Life in the Rose Garden
Marine veteran recalls four-year tour in southeast Asia.
"Have you ever heard that song by Lynn Anderson, 'I Never Promised You a Rose Garden?'" asked Jim Brinks. "It's what we called our base in Thailand, and it was also a motto from a Marine's recruiting poster," he explained. Later he would bring out the poster depicting a drill sergeant leaning into a soldier. Welcome to the Marines, it won't be pretty. The 19-year-old 'J.J." Brinks enlisted in the Marines at the height of the Vietnam War for a four-year tour, with a mandatory two-year reserve afterward. His aptitude for mechanics got him to San Diego for basic training in 1969 for five months where he was designated as a 60/62 Aircraft Mechanic, which meant he was skilled in preflighting and repair. He would also receive infantry …
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