[BlackKnight]

Originally Posted by milkmanjoe

Actually, I consider it selfish on my part. When I graduated high school in 1976 it was the one year where zero registration was available. No draft, no registering with the Post Office...nothing. Groups of us went to Passaic, NJ, to sign on and get out of "Small Town, USA". (Wallington, NJ) At that time we were all turned away, told the Military was downsizing as Vietnam was kaput. I was also told as I was the son of a farmer and the only way I would be taken was in a time of national emergency. So I moved on to trade school and did well in high pressure boilers and air conditioning. Not one kid from my school from years before 1976 to years after served in the Military, yet later in life I learned that men and women were still able to enlist, just not from our area. Maybe other areas too, I don't know. My hometown has multiple War Memorials, a strong Military history for a square mile town, but not after a few were killed in Vietnam. Those men were five or six years older than I. A few came home and committed suicide. I could drone on and on, but instead I give Marines a safe haven, an open phone line, and my wife goes into town to Food Lion and walks up to Military wives and instructs them to "shop away", today's groceries are a Thank You gift. I don't feel guilty that I didn't get to serve, that is long gone, but it is self serving to feel good helping those that did or are serving. So I am selfishly being nice, sharing, if that makes sense.

I was living in Paterson in '76. Anyway, I know about guilt, but that's for another time. I don't think in your case you have anything to worry about.
For every thousands of people that jut talk about supporting the military you actually live it. I applaud you, sir.