All this generational acrimony. Gen Z doesn't like us older guys and call us boomers. I am, by demographics, a baby boomer. Anyway, what we have learned is that Gen Z are the same snotty little shits that we were when we were there age.
The poetic justice is sweet and delicious knowing that just a few years down the road, the younger people will come up with some kind of horseshit reminiscent of "boomers."
As for publishing one's escapades, sure, why not? It can be a form of history and people are more comfortable talking about it.
As opposed to my friend, who was a SEAL from 1964 - 1969 for 3 active combat tours, surgical pins in each ankle, a surgical pin in his right hip, and a teflon coated stainless steel knee cap on his right knee. There is not really a way that he could capitalize on his experience like some snipers do with schools for marksmanship. His specialty was remote detonation of explosives in enemy camps. He spent, in his words, 3 Christmases on the Laotian-Cambodian border. Sneak in, plant charges and detonators, sneak out. Hike a bit away but still in range. Hit the button on the transmitter, followed by a number of kabooms.
"Mmmm, that last one tasted like chicken." JK
Anyway, so, how would you translate that into a career stateside? Not. So, after some rousting about, he settled on learning and doing electrical work. And I am glad. If he went into concrete work, we might not have met.
Then, again, he was not really interested in talking about his experiences there. Patriotic to the bone. He would have done it for free but Navy kept paying him combat pay.
On the boat ride home, he gave an XO a well-deserved smack across the face. So, the last three days were in the brig. He was a second class petty officer. The captain liked him and agreed the XO needed his shit knocked around. But, to comply with rules, he was demoted to seaman and discharged under general circumstances, which was upgraded to honorable after 6 months of clean and righteous living.
