Did where you grow up have an impact on your decision to join the military?

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 12 Jan 2016 18:20:29 -0500

Where are you from and why did you join? Did you know that Appalachian folk (Hillbillies is what we are called sometimes) are more likely to die for their country than any other region in America. We also comprised 17% of the military force during WWII. That sounds negligable but it is also the highest per capita service among American Regions.
Theres a lot of reasons for this based on my reading. Appalachian men are very patriotic for one, and the job market is horrible in the mountains. Lack of education was also a prime motivator for joining the military.
This phenomenon of Appalachian military mortality is called Sgt York Syndrome and has been widely studied.

I became curious about the current military and what region they hail from and what was their reason for joining. If I didn't fully encompass your region in the poll/survey, please respond with your location.

This question is to assist me in a research paper that I am working on in college so the more data, the better.

Response by LTC Stephen F. made Jan 12 at 2016 6:29 PM

LTC Stephen F. — Tue, 12 Jan 2016 18:29:57 -0500

My love of military history since I was a child was my primary motivation to be a soldier SSG Private RallyPoint Member. Interestingly enough my first active duty station was Fort Campbell in March 1975.

Response by MAJ Ken Landgren made Jan 12 at 2016 6:31 PM

MAJ Ken Landgren — Tue, 12 Jan 2016 18:31:57 -0500

I wanted a diverse career. The honor of serving came a little bit later.

Response by Sgt Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 12 at 2016 6:38 PM

Sgt Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 12 Jan 2016 18:38:54 -0500

I lived in Pasadena, Texas when I joined. I joined because I believed aiding South Vietnam was a just cause. A little bit of adventure was also a plus.

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 12 at 2016 6:39 PM

MSG Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 12 Jan 2016 18:39:44 -0500

Originally the Interior Plains because that is where I was born

Response by SFC Pete Kain made Jan 12 at 2016 6:43 PM

SFC Pete Kain — Tue, 12 Jan 2016 18:43:47 -0500

I was raised in South Cal. near Vandenberg A.F.B . I never could get the hang of asking would you like fries with that. My father was a Marine and after the Chosin Reservoir he went A.F. After that past, I decided the Army was for me. Well that and I am prone to sea sickness.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 12 at 2016 7:18 PM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 12 Jan 2016 19:18:54 -0500

A lack of economic opportunity encourages people to join the military. A high percentage of people with military experience is going to increase patriotism. A lot of Patriotism in an area is going to encourage more people to join the military.

Response by PO2 Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 12 at 2016 7:49 PM

PO2 Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 12 Jan 2016 19:49:14 -0500

Geez, I feel like a real hillbilly now... I was born in Atlanta and raised between there and N'Awlins. I joined cuz I didn't want to go to college.

Response by SCPO Charles Thomas "Tom" Canterbury made Jan 12 at 2016 8:13 PM

SCPO Charles Thomas "Tom" Canterbury — Tue, 12 Jan 2016 20:13:15 -0500

There was nothing but retail stores, coal mines and drugs in my hometown. The Navy Recruiter did me a favor!

Response by COL Charles Williams made Jan 12 at 2016 8:27 PM

COL Charles Williams — Tue, 12 Jan 2016 20:27:41 -0500

New Jersey. The area had no real impact on my decision. Perhaps it did... Single Mom... had to figure it out myself... So....

In 1979 I had a scholarship to play college hockey out of HS. I went for a year as Phys Ed Major... I was an average player, a horrible student, as liked parties and hockey more than school. It was apparent I was not going to make a career out of hockey. One of my HS buddies who I played with in college, asked to come to the recruiter with him for moral support... He joined the AF, I joined the Army.

I joined the Army because college was not the answer at the time. I tested with the Navy and they wanted me for their Nuke program, but I was not feeling school or looking for more school at the time. So, I thought maybe I would endeavor to be NJ State Trooper... and Army was the best option to that end at the tome. So, I enlisted as a MP, and once I was in... it just felt right.

I hope that helps. SSG Private RallyPoint Member

Response by MSgt Steven Holt, NRP, CCEMT-P made Jan 12 at 2016 8:45 PM

MSgt Steven Holt, NRP, CCEMT-P — Tue, 12 Jan 2016 20:45:23 -0500

I was born and raised in the foothills of the Smokies. The military always seemed like the perfect setting to get a better education, solid work experience, and travel the World all on someone else's dime.

I don't know about that whole "dying for your Country" thing though. I'd rather make the other guy die for HIS country and then go home to cornbread, biscuits and gravy, and fried taters!

Response by CPT Jack Durish made Jan 12 at 2016 9:06 PM

CPT Jack Durish — Tue, 12 Jan 2016 21:06:51 -0500

(Get ready for a good argument) I'm from the South: Maryland. Yeah, I know. You don't think that's the South. Well, it is. It was a slave-holding plantation state that didn't secede with the rest only because Lincoln, with the help of the state's governor, was able to keep the legislature from convening to vote for it. Harriet Tubman (remember her, founder of the Underground Railway) was born into slavery on a plantation in Maryland. I could go on, but that's not the question (I'm just anticipating the cries of "foul")

Baltimore is a Northern city in the middle of a Southern state. It was heavily populated by Germans who were recruited by the Union to fight in the Civil War. (Which is why Baltimore at one time consumed more beer per capita than any other city in the world and left me with an appreciation for it) They had no other place to go when the war ended and took over the city. They were joined by freed slaves inasmuch as it was the closest major city to where they were freed from. Thus, I grew up with conflicted politics: A city dominated by Republicans who freed the slaves and Democrats in the surrounding areas who owned and fought to keep them. It definitely caused me to be circumspect in my political views.

However, the greatest influence was the Chesapeake Bay. That's where I spent most of my formative years. I hid from an abusive father by going sailing, fishing, swimming, etc on its waters. I crewed for yatchsmen who became my surrogate fathers. I explored its multitudinous rivers and creeks. (The Bay has more coastline than the entire West Coast of the United States) I ate some of the finest seafood in America and that influence has left me disappointed with almost all other regional fare.

Like most Southerners I grew up with a great appreciation of the military. I was a guinea pig at the Army spy school at Fort Holabird when the experimented with methods of better teaching foreign languages. I used to sit on a boat and admire the marksmanship of the men at Aberdeen Proving Grounds who could sink a small buoy with left over mortar rounds after completing their firing on Pooles Island for the day.

Sorry for getting carried away but you asked...

Response by SSG Thomas Gallegos made Jan 12 at 2016 10:05 PM

SSG Thomas Gallegos — Tue, 12 Jan 2016 22:05:05 -0500

No, I knew I wasn't ready to attend college when I joined in '96.

Response by SrA Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 12 at 2016 10:28 PM

SrA Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 12 Jan 2016 22:28:43 -0500

I grew up outside of Fort Drum plus most of my family was military. Growing up my family was always active in the VFW as well. So, I believe where you grow up definitely has an impact on your military status.

Response by Capt Brandy (Thompson) McDermed made Jan 12 at 2016 10:45 PM

Capt Brandy (Thompson) McDermed — Tue, 12 Jan 2016 22:45:17 -0500

This is extremely interesting. It hits home for me as I was born and raised on the edge of Appalachia, in the Ohio Valley.

Response by Capt Seid Waddell made Jan 12 at 2016 11:43 PM

Capt Seid Waddell — Tue, 12 Jan 2016 23:43:06 -0500

Not so much where, but when. My father and all of my uncles served in WWII, and I grew up on war stories. I knew from a young boy that I would go to war when I grew up, and when I did Viet Nam was hiring. I grew up in Arizona, but I don't know that made any difference.

Response by CSM Charles Hayden made Jan 13 at 2016 1:25 AM

CSM Charles Hayden — Wed, 13 Jan 2016 01:25:16 -0500

SSG Private RallyPoint Member I am not a hillbilly. Some of my folks may have been 'butternuts' during the Civil War, but some were wounded in the U S Army.

At Ft Knox, 1953, after supper, Harry Lane would get in his top bunk, unscrew the lightbulb over his head,plug in his radio and listen to hillbilly music. Us Yankee we'uns would flee until Harry fell asleep and we could unplug his radio!

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 13 at 2016 8:14 AM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 13 Jan 2016 08:14:16 -0500

Born and raised in Akron, OH. Got into military history as a kid because my old man was always reading WW2 books. When I came across the 82nd Airborne Division and paratroopers I was hooked. Left for BCT the day after graduation. I wanted to be a part of something. Here I am.

Response by SrA Marlin Taylor made Jan 13 at 2016 8:32 AM

SrA Marlin Taylor — Wed, 13 Jan 2016 08:32:31 -0500

I was raised in the Red River Valley, both the Okie and Texan sides. When I had to get shotgunned wedded at 17, I blew my chance of college. So I graduated early and went job hunting and could not find any work. Air Force recruiter spin several tall yarns and I enlisted to get college. Turned 18 in Boot 2 days after that my wife misscarried and moved back home with her parents. I stayed in and made a whole enlistment.

Response by Cpl Dennis F. made Jan 13 at 2016 1:05 PM

Cpl Dennis F. — Wed, 13 Jan 2016 13:05:33 -0500

I was born in Pa. where my Father and six uncles were all in the military during WWII, the Japanese occupation, and Korea. IIRC, Pa. fed more than any other state into WWII. I grew up in S. Fla, and I seem to recall it fed Vietnam more than most other states for that period. BTW I would not call the South part of the Atlantic plain. Dividing by time zones doesn't seem to make much sense here. A cultural divide does.

Response by SP5 Michael Rathbun made Jan 13 at 2016 11:16 PM

SP5 Michael Rathbun — Wed, 13 Jan 2016 23:16:03 -0500

Man, I knew a bunch of those folk, some good friends. They were usually fun.

My family were early settlers of Parkersburg. I grew up in Colorado.

Response by SSG Gerald King made Jan 14 at 2016 12:35 PM

SSG Gerald King — Thu, 14 Jan 2016 12:35:45 -0500

I grew up in a small farm town (pop: 1200) in northern PA. I joined the military because I just wanted to get out of that small town. Had nothing to do with patriotism or anything like that. I really didn't pay much attention to world affairs. I joined in 1965 and was just vaguely aware of the Vietnam war - until I was sent there. I was going to join the Navy until a recruiter from the Army Security Agency came to visit me at my high school. Being a "spy" just sounded like a lot more fun than being on a ship in the middle of the ocean someplace.