Posted on 11/26/2014 12:09:10 PM PST by re_tail20
Chief Warrant Officer 5 Ralph E. Rigby just became the last Vitenam War draftee to leave the Army. He retired after 42 years spent there.
Rigby always had a love for vehicles and had just started his own mechanic shop when he received a draft notice during the Vietnam War.
His first, joking response to the message was: “I don’t have to put up with this! I can just move to Canada like everyone else, and avoid all of this.”
His mother, though, had this message for him: “No Way! You are not a quitter. We do not quit in this family.”
Rigby was assigned to Fort Dix in New Jersey for basic training. He then went on to attend the United States Army Engineer School at Fort Belvoir, Virginia as a power generation repairman.
He was drafted during the Vietnam era, but he did not end up deploying there. Instead, he was sent to Kwachon, South Korea.
(Excerpt) Read more at westernjournalism.com ...
It was a good system in my opinion and were it in effect now, it certainly would have assured that some of the Bush, Romney & Sununu boys (among others) would have served in uniform (yes I am aware of the 'my people' Bush's quickie JAG tour...). Now we've got a hugely expensive recruited force that most likely could not handle another Korea if we had to do it. Fortunately the South Koreans are largely able to care of themselves, especially on the ground.
I know that article very well and your memory is inaccurate, in all of those wars the Marines drafted GIs to serve, it is the Navy that has almost always depended on volunteers, except for WWII. The Navy and (post Army) Air Force do fine, but the Marines and Army have to use a draft when the needs are great.
I don't know about the Sununus, but in their 172 years here nothing has gotten a male in Mitt Romney's direct line, into the military, not a draft, nor enlistment, nothing, but the Bushes have a pretty good history George W. served and Jeb's son served in Afghanistan for 8 months.
With allowances, subsistance, and base pay he's making about $12k a month.
Jeb’s son did a quickie tour all for show. Webb, McCain, Hunter...those families sent sons into combat.
Strange and unjustified complaint.
What other veterans do you want to claim aren’t military veterans, Nixon, Reagan, Ford, George W., Eisenhower?
I distinguish between a show and the real thing. If he wanted to see combat, he’d have been out with sons of Senators Johnson, Webb or McCain. He knew what he was getting into and what he wasn’t. Looks great in that uniform though I’ve heard.
ASA? You must have seen some time at Devens then?
CW5 is roughly paid as a LTC/0-5 but there are very few of them in each specialty. I think all of Army watercraft (which has lots of warrants) has two?
And there is this:
http://www.duffelblog.com/2014/05/warrant-officers/
What a hit piece (IMO).
I enlisted USMC, but far, far after any draft was around (hat tip to you gentlemen). I had the pleasure of being instructed by CWO Gunner Martin who was attached to my platoon while I was in. The man taught me demolitions, effective fire; hell, he taught us damn near everything short of the 80mm mortars (I was in a Weapons Co.) and to deploy/employ them for maximum damage. We learned how to operate trains, naval vessels; how to drive (CDL) trucks; he was especially keen on teaching us some of the nasty booby traps he learned about during his tours in Vietnam.
At any rate, there are kickass warrant officers out there, the article I posted tells me the brass and pol’s in DC have no idea what our military is really doing or what it is capable of.
I remember seeing a few that were Marines pilots , fixed wing and heli, way back when.
No, you are just an old whack case that only wants to count combat as military service since you probably fit that criteria, in your goofy thinking, almost all military service since the country was founded wasn’t real except for that tiny percentage who were involved in combat.
Evidently you have a little obsession with that sailor and almost all sailors of the last 70 years, and of course the majority of Marines and Soldiers and almost all Airmen of the last 70 years.
No, I am a guy who can distinguish between the guys who are looking to fight & the guys who are looking to make an appearance. There’s a big difference between the Duncan Hunters of the world & the George P. Bush types. If you can’t or won’t see that Mr. Sheepdog, it’s entirely on you. Had George P. wanted to see combat he a.) wouldn’t have waited around so long watching young women his age deploy into combat and b.) would have chosen a route that took him into combat. He does look great in that uniform though, or so I am told.
LOL, well good for you, you sound jealous of him for some reason though, as you continue attacking his Naval uniform.
In his case it is more like wardrobe. That two week training course they put him through was quite rigorous I hear. Google up Duncan Hunter for comparison. That will illustrate the difference between ‘for show’ and ‘for real’ since you apparently have a difficult time distinguishing between the two.
It’s too bad that you have such emotional feelings about the guy, I hope you get to feeling better.
Probably wants to be close to a commissary, PX and Army hospital. I see that here in Jacksonville. Lots of retired Navy living here and making use of the base facilities (which, as retirees, they're entitled to).
Webb, McCain, Hunter...those families sent sons into combat....Don’t forget the Forbes-Kerry’s and the Bidens.
I’m surprised they were still drafting in late 1971 since military wide they started giving early outs around July. Many of my buddies started getting their orders that fall, I got a 3 month early out in Jan, 1972.
The latter you say in jest, though their were certainly democrat sons that fought recently, Senators Johnson & Webb both are examples.
The same was true in Massachusetts for Fort Devens (since closed) and Hanscom AFB.
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