Re: Christmas Away From Home -- War Stories!

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Date Posted: Wed, March 28 2007, 6:47:04
Author: Harry Larsen
Author Host/IP: blv-proxy-05.boeing.com / 130.76.32.145
Subject: Re: Christmas Away From Home
In reply to: Jim Parkinson 's message, "Re: Christmas Away From Home" on Tue, March 27 2007, 18:33:37

I'd attribute the "maturity" you saw in the older guy to his life experiences.

For example, I'd worked at various part-time jobs. I'd also held a 40-hour/week job at an aerospace company for two years prior to my enlistment.

I'd left my home town after graduation from a 2-year college and moved to an out-of-state job. I was on my own.

I had financial obligations: I'd just purchased a new 1968 Ford F-100 pick-up truck and was making $107/month payments on it. I'd saved nearly $800 by the time of my enlistment and was living by myself in a little 1-bedroom rented house. I was used to paying the utility bills and I often interacted with my neighbors. All those life experiences (and the responsibilities that come with them) helped mature my outlook on life.

I also knew that I was not superman and was vulnerable to bullets, mortars, rockets, etc.---I lost any last vestige of a "devil-may-care" attitude that first time that I realized someone was sniping at me. Anyone who'd had close calls (or their buddies killed) tended to be more aware of danger signs and acted accordingly. That could be interpreted as maturity.

The few married guys, regardless of their age, that I knew also exhibited more maturity than the rest of their comrades. Makes sense, because they were responsible for someone other than themselves.

Even those who made rank tended to appear more mature because of the responsibility they had for those beneath them.

Semper fi,

Harry

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