Looking back at this period of my life between the ages of 18 and 21…
while I did accomplish some good things during my three years in the Army, I don't believe that I matured all that much on an emotional level.
I went into the service, in part, to search for something. Maybe it was for self-fulfillment. I never found it. Had I truly enjoyed the service I would have re-enlisted. I, however, just wanted to go home.
In the Army, because I was single and I lived on the post, I managed to save a good amount of money. I had about $5,000 in my bank account when I was discharged in June 1974. This was decent money to start out with back then. Even the extra $65 per month that I earned for thirteen straight months when I was in South Korea was considered big pay.
When I was overseas, this extra sixty-five dollars helped me to purchase a fantastic 4-Channel stereo system through the Army's Post Exchange. It was all paid for. I had all the components, including a reel-to-reel tape deck and a turntable for records, shipped directly to my father's apartment in the Bronx. Everything was waiting for me when I came home for good.
I still think about Korea. I loved this country's natural beauty and the rugged mountains. And every inch of arable land was cultivated, mostly for use as rice paddies. There were steppes of rice paddies going up the sides of steep mountains. These people were ingenious and frugal, making good use of every square foot of ground, wasting nothing.
Looking back, I am glad I went into the service. While I never found what I was searching for, I did experience many unique things, and I met some good people. It was worth it. This was a big part of my life.
D. B.
I went into the service, in part, to search for something. Maybe it was for self-fulfillment. I never found it. Had I truly enjoyed the service I would have re-enlisted. I, however, just wanted to go home.
In the Army, because I was single and I lived on the post, I managed to save a good amount of money. I had about $5,000 in my bank account when I was discharged in June 1974. This was decent money to start out with back then. Even the extra $65 per month that I earned for thirteen straight months when I was in South Korea was considered big pay.
When I was overseas, this extra sixty-five dollars helped me to purchase a fantastic 4-Channel stereo system through the Army's Post Exchange. It was all paid for. I had all the components, including a reel-to-reel tape deck and a turntable for records, shipped directly to my father's apartment in the Bronx. Everything was waiting for me when I came home for good.
I still think about Korea. I loved this country's natural beauty and the rugged mountains. And every inch of arable land was cultivated, mostly for use as rice paddies. There were steppes of rice paddies going up the sides of steep mountains. These people were ingenious and frugal, making good use of every square foot of ground, wasting nothing.
Looking back, I am glad I went into the service. While I never found what I was searching for, I did experience many unique things, and I met some good people. It was worth it. This was a big part of my life.
D. B.
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