What Would You Do to Serve Your Country?

Here’s what some veterans did

We all know that servicemen and -women are called upon to give much in the line of duty. It’s considered part of the job. But not many people ask what sacrifices and challenges they faced, merely because they were so determined to serve their country. Before they could do their duty, what did they do to be able to serve?

If I were able to ask any veteran a question, that would be it. What did you have to do, in order to serve your country?

Here are three answers, from veterans in three different wars.

World War II

My father served in the navy in World War II. Since he had gone to a military-style high school, it’s perhaps not surprising that he would wish to enlist. But first, he needed his mother’s blessing.

He loved airplanes. Still does. We went to all sorts of air shows as a family. Even now, he will often park at the observation lot along the airport runway, and watch the planes taking off and landing.

His mother agreed that he could enlist in the navy, but only if he did not go into the naval air service. (The forerunner of today’s air force.) The life expectancy for an airman was even shorter than for a general seaman.

He was so eager to serve, he was willing to forego what he loved.

The second challenge was his health. He’d injured himself playing football. He’d gotten a hernia. Nowadays, that’s a simple surgical fix. You go home the same day and are fine in a couple of days. In the 40s, you were in the hospital for days, then took weeks to recover. You couldn’t do anything strenuous for months.

He hadn’t wanted to have the surgery. But to be able to enlist, he got the surgery. He didn’t play football, or hockey, or ride horses for six months while he recovered. Then, he took the physical exam again and was allowed to enlist in the navy.

How many of us would endure surgery with a six-month recovery, just for the chance to then be killed by the enemy? That’s the sort of commitment to service many veterans had.

The 70s — 90s

I had plenty of cousins who served in the military during the Vietnam era. But one made it his career.

He attended the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis. Just getting into the academy is a challenge. It’s considered the best public college in the country. Potential candidates compete for a limited number of senatorial recommendations.

Students still have to make it through the grueling academic and physical demands of the academy to graduate. One out of every six students who enter the school fails to graduate.

His most rigorous requirement for service occurred in the middle of his career. He was appointed the Naval Aide to the President — one of the people charged with carrying the nuclear launch codes, aka “the football”. He had to be within a certain number of feet of the president at all times while on duty.

The president at that time was Ronald Reagan. When away from the White House, he was fond of going for long rides at his ranch. So, to be within the required distance of the president, my cousin also needed to be on horseback.

Not surprisingly, the navy doesn’t usually train people to ride horses. My cousin had never so much as had a pony ride. But he learned, and learned quickly, so he could do his duty.

How many of us would learn entirely new skill sets for a job, that was not considered part of the job? Yet, if a veteran needs a side skill that’s not part of their main job, they don’t protest. They learn the skill.

First Iraq War

I worked with someone who was going to college under the GI Bill. That means, he served in the military — in his case, the army. Upon getting out, the military paid for him to go to college. During those years, he was in the National Guard.

So, he was working as a college intern at our company, even though he was in his mid-20s.

During the period of his internship, the first Iraq War started. Because there weren’t enough volunteers in the military, the National Guard was mobilized to backfill empty spots. My colleague was called back to work as an air traffic controller at one of the air bases in upstate New York.

He had to leave college. He had to quit his internship.

How many people would willingly give up something they had worked for years to achieve? Many veterans did.

Conclusion

Those are three stories I’m personally aware of. But there are many, many more. Hundreds of thousands, at least.

So, if I could ask a veteran anything, I’d ask, “What did you have to do in order to be able to serve?”

And then I’d prepare to be blown away by their level of dedication and commitment, before they’d ever put on a uniform.

Thank you, DR Rawson - The Possibilist for this prompt.