out some of my jokes and went very well but you do them in a forum and WW3 breaks out .
 
In the 1970s, I tried to get into the Army Reserve. I took the ASVAB test. The recruiter said I maxed every category and added that the military likes to see people that are good at doing one or two things, then they know what to do with them. They didn't know what to do with me. That was the end of my military experience.
 
NotCompSavy said:
"If you don't make it here, the Army will take you. They are not as fussy as we are"

Lol, I was Army and plenty of jokes but over time I have found Vets bit sensitive about our branch so I sheath my sword with the jokes in here .

I was getting gas one day and a guy in next pump had an Airforce cap on so we chatted I tried out some of my jokes and went very well but you do them in a forum and WW3 breaks out .
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squatting dog said:
^^^^^ Army here too. I have a good sense of humor, (I think), but found a lot of Marines don't always see it. :)
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I agree , I have met some high ranking Officers here from SouthCom and Marines , no comment , lol .

I was told any Veteran with an Honorable could now use Military PX / Commissary and no longer need to be retired from Military but online I have not been able to find this info .
 
jujube said:
The Spousal Equivalent (who was in the Navy for 11 years) has a son who was a Coastie. The joke was that Coasties had to be six feet tall so they could wade to shore if their ship sank. He didn't think that was funny.
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Native Floridians like to say that Florida has a lot of Veterans but not exactly true the way they imply it as far as more here serve compared to other states .

Florida does have a lot of Veterans but we are retired / transplants from all over .
 
We had one casualty among us Air Force Medics. William P.Dunevant. One day Dunevant was changing the 5 gallon water bottle in our L:atrine at DaNang. Back then they were glass, not plastic like today. And it slipped out of his hands and fell on that tile floor. Broken glass and water went everywhere and Dunevant got a cut on his foot and had to get a couple of stitches. We used to tease him by asking when he was going to get his purple heart. :ROFLMAO:

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