Welcome to the forum! Your service to this country is greatly appreciated, sir.
Any area of specific interest in your firearms collecting? I started collecting USGI, but at the time (when stuff was relatively inexpensive, but I was saving for a house and future children) I couldn’t afford it. I did build a nice collection of Finn Mosins and Czech handguns, though.
Hey, Woodsroad - I tend to like Mausers as a rule, but I have some Russian Mosins, AK's, AR's, an FN49, a CETME, pretty varied selection of other milsurps and handguns. I also have a custom .308 that is a tack driver and a .45-70 built on a Siamese Mauser action that will level any playing field. And I have a bunch of different shotguns and .22's. Got a nice Garand, an 03A3 and an Inland M1 carbine.
I hear ya on the "back when stuff was inexpensive". Used to pick up K98's for a couple hundred, Turk Mausers on "three-fers", SKS's for $100, all you could carry. Sure not that way nowadays! But like you, I foresaw that and grabbed anything I could while it was available.