My old man had served in the Pacific in WWII and had to sign a statement saying he would order troops to fire on American citizens if he was ordered to do so.
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After leaving active duty at Fort Benning I was in the active US Army Reserve in South Florida before and during the Cuban Missle Crisis.
We were all ordered to have our equipment and duffle bags packed and ready in the trunk of our vehicles and were on alert for notice to us at work to report to board aircraft in Fort Lauderdale for Cuba.
Kennedy called off the alert.
This never made it to the media.
There were very few in our company that were experienced and proficient in combat action.
Our egotistical idiot company commander had lost half of his men in Korea - He ordered his company to split in half and take a different route.
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