A Marine Corps Thing-- Part 1

Today, I took a trip with the Kellerhers to Soldiers Field, Chicago, home of Da Bears, and, today, the United States Marine Corps, to whom I have an affiliation, albeit short.

Back in 1971, 40 years ago this coming July, I spent six 'glorious" weeks doing basic training at Quantico, Virginia, for PLC, Platoon Leader Class. This was a way for the Marines to replete its officer corps due to losses in Vietnam.

I had a draft lottery number of 22, which meant that upon graduation from college, I was going to Vietnam one way or another. And that war was NEVER GOING TO END to my way of thinking. It had started while I was in junior high and had gone on all through my high school years.

Had I not gone on to college, which I needed to do in order to be a teacher, I would have gone to Vietnam. The war was continuing while in college, so sophomore year, I decided to check out my options. My first interest was the Navy, but my eyesight wasn't good enough, so then it became USMC and I was accepted.

I had to go for six weeks in the summer between sophomore and junior year and another six weeks between junior and senior year. When I graduated, I would be commissioned a second lieutenant and sent to six months of training and then on to Vietnam.

I figured that if I was going to have to go to Vietnam, I might as well go as an officer.

More to Come. --RoadDog