The Four Year Hitch

The year is 1952, the Korean War is in full swing and the Military draft is taking its toll on America’s youth. If you were between eighteen and twenty-five years of age, you were subject to it. American’s didn’t like the war or the draft and violent protests are common throughout the country. Unfortunately, the targets of the protesters were the innocent victims of the draft — our men in uniform.

There is some good news too. Because of wartime spending, the economy is on the rise and jobs are plentiful. The only drawback is to obtain one of these good jobs, your military obligation had to be fulfilled or you couldn’t even fill out an application.

I graduated from high school in May and was attempting to get on with my life. At that point in time, I was an only child living at home — catered to and spoiled by doting parents. I was also a loner both in and out of school. I hadn’t participated in any high school activities including sports, and didn’t date or have much of a social life. To me, planning my future meant getting a decent job so I could buy a car.

After a fruitless year of job searching, I decided to join the U.S. Air Force for a four year hitch. But this isn’t a war story, but rather about some of the more humorous adventures, or should I say, misadventures I experienced while serving my four year hitch. It was during this period that I grew from a naïve boy to a responsible man and father.