I think it was 1967. A Marine, the older brother of a classmate, was home on leave and visited the High School Art Class he’d attended and I was in. He was a gentle giant, one of those guys who nobody messed with. And we had a chance to talk and he told me about his experience in Vietnam . And he told me essentially, what Master Gunnery Sergeant Valdez, USMC Ret., says at the end of this article.
High School Class of 1968, I was certain to be drafted, so with college a pipe dream, I enlisted in the Navy. Served nine years and got a tech education that later provided well for my family. It never occurred to me that Submarines were hazardous – hot water and good chow. A Nuclear Reactor, and Polaris Missiles with Nuclear Warheads were “normal”. Semper Fi and Anchors Away.
Brooke's Blog 