In the Army Now - The joy of the Armed ForcesI've never been a soldier. I was an air cadet once, but that mostly involved sitting in a mouldy hut learning about aeroplane engines with the hint that one day we might go flying.
Yet, anyone who has spent time defending their nation, or at least drinking bromide-laced-tea for their nation, must have stories to tell. Tell them now.
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chthonic, Thu 23 Mar 2006, 18:26)
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weirdly, Yachtmaster reminds me....My grandfather "came of age" in time to enlist for WWI and be prepped for killing (Turks at that time too, sorry). Even in his early years he suffered notoriously bad eyesight, but they'd basically take anyone then. After the first few days they decided he could not be trusted not to do some serious damage to his comrades with a rifle, so they stopped letting him use one. Comes a day near the end of basic, when the recruiters for the "specials" are around so everyone has to be tip-top, out on the firing range. Bullseye. Bullseye. and so on, which is how he got to be selected as a sharpshooter, thus getting an extra two weeks training, catching a later ship to the war, the whole human cargo of which came down with dysentery and spent weeks recovering in Egypt immediately after which the war ended. I have his medals somewhere.
(, Wed 29 Mar 2006, 16:47, Reply)
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