This question is for people who served in the military. (Any nation)

I am just curious as to why you chose to join an armed service.

I am very curious on what your feelings were if you were forced (drafted) into service.

(Or any related stories)

My story:

I joined the United States Marine Corps directly out of high school.
I did it because for my heartfelt love of my country, and I felt I needed discipline and structure in my life at the time. (I was a bit on the hard to handle side as a teenager)

I was your classic “troubled teen”. Long hair, drinking, and smoking and generally up to not much good. (Nothing extremely bad)

My father was so mad at me he did not say one word to me for over two years! My mother just cried and said me killing myself would “just kill her”. (I admit they were a strange pair)

My father was in the early years of starting his business and wanted me to work there.
My mother was working double shifts as a hairdresser at the time. (Most new business do not show any profit for several years.) They were too busy in their own lives to pay much attention to mine. I did not join to get attention. I prefer minimal attention. I am quite self-sufficient.

I served about twelve years. It was the best thing I ever did in my life. My parents now also agree. My father was the best man at my wedding six years ago.

After graduating HS, I was listless and apathetic about what to do with my life. I half-heartedly enrolled in college, and after wasting my fathers money for a few semesters, decided on my own to go into the military in order to be able to stand on my own two feet for the first time in my life. I went into the USAF and spent nine years in the service of our country. In retrospect, what a great decision I made. When I got out, I had self respect, a sense of professionalism, and a goal. I also left the military with a determination to get a college degree. Amazing what desire and a little maturity will do for you. Academic courses that stumped me in the first attempt, were cake the second time around. Within 2 mos of graduating, I had a job as a project engineer. My motto comes from a Clint Eastwood movie, Josey Wales.
"Endeavor to Perservere"

I knew from an early age that it was what I would do at some point in my life, there never seemed to be any question about it. I have never regretted the decision even after these 20 some odd years and would readily do it again. There can be no greater joy than serving the causes of this nation and defending her Constitution.

I enlisted in the Army (in 1966) because I had been reclassified 1A and was close to being drafted. I enlisted for an electronics course and spent my first year (of three) in basic training and school. I was definitely not career military material, but kept my nose clean and got out as an E5 with over a year in grade. No combat, etc. - like having a real job plus I ended up getting the GI Bill to help with college.

Although I was not able to enlist in Canada because of being almost blind in one eye, I did feel it was the duty of every able bodied man to do everything possible to defeat the Nazis. So after the U.S got involved I had the bright idea that with a much bigger population the U.S Army should be able to find a place for me. I paid a one day visit to Rouses Point, N.Y, just over the U.S/Canada border. I was shocked to find that one could not enlist in the American Army unless one was an American citizen. I asked the recruiting officer,"Do you mean to tell me that everyone in your army is a citizen ?' He said "No, but resident non-citizens can be drafted," I thereupon registered for the draft, signed an application for immediate induction, gave my address as Rouses Point, N.Y, my mailing address as my actual address in Canada, and went back home to Montreal. Some two or three weeks later, I became the only Canadian to be drafted into the American Army from Canada. They gave me a pair of glasses and made me a field lineman in the artillery. I eventually became a U.S citizen but they had to cut me special orders following basic training. I went back to Canada for a two week furlough so that I could re-enter the U.S legally at last.I had to have a legal entry in order to be naturalized, but it did give the immigration lady a conniption fit.

I must say your story is the stuff which movies are made of. You ought to write a book. You're beyond brave, in my opinion, Frank. More like...heroic.

I'm very surprised to hear that Canada never got involved in WWII, considering England's bold stand against the Nazis, and the large scale war effort of the U.S. and allies.

Any idea as to why not?

Canada was very much involved in WWII. I just couldn't pass their physical. The US Army gave me glasses and gave me a "limited service rating" climbing trees and laying telephone lines for the field artillery. The only thing I killed was an ox in Czechoslovakia, that the farmer asked me to do because the ox had drunk poison for treating fence posts and was going to die anyway.
Canada's role in WWII

In my day, it was expected of you to be patriotic and have national pride. After I graduated high school, I visited the Air Force recruiter. During my physical, the AF decided I had a heart murmur, and did not qualify for military service. I said, the heck with this and headed to my local draft board, and voluntered for the draft. This was September of 1956. The US Army took me and gave me my physical, and lo and behold, NO heart murmur. I did qualify to be 4F if I wanted because my eyes were 20/400. I said no, and my eyesight was wavered. I WANTED to go in the service. It's what all the people did in those days. I did my duty for 2 years of active duty and 4 years reserve and in Dec 2, 1958 I received my Honorable Discharge. I never regretted my service time.

((Canada was very much involved in WWII. I just couldn't pass their physical.


Oh alright, I must have mis-read your post.


((The only thing I killed was an ox in Czechoslovakia,

LOL! Well, that's ok, Frank. It's the thought that counts. I don't measure bravery by the number of people (or oxen) which a soldier kills.

So, you didn't see too much action. The point is that you were brave enough to take such unprecedented measures, even changing citizenship in order to "fight the good fight".
Don't sell yourself short. Your story is still very moving.

My husband is an Airman, currently active duty, and because he doesn't like to type I'll tell you why he joined: there were two reasons - because there were no jobs where we are from and we were literally starving, and also because of a severe case of loving his country. We've always been very patriotic, it was one of the many, many things that attracted us to one another, but it never crossed our minds for him to join up. But then we had our son and realized that his working nights at WalMart (I was medically incapacitated the first year we were together) was not going to feed us. We were literally out of food, out of family to turn to (they certainly couldn't support us), living in subsidized housing (suburban version of the projects for us country folk ), and about to lose our car (only means of transportation in Upstate NY.) So he's job hunting, and announces to me one day that the Air Force recruiter is coming over.

My jaw literally hit the floor.

So we talked to the recruiter from each branch, and as the Air Force was the only one who even mentioned housing, medical care, or anything for dependants, this is the branch he chose.

And honestly, I think God put us in that situation so he would join up, because although there is plenty of bad (1st base - ALASKA!! Could we BE further from home??) there is also a whole lot of good (like he makes 5Xs what he made before, and I can go to college).