Ah,excuse me...I *joined* in 1969.When I say I did it to avoid the draft,I mean that I assumed that I would probably have been called eventually because I didn't qualify for any deferments.When I joined,I was *not* being "pursued" by my draft board.And,while in BCT in Dec of '69,my draft lottery number came up *327*.So,in other words,if I hadn't joined,I almost certainly could have legally avoided service.No,I could never claim to have been a hero while serving as can the Lieutenant (and many others during this nation's history,but *don't you dare* imply that I'm some kind of coward!!!!!!!!!!
I tend to agree, there are indeed, different kinds of courage. Joining before being drafted to enter a role that you are best suited for is perfectly acceptable.
I know men who were raving heros one day, sniveling babies the next and back to the other the following. Everyone responds to stressful situations differently, and just because one performs well once does not mean one will do so again. Luck and opportunity do play a large role. I fault no one for not being on the front, logistically it is impossible for us all to be there and we aren't all wired for it.
Thanks for your service.