When I was of draft age the Vietnam War was underway but America was already reducing its presence. My parents, worried that their first born would go to Vietnam and come home in a box, counseled me to be prepared to flee to Canada. Despite being personally opposed to America’s involvement in the Vietnam War I told my parents that, if drafted, I would serve in the military.
But I was never drafted.
During my college years I volunteered for the military but was rejected immediately because of the thick eyeglasses I wore. My lenses looked like they were cut from the bottoms of CocaCola bottles.
Later, when LASIK eye surgery had been perfected and I had become a lawyer and could afford it, I had my eyes fixed and didn’t need glasses at all. I celebrated by trying to enlist in the Army Reserves. Turns out they had all the help they needed and said unless I had was skilled as an auto and truck mechanic, “thanks for offering, young man, but no thanks.”
So this morning I took my family to breakfast. After we had finished eating we stuck around and for a while and asked our waitress to bring to our attention any customers in uniform or older folk wearing hats identifying them as veterans. Without identifying ourselves to the guests we covered the tab for just under a dozen veterans before we left.
I may be a pervert, but I still bleed red, white and blue.
For all you veteran mongers out there, Happy Veteran’s Day! Thank you for your service!
