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When I tried to enlist in the Marines, to "dodge the draft" the old Gunny sitting behind the desk took one look at the bandages on my ear and shoulder, and the coke bottle lens glasses, and almost laughed me out of the place. As I walked dejectedly down the hall a sailor stepped out of the next office and asked me if I wanted an easy way to get into the Marines.

I was a volunteer fireman, a ham radio operator, a first aid instructor, a water safety instructor, passed the morse code test in boot with flying colors, and had been a telephone lineman for some time, and the Navy took one look at my qualifications and made me a Gunner's Mate.

I did [abbreviated profanity deleted] and inshore fire support on Crete and Culebra a couple of times, and even five inch projectiles passing low over head make quite an impression, much less sixteens.

E FP TOZ LPED . . .

With vision on the order of 20/400 I memorized the standard eye chart up to 20/100 in order to cheat.

I had a guy that worked for me in the Navy who was blind in one eye, he made Gunner's Mate 3rd (E-4) in less than four years, he also cheated to get in.

My MOS was 0000.

Do well in your enlistment and thank you for your service Brian.