Many LRC readers are veterans. Here is some information and some words of wisdom from one of them:
I enlisted in the US Navy in 1973, among the first in the then-new “all volunteer” military. I believed the ads. (“It’s Not Just a Job. It’s An Adventure.”) It was an adventure. The Vietnam War was winding down and there was a spirit of relief among old-timers. I was a member of the Atlantic Fleet Combat Camera Group. It was kind of funny since there was no combat. It was the Cold War. Essentially, my job was to travel around the Mediterranean and shoot pictures of Russian ships, often gunwale-to-gunwale at speeds of up to thirty knots. Interestingly, there was always a Russian photographer taking pictures of me. It all struck me even then as sort of ridiculous. I spent a lot of time at sea on various types of ships. I also flew more hours than I care to remember. In retrospect, it was really nothing but a waste of time and the taxpayers’ money. I was never under hostile fire and finished my tour of duty in 1977.
There was a huge downside to my time in the military. I just could not bring myself to obey mindless orders unquestioningly and I spent a lot of time on the “shit list,” or pulling duty on less desirable photo assignments. There was a lot of down time and isolation at sea and remote naval bases. I witnessed an incredible amount of alcohol abuse, something the Navy tolerated, if not promoted outright. Most guys smoked cigarettes purchased at heavy discounts at the Navy Exchange (the PX). There was also epidemic drug abuse but no one I knew ever flunked a drug test.
After this “adventure” it took me at least two years to readjust to civilian life. Perhaps the most difficult part was ridding my vocabulary of “sailor” profanity (and giving up cigarettes). One of the reasons I enlisted was for the GI Bill. The Navy recruiter assured me that the GI Bill would “pay for college.” That was a falsehood. My monthly check came to $311.00. I had to be registered and paid up in full before the VA office would sign off on starting my checks, a process which took six to eight weeks. I ate a lot of cheese sandwiches and tomato soup. I discovered that if I stayed in school year round the checks would keep coming. I therefore finished my BA degree in three years. I had enough GI Bill time left over to take some trade courses in building construction and a year of graduate school. I have no real regrets now, but I would not allow my son to join up today in the climate of non-ending wars of conquest.
James Dunlap. Photographer’s Mate Third Class.
