My Mom is a descendant of the aunt of Andrew Jackson, the niece of Stonewall Jackson, and a direct descendant of Samuel Sewall who presided over the Salem Witch Trials. He also wrote the first tract against slavery in the US, called, The Selling of Joseph. She is also a direct descendant of Andrew Johnson, the one who was impeached, so my ancestors fought on both sides of the Civil War. My scotch ancestors were staunch Separatists, and they fought in the wars alongside William Wallace and Rob Roy. Their clan friends were the Stewarts, until they married into British Royalty and changed sides. My family went nutso, were banished to Ireland, becoming the Scotch-Irish, and then to Georgia.

I am a Pacifist. What can I say?

Too much war in my family tree, too much feistiness. Seriously, family gatherings are more like WWlll than anything written in books.

I try to be calm, logical and Christlike among these savages- so who do they resent the most? Me!

Enough said.

Julie, when I graduated high school in 1975, that’s what it was like. For me to enlist then, I would have been admitting failure. If I had not been accepted to college I would have enlisted, though. My favorite cousin was a Vietnam POW.

I look back and wish I’d at least given it some thought. At this point in my life, I have great admiration for those who serve in our military ranks. It takes courage, discipline, and a good heart to do many of the things our soldiers do. I’m so grateful for them.

All that said, I’m glad you’re wielding a pen instead of a rifle, Kristen. We all have our place in the world, and some of us are meant to be serving elsewhere.

I would have enlisted if I did not get into City College of New York, where I was getting a free college education.

For military it is both Air Force. One of Elaine’s brothers was a career enlisted man. My cousin in San Antonio, Tom McNish was a Vietnam POW. He was a career officer and the Air Force put him through medical school when he returned. He proposed marriage to my cousin in the Green Room of the White House. (Ask me how).

I am planning to have my DNA tested, in case I have any warriors in my background…

Thank you Kristen for the laugh.

Sorry Carol, you are banned and I deleted your First Amendment freedom because you are now a troll. My blog, my rules and those rules demand mutual respect. I never have issues with people disagreeing if they do so with decency. I will no longer tolerate this ad hominem attack on me, my family and my beliefs. Rant your own agenda elsewhere as you happily freeload on freedoms purchased with other people’s blood.

What does that have to do with Kristens blog and trolling it? And yes, I do know a bit about soldiering and living on ones principals and infinitly more qualified to speak of that, since neither you or the misguided MG has not walked one day in my shoes. And his comments are to the political nature of the .gov being in charge of the .mil, and the politization of the pentagon, and not on soldiering, which is your intimation. Get your head out, and un-f*)% yourself.