Military career not just perks

Dear editor:

I've always been intrigued by those who've obviously never served a day in uniform, yet seem to be "experts" in military affairs.

The latest spewings are from an Obama supporter who cannot face truth, so now calls veterans' pensions "socialism" as if they were on the same scale with the welfare crowd that his party encourages to swell under government dependence in exchange for votes.

Even those who've served one hitch, do not fully see the "long haul" picture.

I've heard it all, from the college-indoctrinated to the blog loons, how our service folks "have it made" with all of those "freebies" and a retirement after "just 20 years."

As a retiree myself, though, I've always been baffled as to why as these "professors" haven't been lining up by the droves to get in on all of these goodies. Lots of reasons I suppose, but "lack of spine!" always seems to come to the top.

People like the freedoms as long as they don't have to risk anything to help preserve them, while we still have GOOD men dying everyday around the world, so these ingrates can partake in free speech of a Constitution they don't really support.

Yes, a military career is just one big perk. As a lance corporal in 1967, I was making $107 a month plus $65 monthly combat pay. Came out to just under six bucks a day to get your head blown off. Not quite minimum wage. Housing was free, including the rats in the bunkers. No charge for C-rations either and I never once got a medical bill from a field corpsman. Oh, I guess that's "CORPSEMAN" isn't it?

Later in life, during my Air Force years, I started hearing all about how "easy" the serviceman had it while we worked all the overtime on the flightine you could ever imagine, weekends, holidays, etc. All for a fraction of what our civilian counterparts at Boeing and United were making. Time and a half? What did that mean? And if you didn't like the conditions or the boss, you couldn't give any "two weeks notice." We had no unions. Just quit and walk out? Try it.

Travel was free, whether you wanted to pull the kids out of school and move or not every few years. Individuality? Of course, as long as you all dressed the same and kept neat and trim, to THEIR liking, not yours.

There was another slight glitch, too.

Depending on your service branch and career field, you might be ordered to fight and die so the civilians back home didn't have to.

Hey, can't have everything now, can we?

The initial contract with Uncle Sam was that if he could own you, body and soul, to use at his every beck and call for at least the next 20 years, which comes out to 30-35 when you count all that free overtime, and there'd be a "pension" at the end of it -- although it's not enough for most retirees to live on and you still had to get out and compete with 20-year-olds for jobs.

You also risked being blown to bits in some foreign country that hates Americans but still gladly accepts our tax dollars.

That "free medical" changed drastically since initial enlistment, and the VA is NOT what most think, especially under this current administration.

It astounds me that we still have young folks willing to serve this government. It truly does.

The serviceman endures, sacrifices, bleeds, often ends up dismembered or killed, so the rest don't have to. He is used and lied to by the government he swore an oath to serve, and is then treated like a second-class citizen in his own country. The final slap in the face is having to see all he sacrificed for turning communist and few actually really caring that it is.

But, to liken his measley pension as some sort of "socialist handout," no, it was pre-contracted for, under oath and paid for in blood.

I guess one just has to understand how the liberal mind works. I thank God every day that I do not.

-- Mike Bradbury