Serving in the Armed Forces is widely recognized as an act of courage, of patriotism, and of duty to one's country.

Among other reasons, it is a career that carries with it a varying, often unpredictable, degree of risk and danger.

Our story today is true, as recounted by an American veteran, once a young specialist in the

United States Army.

For the sake of anonymity, we will just call him Robert.

While many soldiers leave their active military service with both physical and psychological scars,

in 1988, young Robert would leave the army with something more complicated.

This is part one of the story of the night shift at Fort Campbell.

I'm Luke Lamanah, and this is wartime stories. I don't exactly know what the military is like these days.

At least I don't know what kind of mindset soldiers have.

Back in the 80s, with the Vietnam War having ended only a decade ago, it was still fresh in

everyone's minds. We grew up with that war, watching it on TV and hearing about it in depth

as part of our school curriculums.

When I was old enough to enlist, I did.

I served four years, from 84 to 88.

No matter where I was stationed, though, on base, there was always a sense of honor and reverence about the Vietnam War and the soldiers who'd fought in it.

Those were the good old days, and we were the next group, the next in line.

We were all eagerly waiting for our turn to prove ourselves.

At the same time there was an uncomfortable atmosphere lurking in the shadows,

a general feeling that we were now unnecessary.

This is what they call peacetime service.

Sure, we knew that on occasion some random U.S. battalion or division got mobilized and was sent somewhere in the world.

...