Those were different days, simple, wonderful, naive.
They paid for college, there was a certain amount of prestige, I believed in the honor of my country, I believed in the mission, and as Dan says, the camaraderie. Without that people wouldn't fight.
And to be honest, there was a fear I was afraid to not confront. A series of fears. Was I good enough, could I take it, would I buckle, run, hide, was I a 10 percenter? I wanted to know, I was afraid to find out.
And then came a harsh reality, with a disillusionment as deep as the belief was high. And that's a different story.