Serving the Military

As with many families across America, numerous family members have served in the Armed Forces.  My Dad had four brothers, and one sister.  He was the second oldest child. The oldest brother served in the Navy for years. The two youngest served in the Army. My grandfather was in the Army during WWII. My great grandfather was in the Army in WWI. I was the only one who chose to join the Air Force. Since my Dad was a Marine, we covered all four branches. In our family, as it may be in yours, joining the military was a common part of growing up. It was natural, especially in the older days, and the days when you didn't have a choice anyway. Most of my family members stayed in for one hitch, some for two, then got out. They didn't get out because they didn't like the military.  They got out because they needed to return home to help out the family.  That's the way it was in the '30's thru the '70's. Many of my people were farmers or ranchers. These type of ranches/farms require a lot of help from a lot of family members.  Even losing one could sometimes make things very hard on the rest. Before the modern era, irrigation pipes had to be moved by hand (I did this for years!), one section at a time. It was very hard work. You had to watch out for rattlesnakes, skunks, rats, and other creatures. A lot of us carried pistols while we work, mostly for rattlesnakes. Cows had to be herded by horse or walking, and then fed and watered. Horses had to be fed and groomed. All the harnesses, saddles, etc. had to be repaired. Then, after work, we all took a bath of course. Many taking showers outside under a water tank or with a garden hose. We ate, and watched a little TV, which only had three channels when I was a kid. And it was a black and white TV. With rabbit ear antennas or a big steel pole outside with the antenna on top. We had no A/C.  It was too expensive, and there weren't that many. But we did have a swamp cooler in the living room. Southern people know what that is, but for the rest; it looks like a very big A/C, with vents that fit in the window. It has a revolving cage that turns like a hamster wheel. You pour water inside in the base of the cooler and on the sides, which were stuffed with material. It was so hot outside that the water would evaporate and the wheel would push cooler air into the house. Sometimes with big drops of water with it.  All the kids would sit right in front of the cooler, as the water hitting you felt great.
All of my family who did serve would gladly tell you that they were happy to do their stint for the country. They came back with a bigger view of things, better discipline, and a feeling of doing their part.  They did not have to worry about a work ethic, because they had that all their lives.
I am the only one who did the full 20 years, My family is still proud of all the things I accomplished and all the places I got to see. The battles I fought thru and came out of, which, like most mothers, scared the hell out of mine. Every award I won; every decoration I received; every picture I took; my mother wanted them to keep. My Dad is now 84 years old, and my mother is 77. Every time I visit them, they always want to talk about places I've been and things I've seen.  They always ask me, "Where have you been to now?".  My Dad still finds it hard to believe that I have a house in the Philippines. These places were far away and practically unheard of during their youth. They were only imagined places that they would never see themselves. They are looking at the world through my eyes. And I am very glad to do that for them!