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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.
Assuming you are a Vet and speak for more than yourself, YUCK!
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.
Real veterans???
So we should treat those that complied with the laws for enlistment at that time as lesser than those who are following the laws of enlistment today?
I think you have a very skewed view of this whole subject and you need to recuse yourself from any more military funerals as you don't seem to understand the honor in what you're doing.
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.
Please tell me that this post is not serious and that you are trolling. How could you get through all of your military and honor guard training without any empathy for your fellow veteran. Do you realize that every thing that veteran went through is what makes your life better as a veteran today?
Full disclosure: I am not in the military nor have ever been but have been fortunate to work for the VA and am the spouse of a retired vet. The first thing that we learn at the VA is Lincoln's quote, "To care for him who shall have borne the battle, his widow and his orphan." You bring sorry to your fellow countrymen as a representative of our nation. I hope your words were a moment of candor that you will be able to overcome with a moment of reflection. I know that being active duty can be stressful with all of the jumping through hoops, etc. but what is your service worth if it's not to honor your country and those that have served before you.
Maybe you need to get out and hopefully the person that 'has to' do your funeral will have the empathy you were unable to muster.
OP~
As a Vet (as is my DH), I am thoroughly disgusted by your view of draftees. These are people that were called by our government and Served honorably.They did not make the decision to willingly join as we did.
In my opinion, draftees deserve all the respect in the world whilst you, are beneath contempt.
Wait did you say he DODGED the draft? No? He served for 3 years, right? Then he's a brother in arms. Stop with the bad-mouthing! You might learn a little about honor, while you're at 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.
How many of the men who were drafted and sent to Vietnam didn't finish their required years because they came home in boxes? More than one I knew. Did dying in a foreign country make them "real" veterans in your book?
How about the ones who served the minimum, came home, and eventually developed cancer from Agent Orange? That happened to one of my dear friends who was a tailgunner and died when he was only 50, leaving behind a wife, three children, and a huge number of friends and employees. Would you afford him a military funeral?
How about the ones who obeyed the law and served their time and were so disturbed by what they saw in Vietnam that they were never the same again and suffered lifelong effects of mental illness? Would they be deserving in your system?
Three years is a long time to an 18-year-old. I suppose some people who were drafted were relatively unstressed and perhaps more bored by their jobs than damaged. But others who were drafted into service to fight a war for their country were sorely unprepared for what they were asked to do there. They made a sacrifice. It changed them forever.
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.
I am a VA nurse and take care of many of those drafted Veterans you mention, and just the fact that they put the boots on and served this country instead of running off to Canada deserve all that any other Veteran is entitled to. Are you aware of how many drafted Vietnam Veterans have died of cancers related to Agent Orange ? One of those Veterans happened to have been my brother-in-law !!! My late father who was career Navy, retired BMC, and fought in WWII, Korea, and Vietnam would have found your attitude against fellow Vets most disrespectful. You should seriously consider ceasing to do Veteran funerals.
Geee-eee, it would be awfully hard to inspire esprit de corps if started going around saying some of the troops are of a lesser class because they were drafted.
Last edited by TamaraSavannah; 09-23-2015 at 06:41 AM..
... 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.
I did 20 years of Active Duty. I saw many servicemembers who got into troubles, one way or another. Some did not make advancement, others were busted down to E1, E2 or E3.
It is a big assumption that he did not try.
Quote:
... If you're drafted and forced to do something
I have known a lot of draft-dodgers, and a few Conscientious Objectors [COs].
When you say "Forced to do something", take a breath, really? How were they 'forced'? Did they not have other options?
Were there truly o other options for him?
When I arrived on my first boat, most of that crew had previously been draft-dodgers. At one point they had each gotten a draft number, then the lottery pick happened and they number was low. So these men went to college, to have their draft deferred. But after 4 years of college, the VN war was still rolling along.
Their deferment was over, leaving college meant they would soon be ordered to go to MEPS. So these college educated men decided to enlist and volunteer for subs. My first sub crew was mostly guys who had been draft-dodgers, college grads, and eventually volunteers.
Quote:
... should you really get credit for doing it?
Did he 'do it'?
Did he go to MEPS? Did he complete Basic Training and wear a uniform, or did he go AWOL out of botocamp? Did he serve?
In your OP story, he did serve for 3 years. He did it.
Quote:
... I knew he didn't serve with "honorable and faithful service", he was only there because he was forced to do it.
When I arrived on my first boat, most of that crew had previously been draft-dodgers. At one point they had each gotten a draft number, then the lottery pick happened and they number was low. So these men went to college, to have their draft deferred.
Taking a totally legitimate student deferment is not "dodging" the draft. Dodging the draft is avoiding service by non-legitimate means. Like faking an injury or having a shady doctor falsify a medical condition. Or defecating in your clothes for several weeks before your induction physical, the method employed by a certain "gonzo" guitar player from Detroit.
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