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I always
joked that :
I received two medals during my six
years in the Navy |
| I received the National Defense Medal for joining during wartime (The Vietnam War) and A good Conduct Medal for four years of good conduct. | |
| National Defense After dropping out of college and being reclassified from a 2-S deferment to 1A. I was invited by the draft board to "come on down and take your physical." One of the major reasons I dropped out was because of the war and the draft. I believed then as I believe almost 50 years latter that Viet Nam was not a just war. I am still sorry that we lost over 58,000 people to protect capitalism from communism. (The domino theory -- we stopped the pinko commies in Korea) I don't think we were protecting everyday normal Americans . As in any threat to a nation, what you are usually protecting is the elite ruling class from being replaced. Often the non upper classes will probably be no better or worse off. (I really didn't think the Vietnamese would be knocking on our door if they all fell under the evil communist spell) At the time I believed that If a man kills my wife and I hunt the killer down and kill him it will be declared to be murder. But if someone I've never met before living half a world away and has done nothing to harm me is declared an enemy of my country and I am forced to kill or be killed is it heroism or patriotism? I chose to join the Navy over being drafted, going to jail or deserting to Canada or another nation. The week before I went in I was looking across a bridge over the St Lawrence River into Canada but chose to hitch hike 150 miles back through the mountains to Albany and go into the service to my country. (Actually I was visiting a friend who was going to college near the Canadian border) If I had known Carter would pardon those that fled to Canada I probably would have still have made the same decision. I don't believe those who had chose Canada should have been allowed to come back. Enough soap box, four or my six years in the Navy were during the Viet Nam War and qualified me for the National Defense Medal which was awarded in boot camp. | |
| Good Conduct If the Navy expected you to behave they wouldn't award a good conduct medal. Actually it just means you were never caught. Officers aren't issued a good conduct medal, then again it didn't take an act of Congress to make me a gentleman. | |