I'd like to say something about veterans who participated in the insurrection

[MineralMan]

84. Everyone who served in the military did it for different reasons.

Some were drafted. Others enlisted for a single term. Still others make a career of military services. I'm in the second group. I enlisted in the USAF as an alternative to being drafted. Instead of two years, I was in for four. I was a young guy of 19 when I enlisted. I did my four years, doing what the USAF decided they needed me to do. Then, I got out and went on with my life.

If someone asks me, I'll say, "Sure. I was in the USAF for four years." If someone thanks me for my service, I'll say, "Thanks, but I enlisted on my own accord. I learned a bunch of stuff and got to travel some. Then, I went back to college on the GI Bill. No thanks are needed. It was my choice."

Every veteran has his or her own story. I didn't serve out of some sense of duty. It was what I did for four years, because it was an option for me, instead of being drafted. I learned some things about myself and gained some new skills.