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He had a brother in the Marines as well, my Uncle Joe, who came back a drunk and was till he died. He also had two sons go into the MARINES, one came back in a box, my brother John, and my Brother Richard is now retired in Florida. 10 days after my Brother John, his best friend David Roy, who gre up next door to us and who John had been best friends with since kindergarten through high school, joined the Marines together and went to NAM in the same platoon ahd who was with Joh when he died, was killed also. Last November we buried my 1st cousin Bertrand "Butch" Nadeau. He was in Nam same time as my bro John when John got killed, Butch was a Marine sniper with 22 registered kills, had the ears on a piece of wire dipped in varnish and hung on the wire. He succumbed to cancer from Agent Orange exposure at 56 years old. He lived with us when he was a kid cause his Mom, my aunt, was a f&cking nut case. My Dad was a big influence on him and that is why he joined the Marines.
My father let them all go, it was thier choice and thier right he told my mother. He told each one exactly what war was like, one on one before they left. He hated guns but knew that someone had to bear the responsibility of keeping us safe. Someone has to stand watch.
Myself, after visiting Parris Island to see my brothers graduate, I decided the Navy was going to be it when it came to my turn but the turn never came, Senator Kennedy and Congressman Tip O'Niel requested my draft card be sent to them right after I turned 18. They sent it to them and when I tried to sign up in the Navy I got a call from the recruiter saying they could not take me, even the Coast Guard wouldn't take me. There had been a hold put on anymore of my family being admitted to the service because of my brother John.
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