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Last Army Draftee (CSM) Retires After 39 Years Of Service
Command Sgt. Maj. Jeff Mellinger was drafted to fight the Vietnam War, and the Army believes he's the last draftee to retire, after 39 years. Most did their two years and left. But Mellinger had found home."I think I'm pretty good at it, but I like it. That's the bottom line. I love being a soldier and I love being around soldiers," he said. When the draft notice arrived in the mail in 1972, just 19, he was impressed that President Richard Nixon would write to him. "I opened it up and it said, `Greetings from the president of the United States.' I said, `Wow, how's he know me?'" Mellinger said, laughing. "It was a form letter that said my friends and neighbors had selected me to represent them in the Armed Forces and I was hereby ordered to report for induction." Mellinger told the draft board there was a mistake. "I ... told them I don't need to go into the Army, I've got a job,'' said Mellinger, who hung drywall for a living. ``They just kind of laughed.'' Once the path was set, he said, he didn't consider trying to find a way out. Posted by: Anonymoose 2011-07-03 |
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