[bad company]

One thing everybody needs to be reminded of is that joining the navy was one way to reduce the chances of going to vietnam.

[Bonaparte]

That's right. Navy Reserve, to be exact. Coastal duty. No combat role. Until all that suddenly changed. Kerry never volunteered for combat duty, whereas Bush stated that he was willing to serve combat duty before he was even asked. Don't count on hearing this from the lamestream media. You won't.

[ProudVet77]

There are exceptions. The waiting list to go to Vietnam in the Navy was huge. Many people (not Kerry) went into the Navy as a family tradition. My original orders to counter insurgency to NSA Saigon were canceled due to Nixon wanting to use more Vietnamese. Out of my CI class we all, to a man, volunteered for alternative service in Vietnam.
In my case I went into the service at 17 and Mom would not let me go in the Marines. She has no idea how much I wish she would have let me, regardless of the consequences.

[Prophet in the wilderness]

HOW IRONIC

[Smokin' Joe]

One thing everybody needs to be reminded of is that joining the navy was one way to reduce the chances of going to vietnam.

You it it on the head, and it wasn't until after he requested to be assigned to the swift boats that their mission tasking was changed and they were sent upriver.

My bet is that he was going to try to get his 'command ticket' punched and never see combat. Oh well, didn't work, did it?

[BJungNan]

One thing everybody needs to be reminded of is that joining the navy was one way to reduce the chances of going to vietnam.

Was it the navy or the navy reserves?

[RipSawyer]

"One thing everybody needs to be reminded of is that joining the navy was one way to reduce the chances of going to vietnam."

It certainly kept me out of Vietnam, even though I enlisted in sixty-two when Vietnam was not yet a big issue. I told people at the time that I was joining the Navy so that I would not be subject to the Army draft. So, I guess I am a "draft dodger". I did get my Honorable Discharge at the normal time though.