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I'm in the military and just had to do a military funeral today. He was drafted into the Navy during the Vietnam War for 3 years and then got out as an E-3. That means that he didn't try at all while he was in, and then got out as soon as he could.
If you're drafted and forced to do something, should you really get credit for doing it? Part of the speech that you give while presenting the flag is "please accept this flag as a symbol of our appreciation for your loved one's honorable and faithful service". It was hard for me to say that because I knew he didn't serve with "honorable and faithful service", he was only there because he was forced to do it.
I don't think draftees should get the honors and privileges of real veterans, who volunteered to serve. If you were drafted and stayed in afterwards, that's fine. But, if you did the years that you were drafted to do and then immediately got out, no.
At Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery, in San Antonio, Texas, lies a friend,...a good friend,...a good father, good husband and a good provider for his family, but I remember him as a good friend and a coworker.
He was a Navy draftee. He obeyed the orders and commands given to him by those appointed over him, did his time and got out but continued to serve in civilian service.
That being stated, I find your comment way out of line and a complete lack of respect to those that have served honorably and that now lie in a field of honor.
I hope you have the decency to reconsider and pay the respect to those that you have insulted with your comments/actions.
I'm in the military and just had to do a military funeral today. He was drafted into the Navy during the Vietnam War for 3 years and then got out as an E-3. That means that he didn't try at all while he was in, and then got out as soon as he could.
If you're drafted and forced to do something, should you really get credit for doing it? Part of the speech that you give while presenting the flag is "please accept this flag as a symbol of our appreciation for your loved one's honorable and faithful service". It was hard for me to say that because I knew he didn't serve with "honorable and faithful service", he was only there because he was forced to do it.
I don't think draftees should get the honors and privileges of real veterans, who volunteered to serve. If you were drafted and stayed in afterwards, that's fine. But, if you did the years that you were drafted to do and then immediately got out, no.
And I thought real veterans meant anyone that served and left with an honorable discharge. I did not read anywhere that it said the person wanted to be there. I bet lots of people that served wished they could have been somewhere else.
Wouldn't a better question be, should people that are drafted get more of a benefit? What about people like my dad. He joined the Navy out of high school. He read a letter from the Army informing him that he had been drafted. He responded to the letter by sending one that read, "I am in the middle of the South China Sea on a Navy Destoryer, Come and get me if you want me that bad." The Army never responded. Maybe my dad gets more than others for not only getting drafted but going willingly.
So you are minding your own business and out of the blue you get a notice that you are wanted. Your friend joins on his own. You both are sent to someplace in the world. You both are honorably discharged at the end of your 2 or 3 year span. You go home and live your life. Who was the better serviceman? The one that went willingly or the one that recieved an invite?
I'm in the military and just had to do a military funeral today. He was drafted into the Navy during the Vietnam War for 3 years and then got out as an E-3. That means that he didn't try at all while he was in, and then got out as soon as he could.
If you're drafted and forced to do something, should you really get credit for doing it? Part of the speech that you give while presenting the flag is "please accept this flag as a symbol of our appreciation for your loved one's honorable and faithful service". It was hard for me to say that because I knew he didn't serve with "honorable and faithful service", he was only there because he was forced to do it.
I don't think draftees should get the honors and privileges of real veterans, who volunteered to serve. If you were drafted and stayed in afterwards, that's fine. But, if you did the years that you were drafted to do and then immediately got out, no.
Does this only apply to those drafted into Vietnam service, or are you going to condemn the 3,000,000 men drafted to serve in WW I, 10,000,000 men drafted into service in WW II, and 1,500,000 men drafted into service in Korea? Most of those men also left the service after fulfilling their original responsibilities, where allowed, as did most of the volunteers.
I'm in the military and just had to do a military funeral today. He was drafted into the Navy during the Vietnam War for 3 years and then got out as an E-3. That means that he didn't try at all while he was in, and then got out as soon as he could.
If you're drafted and forced to do something, should you really get credit for doing it? Part of the speech that you give while presenting the flag is "please accept this flag as a symbol of our appreciation for your loved one's honorable and faithful service". It was hard for me to say that because I knew he didn't serve with "honorable and faithful service", he was only there because he was forced to do it.
I don't think draftees should get the honors and privileges of real veterans, who volunteered to serve. If you were drafted and stayed in afterwards, that's fine. But, if you did the years that you were drafted to do and then immediately got out, no.
Anyone who served honorably IS a 'real veteran.'
There is nothing less 'honorable and faithful' in mandatory service than in voluntary service.
And I'm sure the largest percentage of Vietnam vets, Korean war vets, and WW II vets agree.
The Navy did not draft people back in the Korean and Vietnam war days. The Navy was all volunteer, and you had to pass your tests and pass rigid qualifications to even get in.
So the OP not only sounds like he is a real nut case, but is complaining about someone drafted into the Navy, when there was no such thing happening.
Someone volunteered for the Navy, and as it was a 3 year instead of a 4 year enlistment, it meant that he was only 17 years old, and his parents had to sign for him to even go into the Navy. Otherwise if he was 18 or over, it was a 4 year enlistment.
So we have this stupid person in the military, running down a young kid of 17 who volunteered to go into the Navy when his country was at war. He was too young to be drafted, so he was not even joining to beat the draft as some did. I have a lot more respect for that young man than for the OP, and his stupid remarks, and feel he was a veteran and deserved to given military honors. I have my doubts about the OP.
Does this only apply to those drafted into Vietnam service, or are you going to condemn the 3,000,000 men drafted to serve in WW I, 10,000,000 men drafted into service in WW II, and 1,500,000 men drafted into service in Korea? Most of those men also left the service after fulfilling their original responsibilities, where allowed, as did most of the volunteers.
At certain times during WW2 when people went to enlist they were told to go home and wait to be drafted.
He was drafted into the Navy during the Vietnam War for 3 years and then got out as an E-3. That means that he didn't try at all while he was in, and then got out as soon as he could.
Again the OP knows little about the Navy. He was an E-3. Above E-3 you have to go for a particular job rating, and pass rigid fleet wide tests to advance further. You don't get advanced without it like they were in the Army at the time. If he was assigned to a certain duty such as a Boatswains Mate, as an example. He first had to have been working at the rate for a year, to even get recommended by his superiors to even take the test. Then he took the test, and only so many were advanced in the whole navy. Top scoring people were advanced, and others were not. The rate may be frozen due to not having any openings needing filled due to people with the rate being advanced or leaving the service. In such a case, he could not be advanced as there were no openings. Or so few openings almost no one could get advanced.
I spent my first year in boot camp and Navy Schools. I was sent to a base and received my E3 as I arrived. I was made a section leader over a section of 30 men, due to the school even though most E3s are not given this type of responsibility. I made E4 one year later (earliest I could get it). I was sent to Hawaii to one of the largest Navy air transport squadrons, and was in charge of all Cargo going through our squadron every other day, again a job usually given to a higher rated person. A few months later, transferred back to California and made Air Terminal Chief replacing a a Chief (E7), which job I held till I was discharged. I was in charge every other day of all passenger and cargo going through the squadron. The other day was ran by a Chief (E7) I was working way above my rate on my arms. My two section leaders were a E6 and E5 which both out ranked me except I had the job and they worked for me. A year later my rate AB going for E5 was frozen, and only one would be advanced in Pacific and one Atlantic fleets and they had to be advanced from sea going sailors. This happened twice and I was not able to advance due to the over supply of ABs.
Just because a young 17-19 year old kid did not go beyond E3 in the Navy, does not say he was not ambitious. You have no idea of what responsibility he had. They often give you a job above your rating in the Navy, if you are the best available. They don't give you a rate just because you are given a certain job as in some other services. And unless there is an opening for advancement by competitive tests, you cannot be advanced. You are often given responsibilities above your rate in the navy as I was, when I was doing the job of an E6 when I was an E3, and the job of an E7 when I was an E4.
In my opinion that young man deserved a military burial. And the same for all the other young men who were drafted or volunteered for the service as I did.
I'm in the military and just had to do a military funeral today. He was drafted into the Navy during the Vietnam War for 3 years and then got out as an E-3. That means that he didn't try at all while he was in, and then got out as soon as he could.
If you're drafted and forced to do something, should you really get credit for doing it? Part of the speech that you give while presenting the flag is "please accept this flag as a symbol of our appreciation for your loved one's honorable and faithful service". It was hard for me to say that because I knew he didn't serve with "honorable and faithful service", he was only there because he was forced to do it.
I don't think draftees should get the honors and privileges of real veterans, who volunteered to serve. If you were drafted and stayed in afterwards, that's fine. But, if you did the years that you were drafted to do and then immediately got out, no.
Also, just because he left the service as an E-3 doesn't mean he didn't try. Some good sailors did their job well but would get in trouble because of things they did in their off time. Fights, drinking, disrespecting officer, etc all could result in a sailor discharged at an E-3 rank.
I'm in the military and just had to do a military funeral today. He was drafted into the Navy during the Vietnam War for 3 years and then got out as an E-3. That means that he didn't try at all while he was in, and then got out as soon as he could.
If you're drafted and forced to do something, should you really get credit for doing it? Part of the speech that you give while presenting the flag is "please accept this flag as a symbol of our appreciation for your loved one's honorable and faithful service". It was hard for me to say that because I knew he didn't serve with "honorable and faithful service", he was only there because he was forced to do it.
I don't think draftees should get the honors and privileges of real veterans, who volunteered to serve. If you were drafted and stayed in afterwards, that's fine. But, if you did the years that you were drafted to do and then immediately got out, no.
If you are drafted and are killed, you still gave your life. Serving in/during Vietnam was horrifically difficult. It deserves respect. Many men wanted to continue serving, but "force shaping" would not allow them all to stay. Who are you to know that he wouldn't have joined on his own? Or why he left. Maybe he was injured in war and asked to separate for that reason. Maybe he wanted to stay but was one of the thousands who were cut.
We are sent on deployments without volunteering all the time (we did volunteer to serve, I know, but many don't want to deploy). We still get credit for those deployments.
If he would have been killed, he would have been a "Real" casualty. He is a real veteran.
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