Me talking:
I can't say I've done much at all for the military. I can remember sending one care package several years back...it was through some site that gave you a choice of whom and where to send. I think it was Afghanistan where it got sent. It was fun to gather items from a list of approved and needed things, and forward them on. I'm sure they still have such organizations so this is probably a good reminder for me to check into it again.
And then last Thanksgiving, I made 4 pies and took them over to the nearby Veteran's Home. Other than those two things, that's it!!!
I love my country, but I'm not self-sacrificing. I'm not a hero. That's the truth. I do appreciate what others have done in our history...Americans and the British. I'm interested in their stories. I was always interested in what my dad had to say. Even though my dad has pretty severe dementia at this point, my oldest son said not too long back, my dad could still relate some of his war stories to him. My two sons were dropped off from Boy Scouts Tuesday night by a granddad to a troop mate. He was in Korea and Vietnam. They were his car, outside the house, for quite a bit listening to his war stories. They both really enjoyed it.
My dad was in the Army Air Corps for 1 year and then the Air Force. He signed up when he was 17 in 1947. He signed up 'cause he had no other options to be quite honest. I'm sure he would say the same. He was very poor. He grew up during the Depression. He was raised by a single, alcoholic mom. She died when he was 16. He wanted to get out of the town he was in that had absolutely no path to anything that he could see. I think the cotton mill was about the best you could do at the time there. I know he tried to lie about his age so he could get into WWII, but a person in town ratted him out to the recruiter. So he was caught up in that fervour to serve his country to whatever extent during that time. He was only 15 when he lied trying to join, but he had to wait a couple more years.
He was in the military during Korea, but he didn't have to go there. He was in Vietnam.
I know he had some not so nice things to say about the military over the years. He saw a lot of what he thought was stupidity from people and the overall mindset. But it was a good path for him having only made it to 6th grade in school. He got his high school equivalency and was trained for the fire department which he did for his full career and also in civil service after he retired from the military in 1968. He worked up to Fire Chief. My three older brothers all went into the Air Force upon graduation in the 1970s. They had no choice. My dad made them. The oldest stuck around an extra year waiting for the second oldest to get out after 4 years so they could team up and room together. And my third oldest brother also got out after 4 years. All three of them hated it.