Wow

I wish it wasn't the wee hours of the morning, on Guam, right now. I'd call my dad.

This made me cry.

My father was a corpsman, he served in Viet Nam. He retired out of the Navy, when he moved to Guam in the 80's. I would always ask him what his job was like, and he'd tell me all the menial stuff, that he did when he wasn't deployed, like oversee the medical records, at Naval Hospital, or work in the supply room, or whatever. I never knew what he *really* did. I never knew why he, a Navy guy, was always stationed on Marine bases. Once, someone asked me where I lived, when we were in North Carolina, and I said Camp LeJune. They said "but that's Marines". I was like *shrug* my dad's Navy, I dunno. Why he refuses to watch war movies, or hang out in crowds. Why he won't go to fireworks displays. Why he got so fucking offended that time I told him I saw a splatter picture of a bus accident victim, and I referred to it offhand as "Vietnam nasty"

From a very early age, he taught me to respect the human body, and learn everything about it. I knew what acetaminophen was, before I knew what Tylenol was. Where my maxilla, mandible, tibia, fibula, patella, all that. I remember so much of all the random medical jargon he taught me. He really REALLY had his heart set on me being a doctor. But, I honestly STILL didn't really know what he did.

I took a class, in college, that focused, in part, on the Vietnam war. We spoke to a number of Vets, and the would relate stories, funny, grizzly, awe inspiring. Even, a corpsman came to talk to us, some of his tales were particularly moving. It didn't exactly sink in that this guy, and my dad, had the same job.

I asked my mom about it once. She said "Oh, your dad was a big hippie. He joined the Navy, to get out of the draft, so he could have some cushy job." I always suspected that she was full of shit (she hates the guy). Reading that, pretty much confirmed it. He's always been anti-war, but he's not the person my mom makes him out to be. I know that already, but this hit home.

I just want to thank Mike for giving me a very good perspective. I've gained a new, deeper respect for my father, the military, and medical personel in general (moreso than I already had). That letter, in that link really registered. Thank you.