For the record, while I did sign up for the Army in the early eighties as a 13B cannon crewman (artilleryman), I signed up for the Delayed Entry Program. I got signed up and sworn in, but wouldn't have to ship out for six months. During that time, I made the biggest mistake of my life, decided I didn't want to be away from my friends for that long, went down to the recruiting sergeant, signed a bunch of papers and they let me back out. I'm an idiot.
It was a sweet deal, too. I'd have been a veteran, done my duty, and it was only two years of active duty, after which they were going to cut me a check for something like $12,000 'for college', but it was a personal check and I could have spent it on anything.
I see 2nd Armored signs around here in Grand Prairie TX, and for some reason have always had a soft spot for artillerymen, so when my bro asked if I wanted the Zippo engraved with a squirrel or something military, it was a no-brainer. But he outdid himself.
I am aware of the coolness of the lighter being Zippo's heavy armor model. The .30 Carbine has been a traditional artilleryman's rifle, being smaller than an infantryman's, and easier to maneuver in the cramped confines of a vehicle. If they wanted to take out my battery, there was less chance of getting overrun than there was of a couple of jets coming in low dropping napalm.
Biggest mistake of my life. Not the only one, just the one I regret the most.
