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Originally Posted by vienna
To clear up a probable misconception about the intent of my statement that prompted Sailor Steve's response (Hi, Steve hope the gig went well); I was not saying that August was not willing to sacrifice other lives but not his own.
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I was worried that I might be taking you the wrong way, and that I might be taken the wrong way myself, which is why I tried to continually use the word "seeming" in my references. (It went pretty well, considering not one person I invited showed up). I was upholding August's defense of his own service, though I disagree with his beliefs on this.
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Those of my and Sailor Steve's age remember the Draft. The vestiges still suvive in the requirement for all males to register when they reach 18 years, but there has been any active conscription since 1973. Some men in our age group didn't have the option of not "signing up". The other option was exile or prision, if you didn't qualify for a deferment or if you didn't have "connections".
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And here's where I jump ship. I consider myself a coward. I don't think I was in any danger of getting drafted, but I didn't know that at the time, and I "volunteered" for the Navy because I didn't want to get drafted into the Army. That I ended up in a combat zone doing fire support for the Marines was through no fault of my own. I came home firmly against that war.
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The men and women who serve now in the all volunteer armed forces deserve better than to be merely part of a tally sheet; they deserve more than just casual consideration as human beings; they deserve leadership that knows and understands what they might go through in the conduct of their duties; and they deserve the knowledge that the leadership considers sending the in harm's as if they were sending themselves or their children in harm's way. I don't think it is too much to ask on their behalf...
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An excellent point. All too often decisions are made by those who never consider the consequences.