Over two million troops served the Union in the Civil War, five million US troops were in uniform during World War I, over sixteen million served during WW II, six million during the Korean conflict and over nine million during the Vietnam era. I was never in a foxhole. I never looked down the barrel of a gun in wartime. I was never the target of a wartime bayonet, bullet, or bomb. But I gave four years (five percent) of my life to serve my country during my formative years and I am proud to be among the more than 40 million men and women who have served and have the honor of being a US Military veteran.

I don't wear an American flag pin. I don't belong to the American Legion or the Veterans of Foreign Wars. I have never attended a military reunion. I seldom attend a Memorial Day or Veteran's Day parade or observance. But I am inwardly proud to have served. It is a personal and private sense of pride. Sixty years after being discharged, I retain an organized file of military awards, ribbons, documents, photos and souvenirs from my Air Force years, realizing that they are of value to no one but me and may eventually be tossed when my memorabilia and possessions are sorted one day.

My wife and two oldest daughters sacrificed during my military service by my frequent absences in Europe, South America and the Vietnam war zone while I served as a geodetic survey officer and while I served a 13-month tour in Korea as a fuels management officer. I am proud to have served, but I also benefitted greatly for having served. I was 10 years into my civilian career when I assumed as much management responsibility, liability and risk potential as I was given as a young Air Force lieutenant and captain in my mid-twenties. A substantial reward for having served honorably for four years was the opportunity to utilize a generous GI Bill of Rights support to pursue three years of post-graduate education at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island. That led to my attaining a PhD in my chosen field of geochemistry. The advance degree allowed me to have a rewarding career as a science researcher and the owner of a successful science-based business. Thank you, Uncle Sam.