"Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord..."
Psalm 33:12
Today, the citizens of the United States of America are officially celebrating Flag Day...
Psalm 33:12
Today, the citizens of the United States of America are officially celebrating Flag Day...
It's a day to honor our flag. And in addition to this, today marks the 250th anniversary of the United States' Army, which is one of the branches of America's military. And I myself once served in the Army as well, from June 1971 to June of 1974. I was then honorably discharged after my period of enlistment came to its end.
However, as far as the Army goes, it's rare that this branch of the military gets a special day of recognition. But I was thankful to have served my country as a soldier. I will never regret my enlisting as an eighteen-year-old who, at the time, was in need of stability and direction in my life.
As I recall, back in 1971, I was in my last year of high school. As graduation was approaching, I had no idea what to do next. My best friend Eddie just enlisted in the United States' Coast Guard. And me, I opted for the military as well. But which branch was it going to be? Air Force or Army? Those were the two branches of the military which interested me the most. I opted for the Army.
In fact, because of my own patriotic feelings, and with the war in Vietnam still going on, although by 1971 it was winding down, I purposely requested that the Infantry would be my choice of an "occupational specialty." I also requested that I be allowed to serve in Vietnam.
But when the recruiting sergeant got back to me, I was informed that the Army could not promise I would end up serving in Vietnam. So he suggested I sign up for South Korea instead. This way, he reasoned, I would be closer to the war zone. I would already be serving in Southeast Asia, thus making a future request to serve in Vietnam more likely to be met with approval. It made sense.
So while my high school classmates gathered in the auditorium of Christopher Columbus High School in the Bronx, I was at the United States Army's Induction Center in Manhattan. As they were being called up on the stage to be handed their diploma, I was raising my right hand to be sworn in to the U.S. Army.
When I was done getting sworn in, I went by bus, with maybe a dozen other new inductees, to the Army's basic training center in Fort Dix, New Jersey. And about two and a half months later, my basic training was complete. The next stop being infantry training at Fort Polk, Louisiana.
Several months later, I was now an infantryman skilled at using an M-16 rifle, an M-60 machine gun, and a .50 caliber machine gun, along with an M-79 grenade launcher. Everything I would need to fight in a war, to include courage.
I then spent my 30 days of paid leave in the Bronx, before going to what was known back then as the Overseas Replacement Station in Fort Lewis, Washington. Within a week it was off to South Korea with a refueling stop in Anchorage, Alaska. We would switch planes in Japan. Finally, I was boarding a military flight to South Korea, where an Army truck awaited me. It would take me all the way north to the area known as the Demilitarized Zone, or "DMZ."
I was assigned to the 1/17th Mechanized Infantry Unit of the 2nd Infantry Division of the 8th U.S. Army... a long title for a foot soldier, more commonly known as a "grunt." We went on training maneuvers and patrol duty near the DMZ. I got to see those mysterious North Korean troops off in the distance, as well. It was an adventure for sure, but oftentimes boring too.
Through bitterly cold winters which defy the imagination, to getting soaked during Korea's monsoon season, and to sore feet from walking many miles in rugged terrain while carrying heavy packs, being a "grunt" meant living up to the name. When my thirteen-month tour was over, it was back to the States. Thank God!
However, as far as the Army goes, it's rare that this branch of the military gets a special day of recognition. But I was thankful to have served my country as a soldier. I will never regret my enlisting as an eighteen-year-old who, at the time, was in need of stability and direction in my life.
As I recall, back in 1971, I was in my last year of high school. As graduation was approaching, I had no idea what to do next. My best friend Eddie just enlisted in the United States' Coast Guard. And me, I opted for the military as well. But which branch was it going to be? Air Force or Army? Those were the two branches of the military which interested me the most. I opted for the Army.
In fact, because of my own patriotic feelings, and with the war in Vietnam still going on, although by 1971 it was winding down, I purposely requested that the Infantry would be my choice of an "occupational specialty." I also requested that I be allowed to serve in Vietnam.
But when the recruiting sergeant got back to me, I was informed that the Army could not promise I would end up serving in Vietnam. So he suggested I sign up for South Korea instead. This way, he reasoned, I would be closer to the war zone. I would already be serving in Southeast Asia, thus making a future request to serve in Vietnam more likely to be met with approval. It made sense.
So while my high school classmates gathered in the auditorium of Christopher Columbus High School in the Bronx, I was at the United States Army's Induction Center in Manhattan. As they were being called up on the stage to be handed their diploma, I was raising my right hand to be sworn in to the U.S. Army.
When I was done getting sworn in, I went by bus, with maybe a dozen other new inductees, to the Army's basic training center in Fort Dix, New Jersey. And about two and a half months later, my basic training was complete. The next stop being infantry training at Fort Polk, Louisiana.
Several months later, I was now an infantryman skilled at using an M-16 rifle, an M-60 machine gun, and a .50 caliber machine gun, along with an M-79 grenade launcher. Everything I would need to fight in a war, to include courage.
I then spent my 30 days of paid leave in the Bronx, before going to what was known back then as the Overseas Replacement Station in Fort Lewis, Washington. Within a week it was off to South Korea with a refueling stop in Anchorage, Alaska. We would switch planes in Japan. Finally, I was boarding a military flight to South Korea, where an Army truck awaited me. It would take me all the way north to the area known as the Demilitarized Zone, or "DMZ."
I was assigned to the 1/17th Mechanized Infantry Unit of the 2nd Infantry Division of the 8th U.S. Army... a long title for a foot soldier, more commonly known as a "grunt." We went on training maneuvers and patrol duty near the DMZ. I got to see those mysterious North Korean troops off in the distance, as well. It was an adventure for sure, but oftentimes boring too.
Through bitterly cold winters which defy the imagination, to getting soaked during Korea's monsoon season, and to sore feet from walking many miles in rugged terrain while carrying heavy packs, being a "grunt" meant living up to the name. When my thirteen-month tour was over, it was back to the States. Thank God!
| I was reassigned to Fort Knox, Kentucky, where I was retrained as a clerk typist. I worked at the Battalion Headquarters of a basic training unit. I would spend the remaining eighteen months of my enlistment here, and was promoted to the rank of Specialist Fourth Class, which was similar to the rank of Corporal. Then, in late June of 1974, my 3-year period of enlistment was done. For me, it was a one-way ticket back to New York City. I happily returned home with an Honorable Discharge, having served my country. I came back to the Bronx, anxious to return to civilian life and rejoin my friends. I had great hopes for the future. Unfortunately, things didn't work out well. I never thought I would end up in prison, leaving me baffled and asking myself why? |  |
When I left the military, I had no idea of the fate that awaited me.
D.B.
D.B.