I didn’t trade my life or limbs, but what little risk I subjected them to was traded for about $4.5K a month, counting base pay, housing, etc. It was tax free, and I got free room and board plus medical and dental.
That’s one way to answer that. You could also say it was fulfilling a duty, patriotism or just plain not letting the man to your left and right down.
As to what geopolitical or national interests our blood, national resolve and treasure were expended on, that’s a whole ‘nother ball of wax, but I don’t recall the Jihadists signing a surrender on the deck of a battleship after their cities were leveled, armies defeated and nations strangled economically and militarily, so against that WWII gold standard, I say we didn’t get enough.
Well, I think there’s valid arguments to be made either way.
There is certainly a difference between volunteering for service and being drafted into a war.
Especially a war that America wasn’t trying to win.
Just going to leave World War II out all together, because that really was an heroic national effort, and that is something that all men should have supported, live or die. I know I would have.
But it seems like America lost something after that. Got bogged down in a whole bunch of BS that make no sense at all, and we are still there.
Country does not know the purpose of war or how to win a war, or even why to win a war. And all we have are a bunch of ahole politicians playing games with people’s lives in order to advance themselves.
If someone doesn’t want to participate in a draft under such circumstances, I can’t really blame them.
I don’t even trust my own country’s motivations or ideals any more.
I have no idea what this country stands for or what values it tries to impart to others.
As far as I can tell the motto of this country should be In lies We Trust, and that is real damn disheartening.