Speaking of Vietnam service, I have never met anyone who served in Vietnam call it "The Nam", but I don't talk to a lot of people about Vietnam so my experience may be unique. To me it is one of those words like "Gook", that if I hear it I stop talking and walk away.

That's interesting. I used to hang out with Vietnam vets, such as John Kerry, and you're right calling it The Nam wasn't happening.

Nothing like waving a red flag in front of a bull. But I guess mentioning John Kerry to a Vietnam Vet is not quite as bad as confirming a statement about the war by talking about Jane Fonda.

John Kerry is a great American.

The topic is how militarily oriented are y'all? So I guess it would be fair to say 100% of the Vietnam Vets I know in Thailand don't like John Kerry and think his statements about the war including throwing medals that weren't his away was wrong. But I guess it was your purpose in starting this thread to find fault with the military oriented people on Thai Visa. I think opinions about John Kerry are pretty well drawn along lines of vets or non vets.

Well, I do know Kerry had many vet followers during his protest days because I saw that with my own eyes. Most men of his class avoided that war and I also give him credit for stepping up as he did, as a vet and later as a protester.

Well, I do know Kerry had many vet followers during his protest days because I saw that with my own eyes. Most men of his class avoided that war and I also give him credit for stepping up as he did, as a vet and later as a protester.

Now don't get me wrong. As far as militarism I think LBJ, Robert McNamara and all those other lying pirates should have been shot. I was witness to the thousands of men their stupidity caused to die both American and Vietnamese. My problem with Kerry was his blatant politicization of Vietnam both when he lobbed someone else's medals across the fence and his obvious attempted imitation of JFK with a Swift boat. The fact that he didn't pay taxes on his yacht also upset me a bit.

Although I joined the VFW in Thailand I don't hang around many vets. I was not much of a soldier to be honest as I don't have a penchant for the rank and class distinction that is rampant in the military.

Most of my honorable young college friends from that era enlisted in the Navy or Coast Guard as officers and had short but decent careers that stood them well in peacetime. I got drafted, Thai girl-friended and became a ski bum after the war. I ran bars in Thailand, Vietnam and Vail.

There are thousands of ex military in Thailand and more in the Philippines. If the US had it's sh** together it would pay the vets to come here as it costs a lot less to treat patients and buy medications in Thailand than the USA. In the States I got all my medications and medical care free (VA). Here I pay for it.

I managed to avoid the conflict in VN which was convenient as I wanted victory for the NVA on basic anti-imperialist principles...and recently I spent 2 years working in VN to make money but also to satisfy my curiosity regarding a country that managed to defeat major imperialist enemies on the battlefield...it is a remarkable place...

on a more personal level when I was 18 y.o. in 1968 my father suggested that I join the marines (he was a marine in the Pacific in WW2 but as an airplane mechanic and not as a grunt)...this was at the height of the VN war and the marines are always front line for getting shot at and I wondered as I always thought that parents wanted to protect their children from danger...this consideration was not apparent to him, somehow...

I managed to avoid the conflict in VN which was convenient as I wanted victory for the NVA on basic anti-imperialist principles...and recently I spent 2 years working in VN to make money but also to satisfy my curiosity regarding a country that managed to defeat major imperialist enemies on the battlefield...it is a remarkable place...

on a more personal level when I was 18 y.o. in 1968 my father suggested that I join the marines (he was a marine in the Pacific in WW2 but as an airplane mechanic and not as a grunt)...this was at the height of the VN war and the marines are always front line for getting shot at and I wondered as I always thought that parents wanted to protect their children from danger...this consideration was not apparent to him, somehow...

Being gay, they didn't want me, but at 18 I wasn't sure what I was ... luckily, the issue didn't come up as I wasn't drafted. I would have never volunteered for the Vietnam war.

from speaking to others it didn't appear to me that there was much in the way of volunteering to serve unless you chose the marines...most folks were drafted and it was either report to the induction center or go to jail...even the hard assed VN vets that I worked with in the Oregon woods would've preferred to stay at home rather than: 'go where?...never heard of the place...' most of them had never been on an airplane in their lives...

most of the kids my age that I saw go off to war in the late 60s/early 70s never knew what they were gettin' in to...they never heard of 'worldwide communist domination'...'what is communism, anyway?...but, he's the President and he must be right...'...I'd like to know right now if any of those Americans that died knew what they were fighting for...they just knew that there was someone with a gun out there that wanted to kill them...the Vietnamese were faceless...

it appears that now with all volunteer western armies that everyone on the ground knows what they are trying to achieve...but it is war and chaos usually prevails...

In 1968 the deal was if you had a college degree and passed the Officer Candidate test you could enlist in the Navy for 6 years and after OCS be paid as an officer or enlist in the Army with a choice of duty station and avoid Vietnam.

In 68 the Marine corps also was drafting; I know because the guy in front of me in line and behind me both went into the Marine corp they stamped a big M on their papers.

The only people I remember wanting to go to Vietnam were career officers as it was necessary for promotion to have had a combat command.

The troops in Thailand were mostly Air Force and that was all volunteer. The troops in Laos and Cambodia were never really there so it didn't make much difference if you volunteered or not (this is a sarcastic statement).

It must be said that many soldiers served more than one tour in SEA, myself included. Only 25 percent of the US Military who served in Vietnam were draftees. During WW II 66 percent of the troops were draftees.

On a percentage basis, the Vietnam force contained three times as many college graduated as did the WW II force. The average education level of the enlisted man in Vietnam was 13 years, equivalent to one year of college. Of those who voluntarily enlisted, 79 percent had high school diplomas. This at a time when only 65 percent of the American military age males in the general population were high school graduates.

Vietnam or Thailand was not really a bad gig as only 50,000 out of 500,000 troops in country were actually involved in combat the rest were logistical.

missing was the "no military experience and would do anything to avoid it"choice.

hence my "none of the above" vote....

missing was the "no military experience and would do anything to avoid it"choice.

hence my "none of the above" vote....

Also missing, no military experience and I am a bearded man who dresses in women's clothing.

Can't please everyone!

"They also serve who only stand and wait." (John Milton 1608-1674)

Does service in the Reserve count? I did nine years as an air force reservist in a very blunt category (Education Officer). About the only "military" thing I remember doing was parades and some occasional rifle range practice. The rest of the time I ran courses.

I served in the forces for 21 yrs. Now I'm set for life.

Two and a half years in the navy . . . submarines. Came out an Lt, spent close to 2 years in Brussels instead of the sea - liaison.

Never grew a beard - still can't.

Never served. Failed the physical because of injuries from an auto accident and a separate pre-existing medical condition. I respect those who've served, also, but it is a limited respect. Soldiers are, after all, killers. That's not a good thing really, now is it folks?

I served as a volunteer to a Buddhist organization for 12 years in the US. Full-time, subsistence income, room and board with stipend for that entire period. We built a huge temple complex and helped in several small businesses. I'm very proud of that, too.

Twas on the guard and a landrover approached, an Officer, barked out "Spillane-Choulse, 3 Queens,raise the barrier wooden top".

I replied in my best 'council estate' English, "you can enter the barracks Sir, but the 3 Queens must remain outside"

Ah another night in the pokey.

joined up at 14 and a half straight from school,served almost 15 years ,father thought it was the right thing to do, and besides as every british soldier knows, we have to give the yanks something to SHOOT AT!!