Irony. Take for example, the situation thousands of disabled veterans and I find ourselves in. We love our country, we look back with mostly fond memories of our youth spent in service to uphold and defend the constitution of these United States. This love and camaraderie is in spite of the lingering wounds and illnesses that we deal with now because of that service. The thought of not having served has never crossed my mind, well, not since boot camp anyway. Poll a group of veterans since the draft ended and I'll wager you won't find many who regret the oath they took or the time they spent in uniform.
My grandfather served in Japan after the bombs. My father served during Korea. I served through both Gulf Wars. My nine year old son asked me today why I thought that service was a good idea, especially since I was sick and wore out all the time. It didn't take long to answer him. It's good for shaping who you are, and I can't imagine who I would be, healthy or not, without the years I gave my country and the pride it gave to me.
So let the irony amuse you. It gives me something to chuckle about from time to time. But I do not doubt that given the choice to do it over again, I would still choose the path I took over twenty years ago.
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