military personal experience essay

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How to use your Veteran experience in college application essays

Veterans have a unique set of circumstances to draw upon when putting together their application essays. A Veteran is likely to have been many places, in many situations, and seen many things that the average high school senior simply can't imagine and for which he or she has no frame of reference.

Here are a couple of tips for how best to use your military experience in your application essay—and (perhaps more importantly) some thoughts on what not to do.

DO mention your leadership ability

Leadership potential might be the number one character trait that schools are looking for in applicants. Proof that you've taken on serious responsibility and have a high level of maturity is a good indication for those in admissions that you will take your education seriously and will go on to do great work post-graduation (and then make millions and donate back to the school, of course). As a Veteran, it is likely you have led a command of some kind—make sure this is touched on in your essay piece.

DO NOT tell this boring story: I went to teach them… but it turned out to be they who taught ME

There's a particular essay that all adjudicators and admissions committees dread. It goes like this… I was employed to teach people/children in a remote village/urban center/small rural area. I went into it thinking I would be educating them, but in the end it was I who learned from them.

Admissions officers hate this essay. Why? Because it doesn't really say anything about you as a person, and the story is not as original as you might think. Careful of this theme… it's deadly.

DO talk about challenges you faced

It's very likely you have dealt with questions and situations that most people have not. Illustrate how you used quick thinking and skills to overcome problems, and how you became more mature because of these decisions.

DO NOT get too dark. Leave out deep personal tragedy

Of course it's good to talk meaningfully about your experience, but this can go too far. Abuse, depression and death are striking subjects and therefore you might think they are good fodder for an essay. After all, the idea is to provoke a response, to make sure you are memorable. Unfortunately, an essay that focuses on these topics does not serve you well. Similarly, psychological trauma that may have been suffered during military service is not great for your essay, not because it's not important to your character, but because it tends to take the reader out of the narrative and usually doesn't connect very effectively to why you'll be a good candidate for college. So often essays that focus on dark subjects go down a trajectory that leads away from your achievements, which is what these pieces should highlight. Never stray from a path that keeps you talking about why you are an IDEAL candidate.

DO tell your specific story

It's important to tell your story—not just one of general military life. Your narrative may seem relatively commonplace to you because it was spent in the company of people who were participating in similar activities, but the details of your service are unique and interesting to admissions officers.

DO NOT feel like it is out of place

Some people with military background feel awkward about telling their story, feeling it is exploitative. Not only is it sensible to use your military life in your essay, it's likely if you went into the service right out of high school, you don't have much else to discuss.

DO highlight technical skills you learned

In your years in the military, you likely were given highly technical jobs and responsibilities that will look very impressive to laypeople. Make sure to talk about these positions and give some details as to how these might help you in a future career post-graduation.

DO NOT forget to seek help

If you need advice or just someone to go over your application with you, talk to an education services officer. And make sure you visit the military education center and explore the VA website. There you'll find insight on how best to utilize the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill (also known as Chapter 33 benefits), the Yellow Ribbon G.I. Education Enhancement Program and other programs designed to help Veterans finance their education .

Full understanding of these programs might be a good element to include in your essay, but more importantly, be sure to take full advantage of these programs.

And finally, DO get college credit and discuss that on your essay!

Submit a DD-214 form to make sure that your full military experience is included with your applications. Some of your experience might help you gain college credit and that might be a selling point to universities to which you apply.

Follow these tips, and you're sure to have a stellar application. And you can feel confident in the fact that there are many institutions that are eagerly awaiting to accept young men and women who have served our country.

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5 Tips Every Veteran Should Keep In Mind When Writing Their College Admissions Essays

In honor of the start of college admissions season, I’m offering some tips I learned during my time as an...

| Published Sep 7, 2018 7:37 PM EDT

Military Life

In honor of the start of college admissions season, I’m offering some tips I learned during my time as an admissions application reader and writing consultant tailored to help veterans write college application essays that actually stand out.

Answer the question

In the military, we’re taught to write memos and SOPs in a straightforward and technical manner. Still, I’ve read dozens of college admissions personal statements from veterans that tell a wonderfully engaging story about their time in the service, but fail to answer the questions asked in the essay prompt.

This issue comes up a lot especially for applicants using an essay template to apply to multiple colleges. Don’t focus on telling me about a personal challenge you overcame while in the military if I asked you to talk about why you chose to apply to X school. As a good practice, go back and read the essay prompt after you’ve written your personal statement or essay, then underline each instance in your essay where you directly answer the prompt. This will tell you if you’re on track or not.

Show, don’t tell

Use every opportunity to tell a story. Admissions staff aren’t interested in reading a list of your accomplishments as if they’re on a promotion board perusing your military personnel file. Instead, tell a story that leaves them wanting to know more about you and what you accomplished during your military service or in your personal life.

As with job interviews, I recommend applicants implore the STAR method – which will provide details about the specific situation, task, action, and result of the story you are telling in a logical order. Reading a list isn’t necessarily interesting, but reading a story can be. Being interesting is what gets you an invite to the next cohort. Give the admissions readers a reason to want to meet you in person by telling them a story that is personal, engaging, and thought-provoking.

Start with bullet points

If you’re having trouble figuring out how to tell your story, I also recommend starting with bullet points. When it came time to write evaluations for my soldiers as a platoon leader, I often started the process by listing 3-4 bullet points under each section on the evaluation form which allowed me to concisely articulate the soldier’s accomplishments and begin to create a narrative about their performance.

For personal statements, outline the story you want to tell from beginning to end using bullet points. Creating an outline will allow you to clarify your thoughts and identify where information might be confusing to the reader (remember most people have not served in the military and have no concept of rank or MOS).

Often, college admissions applications serve as the first-time veterans have an opportunity to write about their service and it can be daunting to get started. The content of the bullet points can become the skeleton for your essay paragraphs and allow you to easily connect ideas and shape your story.

Don’t repeat information

Admissions readers know you have a lot of awards and have traveled to various countries over your military career because they can easily read this type of information on the resume that is submitted with your application. Don’t repeat it over again in your personal statement and supplemental essays. The admissions staff wants to know how you differ from the other 100 applicants who have also won awards or worked in foreign countries, what makes you unique? Talk about what you can bring to the incoming cohort as a veteran and individual that’s going to make an impact and increase the knowledge base, culture, and prestige of the institution.

Colleges are as interested in what benefits you can provide them as you are about what you will get out of the deal. Communicate in your personal statement what distinctive role you will fill, what value you bring to the classroom and your future profession, and how you will enrich the experiences of your classmates.

Be specific and stand out

Most applicants say at some point in their college application essays that they are “hardworking” or “passionate about making the world a better place”. Neither of these attributes is unique to veterans or servicemembers, nor do they particularly stand out as demonstrative of a person’s character to application readers who are reviewing 1000s of applications. To succeed in college, every student SHOULD be hardworking and passionate about their studies or a broader cause. Instead of relying on generic application clichés, write about your personal motivation for joining the military, how your identity and life thus far have informed your professional goals, or about what impact you personally hope to have on the world around you outside of your military service.

Remember, it’s perfectly fine to discuss your military service in your personal statement despite the stigmas veterans sometimes face in our society today. The important thing to keep in mind is that the application essay is a representation of you on paper and one of the only opportunities you get to make an impression before you arrive on campus. Just like in a job interview, it’s essential you demonstrate your unique value and why you deserve a seat in the (class)room.

This is a part of a series on hacking higher education in partnership with Service to School , a non-profit that provides free college application assistance to transitioning service members and veterans

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United States Naval Academy (USNA) Essay Prompts and Tips

September 27, 2023

With an acceptance rate of just 10%, getting into the United States Naval Academy and officially becoming a midshipman in Annapolis is no easy task. After all, how many colleges require a nomination from a member of Congress? Those brave young men and women who choose to navigate a supremely challenging admissions process do so in order to later dedicate a portion of their adult lives to serving their country. This blog will offer admissions-related advice on how to approach the lone, two-part USNA essay.

(Want to learn more about How to Get Into the United States Naval Academy? Visit our blog entitled: How to Get Into the US Naval Academy: Admissions Data and Strategies for all of the most recent admissions data as well as tips for gaining acceptance.)

When applying to an institution like the Naval Academy that rejects more than 9 of every 10 applicants, you need to put maximum effort into every area of the application, including the supplemental essays. Below are the USNA’s required supplemental prompts for the 2023-24 admissions cycle along with our advice for composing a winning essay.

US Naval Academy Essay Prompt – Part 1

The USNA only requires one essay, but you need to cover two very distinct topics in one place. We will explore these two distinct questions in two separate sections of this blog. However, we want to stress that both need to be covered in the same limited number of words, as the official directions indicate:

In a well-organized essay, please discuss both of the following:

(1) Describe what led to your initial interest in the naval service and how the Naval Academy will help you achieve your long-range goals, and (CONTINUED LATER IN THE BLOG)… …

It may be helpful to view this portion of the prompt as a higher-stakes version of the typical “Why Us?” college essay. In that category of essay, an applicant is tasked with telling their story of how they decided that ______ University was the perfect school for them. They may write about particular academic programs, courses, professors, research opportunities, internships/co-ops, study abroad programs, and student-run organizations that they will take advantage of once on campus.

Similarly, the USNA wants to see that you have done your homework and are 100% committed to life as a Naval officer. This should be a highly-personal story that demonstrates your maturity, commitment, and readiness to commit to a life in the Navy. Ultimately, joining the Navy is not a decision that anyone should make lightly and the folks in Annapolis will want to see evidence of specific experiences that led you to this conclusion.

For example, perhaps you have:

Had multiple conversations with a recruiting officer. Share what you learned.
Participated in NJROTC as an adolescent/young adult.
Had in-depth discussions with family members or non-family family members who served in the Navy or Armed Forces.

Items you could share related to the long-term goals can include:

Talk about your intended major at the USNA. Whether you are interested in political science, aerospace engineering, chemistry, or cyber/electronic operations and warfare, explain how your area of study fits into your long-range goals.
Discuss where you see your career in the Navy taking you. You may also want to touch upon post-Navy aims.

US Naval Academy Essay Prompt – Part 2

(2) Describe a personal experience you have had which you feel has contributed to your own character development and integrity.

To begin, it’s important to think about what type of specific words we can use to identify your particular character development. The following list may help your brainstorming efforts:

Perspective
Open-mindedness
Self-regulation
Emotional/social intelligence
Persistence
Enthusiasm and vigor
Adaptability

Next, you want to chronicle a singular personal experience that led you to grow in one or more of these character-related areas. Use your life experience to show rather than tell the Naval Academy how you have grown into a person of high integrity. Examples can come from a job, school projects, athletics, NJROTC, or a family experience. In short, the thing to keep in mind here is the Latin quote “Facta, non verba” which translates to “Deeds, not words.”

How important are the essays at the United States Naval Academy?

Overall, the USNA lists nine factors as being “very important” to the admissions committee: GPA, class rank, the interview, extracurricular activities, character/personal qualities, the rigor of your secondary school record, the level of demonstrated interest, recommendations, and—most relevant to this blog—the application essays.

Want personalized assistance?

Lastly, if you are interested in working with one of College Transitions’ experienced and knowledgeable essay coaches as you craft your Naval Academy essays, we encourage you to get a quote today.

College Essay

Dave Bergman

Dave has over a decade of professional experience that includes work as a teacher, high school administrator, college professor, and independent educational consultant. He is a co-author of the books The Enlightened College Applicant (Rowman & Littlefield, 2016) and Colleges Worth Your Money (Rowman & Littlefield, 2020).

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Military Experience: Sergeant Major Essay

There are very many aspects of life and different experiences that leave their trace on the person. Military experience is very unique compared to other ones. Not everyone can deal with the pressures and action that is going on in the field and on the base. A rank of Sergeant Major is considered to be a high one and the person must have a reputation of a responsible and knowledgeable individual. The duties in tactics are very important in the military setting. The fact that the maintenance of synchronization between 6 Battalions was one of the primary duties proves that careful selection of the person for this position has taken place. With such great responsibility comes a lot of pressure in making sure that all the needs and requirements are adhered to and the men are ready for any situation. This position of authority forces the person to become a better leader, as the others are looking up and following the directions of the individual who was entrusted with such an important task.

Being an Operations SGM “with little to no experience” must be challenging. This sort of job encompasses two very important things. One is to control and establish a relationship with the team and the other one is the knowledge needed for such a position. Very often the actions of a group of people closely depend on the information and example they have received from their leader. It is a unique position, to be the Operations SGM, as it requires a constant examination and analysis, not only of the fellow men but also of the self and own actions and attitude. The ability to learn quickly, come up with the best decisions, and be able to explain and demonstrate the skills, which are required, is a task that not everyone could handle. Training is a very important part of any job and especially for a Soldier. The simulation of real-life situations and the familiarity with tactics and plans of action prove extremely useful when a similar moment takes place. It is known that the training that army personnel receive is very serious and only the best and brightest can withstand all the pressure and training.

The challenges that were faced, can be considered a good thing and a positive experience. 20 years is a great number of years devoted to such a profession. This means that the job must be rewarding and interesting. The many positions of the leader show that there were numerous times when the leadership role had to be proven and the outcome was positive. Also, the different types of positions illustrate how diverse an individual must be to take on so many skill sets. It seems that all the experience was beneficial to provide the best information to the soldiers. The preparation for battle is the most important part and any mistake could be severely punished. A lot of care must be displayed when learning new materials and systems of operation. The duties seem very specific and it is implemental to have some form of background in such tasks. To be responsible for the training of 3500 Soldiers is a challenging task and a person must be very strong and educated to provide the best coordination and advice.

One indeed has to be skilled in the communication and understanding of others when dealing with training or coordinating a situation. Ordinary citizens greatly rely on the army and the people who make the defense of the country and world peace their duty.

Chicago (A-D)
Chicago (N-B)

IvyPanda. (2022, February 3). Military Experience: Sergeant Major. https://ivypanda.com/essays/military-experience-sergeant-major/

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1. IvyPanda . "Military Experience: Sergeant Major." February 3, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/military-experience-sergeant-major/.

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Vietnam War: 6 personal essays describe the sting of a tragic conflict

The Vietnam War touched millions of lives. Within these personal essays from people who took part in the filming of The Vietnam War , are lessons about what happened, what it meant then and what we can learn from it now.

Long ago and far away, we fought a war in which more than 58,000 Americans died and hundreds of thousands of others were wounded. The war meant death for an estimated 3 million Vietnamese, North and South. The fighting dragged on for almost a decade, polarizing the American people, dividing the country and creating distrust of our government that remains with us today.

In one way or another, Vietnam has overshadowed every national security decision since.

We were told that our mission was to prevent South Vietnam from falling to communism. Very lofty. But the men I led as a young infantry platoon leader and later as a company commander weren’t fighting for that mission. Mostly draftees, they were terrific soldiers. They were fighting, I realized, for each other — to simply survive their year in-country and go home.

I had grown up as an “Army brat.” To me, the Army was like a second family. In Vietnam, the radio code word for our division’s infantry companies was family . A “rucksack outfit,” my company would disappear into the jungle, moving quietly, staying in the field for weeks. We all ate the same rations and endured the same heat, humidity, mosquitoes, leeches, skin rashes, jungle itch. We were like pack animals, carrying upwards of 60 pounds of gear, water, ammunition — and even more for the radio operators and machine gunners. I was impressed by how the men endured it all, especially the draftees who had answered the call to service.

I learned much about leadership. I was once counseled by a senior officer “not to be too worried about your men.” Incredible. I was concerned about my men’s safety at all times. Even though my company lost very few, I remember each of those deaths vividly. They were all good men, in a war very few understood.

On both of my combat tours, in 1968 at Huê´ during the Tet Offensive and in 1969-70 in the triple-canopy rainforests along the Cambodian border, we fought soldiers of the North Vietnamese army. They were good light infantry; I had respect for their determination and abilities. But they were the enemy; our job was to kill or capture them.

Though we were conducting a war of attrition, we were actually fighting the enemy’s birth rate. He was prepared and determined to keep fighting as long as he had the manpower to send south.

In terms of strategy, it seemed a war out of “Alice in Wonderland.” The Ho Chi Minh Trail, the enemy’s major supply line and infiltration route, ran through Cambodia and Laos. Yet until May 1970, both of those countries were off limits to U.S. ground forces. We bombed the trail incessantly, but the enemy’s ability to move troops and equipment south never seemed to slack. We never invaded North Vietnam. As demonstrated during Tet in ’68, the enemy could control the tempo of the war when he wished. We, on the other hand, would use unilaterally declared “truce” periods and would halt bombing to signal something never clearly defined — a willingness to talk, I imagined, which the enemy ignored.

Looking back, if our strategy was intended to force the enemy to say “enough,” resulting in a stalemate situation like that at the end of the Korean War, would the South Vietnamese have been able to defend themselves, independently? Unlikely.

Would the U.S. have been willing to commit and maintain American forces in South Vietnam indefinitely? Also unlikely.

Did we learn anything from that experience, which left such an indelible mark on our national psyche? History is a harsh teacher; there are still no easy answers.

Phil Gioia entered the Army after graduating from Virginia Military Institute in 1967. He left the military in 1977 and later was mayor in Corte Madera, Calif., and worked in venture capital and the technology industry. He lives in Marin County, Calif.

Hal Kushner

When I deployed to Vietnam in August 1967, I was a young Army doctor, married five years, with a 3-year-old daughter, just potty trained, and another child due the following April. When I returned from Vietnam in late March 1973, I saw my 5-year-old son for the first time, and my daughter was in the fifth grade. In the interim, we had landed on the moon; there was women’s lib, Nixon had gone to China; Martin Luther King, Jr. and Robert Kennedy had been assassinated.

I was the only doctor captured in the 10-year Vietnam War. I was back from the dead.

We prisoners endured unspeakable horror, brutality and deprivation, and we saw and experienced things no human should ever witness. Our mortality rate was almost 50% — higher even than at the brutal Civil War prisons at Andersonville or Elmira a century earlier. I cradled 10 dying men in my arms as they breathed their last and spoke of home and family; then we buried them in crude graves, marked with stones and bamboo, and eulogized them with words of sunshine and hope, country and family. The eulogies were for the survivors, of course; they always are.

On the Fourth of July in five successive years, we sang patriotic songs, but very softly, so our captors couldn’t hear the forbidden words, and we cried. One of us had a missal issued by the Marine Corps, our only book, but our captors had torn out the pages with the American flag and The Star-Spangled Banner .

At my release in Hanoi, I was shocked by the hair and dress of the reporters there. Once home, I saw television and movies with frank profanity and sex. When I left, Lucy and Desi slept in twin beds. I left Ozzie and Harriett and returned to Taxi Driver . What had happened to my country? Why did we suffer and sacrifice?

When my aircraft crashed on Nov. 30, 1967, I collided with one planet and returned to another. The Vietnam War, which had about one-fifth of the casualties of World War II but had lasted three times as long, had changed the country as much as the greatest cataclysm in world history. It had changed forever the way we think of our government and ourselves. The country had lost its innocence — and, for a time, its confidence.

This war, which had such a great impact on my life, is a dim memory today. There are 58,000 names on that wall, and it rates but a few pages in a high school history book.

I am dismayed by how little our young people know about Vietnam, and how misunderstood it is by others. The Vietnam War is as remote to them as the War of 1812 or the War of Jenkins’ Ear. Now, 40 years later, we must try to understand.

Hal Kushner joined the Army and served as a flight surgeon in Vietnam. In 1967, he was captured by the Viet Cong after surviving a helicopter crash. He spent nearly six years as a prisoner of war. He lives in Daytona Beach, Fla.

Mai Elliott

Having lived through war and seen what it did to my family and to millions of Vietnamese, I feel grateful for the peace and stability I now enjoy in the United States.

In Vietnam, my family and I experienced what it was like to be caught in bombing and fighting, and what it was like to flee our home and survive as refugees.

During World War II, in my childhood, we huddled in shelters as Allied planes targeting Japanese positions bombed the town in the North where we lived.

In 1946, when French troops returned to try to take Vietnam back from Ho Chi Minh’s government, French soldiers attacking the village where we were taking refuge almost executed my father (who had earlier worked for the French colonial authorities).

In 1954, fearing reprisals from the communists about to enter Hanoi, we fled to Saigon with only the clothes on our backs.

In 1955, we fled again when we found ourselves caught in the fighting between the army of President Ngo Dinh Diem and the armed group he was trying to eliminate, leaving behind our home, which was about to burn to the ground in the onslaught.

In April 1975, American helicopters plucked my family out of Saigon at the last minute as communist rockets exploded nearby.

The fear we felt paled in comparison to the terror that Vietnamese in the countryside of South Vietnam experienced when bombs and artillery shells landed in their villages, or when American and South Vietnamese soldiers swept through their hamlets; or the terror my relatives in North Vietnam felt when American B-52s carpet bombed in December 1972. Yet, our brushes with war were terrifying enough.

As refugees, we could find shelter and support from middle-class friends and relatives, while destitute peasants had to move to squalid camps and depend on meager handouts and help from the government in Saigon. But we did find out, as they did, that losing everything was psychologically wrenching, and that surviving and rebuilding took fortitude of spirit.

Only those who have known war can truly appreciate peace. I am one of those people.

Mai Elliott was born in Vietnam and spent her childhood in Hanoi, where her father was a high-ranking official under the French colonial regime. Her family became divided when her older sister joined the Viet Minh resistance against French rule. In 1954, her family fled to Saigon, where Mai later did research on the Viet Cong insurgency for the RAND Corp. during the Vietnam War. She is married to American political scientist David Elliott. They live in Southern California.

Bill Zimmerman

I graduated from high school in 1958, thinking myself a patriot and aspiring to be a military pilot. Thirteen years later, I sat in a jail cell in Washington, D.C., after protesting what military pilots were doing in the skies over Vietnam.

My patriotism wilted in the South in 1963, after a short stint with the civil rights movement. Simultaneously, as the U.S. slid into war in Vietnam, skepticism nurtured in Mississippi led me to discover that we were stumbling into a quagmire.

The war escalated in 1965, and I became an ardent protester over the next six years. I was fired from two university teaching positions. But my sacrifices were trivial compared with those of young Americans forced into war, or Vietnamese civilians dying under bombs and napalm. With other antiwar activists, I anguished over them all, and seethed with rage at our inability to stop the killing. In our fury, we became more forceful, committing widespread civil disobedience.

That’s how I landed in jail in 1971, trying unsuccessfully to block traffic to shut down the federal government. But our failure that day became a turning point. Antiwar leaders realized that while we had finally convinced a majority of Americans to oppose the war, our militant tactics kept them from joining us.

We changed course. Large demonstrations ended. New organizations sprang up to educate the public and lobby Congress. The work was confrontational but did not ask participants to risk arrest. Millions took part. Richard Nixon escalated the war, but he also felt the heat from a much broader antiwar coalition. In January 1973, his administration signed the Paris Peace Accords, and over the next two years, our intense lobbying persuaded Congress to cut funding for the corrupt South Vietnamese government, leading to its collapse in 1975.

We learned that in matters of war and peace, presidents regularly lie to the American people. Every president from Truman to Ford lied about Vietnam. We learned that two presidents, Johnson and Nixon, cared more about their own political survival than the lives of the men under their command. Both sent thousands of Americans to die in a war they already knew could not be won.

We learned that our government committed crimes against humanity. Agent Orange and other chemicals were sprayed on millions of acres, leaving a legacy of cancer and birth defects.

Most important, Vietnam taught us to reject blind loyalty and to fight back. In doing so, we meet our obligation as citizens … and become patriots.

Bill Zimmerman is a Los Angeles political consultant and the author of Troublemaker: A Memoir from the Front Lines of the Sixties (Anchor Books, 2012).

Roger Harris

When I think about the Vietnam War, I am torn by personal emotions that range from anger and sadness to hope. The Vietnam War experience scarred me but also shaped and molded my perspective on life.

As a 19-year-old African American from the Roxbury section of Boston, I voluntarily joined the U.S. Marine Corps, willing to fight and die for my country. I had experienced the tough neighborhood turf battles too often prevalent in the inner city. I had a gladiator’s heart and no fear. My father, all of my uncles, including a grand-uncle who rode with Teddy Roosevelt, all served in the military. I believed that it was now my turn, and if I were to die, my mom would receive a $10,000 death benefit and be able to purchase a house. I saw the war in Vietnam as a win-win situation.

In Vietnam, I served with G Company, 2nd Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment of the 3rd Marine Division. We were called the “Hell in a Helmet” Marines. We operated in I Corps, Quang Tri Province, mainly north of Dong Ha at the Demilitarized Zone, in hot spots called Con Thien, Gio Linh, Camp Carroll and Cam Lo. I vividly remember trembling with fear from the incoming shells in the mud-filled holes at Con Thien, wishing the shelling would stop and we could fight hand-to-hand. I remember those feelings like it was yesterday.

I, along with others, witnessed deaths unimaginable. We picked up the pieces of Marine bodies obliterated by direct hits. We stacked green body bags. I often wondered why others died and I lived.

I become angry when I think about the very young lives that were lost in Vietnam and the Gold Star families who have suffered. I am saddened by the sacrifices of true heroes and the disrespect that was shown to those who were fortunate enough to come home.

When I returned from Vietnam it was March 1968 in the midst of the civil rights movement. I landed at Boston’s Logan Airport in my Marine Corps Alpha Green uniform, with the medals and ribbons I had earned proudly displayed. I approached the sidewalk to catch a taxi, hoping that I wasn’t dreaming and would not awaken back at Camp Carroll to another bombardment.

Six taxicabs passed me by and drove off. I didn’t realize what was happening until the state trooper stepped in and told the next driver, “You have got to take this soldier.” The driver, who was white, looked up at us through the passenger side window and said, “I don’t want to go to Roxbury.”

That was my initial welcome home.

I now have an appreciation for the gift of life. Since returning home and completing college, I have devoted 42 years working in Boston schools. I see it as a tribute to my fellow Marines who paid the ultimate sacrifice.

I am very proud to have served my country as a United States Marine.

I am also very proud of the young men and women who continue to volunteer to join the armed services of our country.

Roger Harris enlisted in the Marines and served in Vietnam in 1967 and 1968. Afterward, he worked in the Boston public school system for more than 40 years. He lives in New York and Boston.

Eva Jefferson Paterson

This summer, I attended the 50th reunion of my high school class in Mascoutah, Ill., across the Mississippi River from St. Louis. My dad was a career Air Force man and was stationed at Scott Air Force Base nearby in 1960.

During dinner, before we rocked out to the Beach Boys and Stevie Wonder, a group of us talked about the war in Vietnam. The men remembered the draft system that required all young men to register to serve in the military. While I was in college at Northwestern from 1967 to 1971, a draft lottery was established. Numbers were drawn out of a big bin — similar to the one used for weekly state lotteries — corresponding to the days of the year. If your birthday corresponded to the first number drawn, your draft number was 1, and you were virtually certain to be drafted and sent to war. Most men from that period remember their number.

Some at our reunion had felt that it was their patriotic duty to serve; others were just delighted that their lottery numbers were above 300 and they were unlikely to be drafted. Few of us were anti-war at that time; I fully supported the war. My dad was sent to Cam Rahn Bay and Tan Son Nhut air force bases in Vietnam in 1966, my senior year in high school.

I remember being a freshman in college and actually saying to classmates who opposed to the war, “We have to support the war because the president says the war is good, and we must support the president.” Yikes! I changed my views as I got the facts.

Much of the fervor of the anti-war movement was fueled by the slogan “Hell no, we won’t go!” There was righteous indignation about the war, but fear was a strong motivator.

Now the burden of serving in wars falls on a very small percentage of the population, one that likely mirrors the patterns in the Vietnam era, with predominantly poor white, black and Latino men and women along with those who come from military backgrounds. It would be great to have a national discussion about this, but I fear our country is quite comfortable letting poor men and women and people of color and their families bear the burden of war.

Eva Jefferson Paterson grew up on air force bases and enrolled in Northwestern University in 1967, where she became student body president and politically active against the war. A civil rights attorney, she now runs the Equal Justice Society in Northern California.

U.S. general on Vietnam War: ‘This was some enemy’

Vietnam War: A timeline of U.S. entanglement

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Personal Experience Essays

Personal experiences are the threads that weave the fabric of our lives. Writing a personal experience essay isn't just about storytelling; it's about finding meaning, connecting with others, and leaving your mark on the world. So, why should you write an essay about your personal experiences? Let's explore the importance together! 🌟

Personal Experience Essay Topics 📝

Selecting the right essay topic is key to crafting a compelling narrative. Here's how to pick one:

Personal Experience Argumentative Essay 🤨

Argumentative essays based on personal experiences require you to defend a viewpoint or argument. Here are ten intriguing topics:

1. Argue for or against the idea that personal experiences are the most influential factors shaping an individual's personality.
2. Defend your perspective on whether overcoming adversity through personal experiences builds stronger character.
3. Debate the impact of personal experiences on shaping one's political beliefs and values.
4. Argue for the significance of sharing personal experiences in order to promote empathy and understanding among diverse communities.
5. Defend the idea that personal experiences play a crucial role in career development and decision-making.
6. Debate the ethical implications of sharing deeply personal experiences in the era of social media and oversharing.
7. Argue for the therapeutic benefits of writing about and reflecting on personal experiences.
8. Defend your perspective on whether personal experiences should be a central part of school curricula.
9. Debate the influence of personal experiences on an individual's approach to health and wellness.
10. Argue for or against the notion that personal experiences can serve as catalysts for social change and activism.

Personal Experience Cause and Effect Essay 🤯

Cause and effect essays based on personal experiences explore the reasons behind events and their consequences. Here are ten topics to consider:

1. Analyze the causes and effects of a life-changing personal experience on your academic or career choices.
2. Examine how personal experiences can lead to personal growth, increased self-awareness, and improved well-being.
3. Investigate the effects of travel experiences on personal perspectives and cultural understanding.
4. Analyze the causes and consequences of sharing personal experiences with others, including its impact on relationships.
5. Examine how personal experiences can influence one's hobbies, interests, and leisure activities.
6. Investigate the impact of a significant personal experience on your family dynamics and relationships.
7. Analyze the causes of personal transformation through exposure to diverse cultures and environments.
8. Examine how personal experiences can shape one's attitude toward risk-taking and adventure.
9. Investigate the effects of sharing personal experiences through writing, art, or storytelling on your personal well-being.
10. Analyze the causes and consequences of personal experiences that challenge societal norms and expectations.

Personal Experience Opinion Essay 😌

Opinion essays based on personal experiences allow you to express your subjective viewpoints. Here are ten topics to consider:

1. Share your opinion on the importance of documenting personal experiences for future generations.
2. Discuss your perspective on whether personal experiences should be kept private or shared openly.
3. Express your thoughts on how personal experiences have shaped your sense of identity and self-worth.
4. Debate the significance of personal experiences in fostering empathy and compassion among individuals and communities.
5. Share your views on the role of personal experiences in building resilience and coping with life's challenges.
6. Discuss the impact of personal experiences on your approach to decision-making and problem-solving.
7. Express your opinion on the therapeutic benefits of writing or talking about personal experiences.
8. Debate the influence of personal experiences on your sense of purpose and life goals.
9. Share your perspective on how personal experiences can inspire creativity and artistic expression.
10. Discuss your favorite personal experience and the lessons or insights it has provided.

Personal Experience Informative Essay 🧐

Informative essays based on personal experiences aim to educate readers. Here are ten informative topics to explore:

1. Provide an in-depth analysis of the impact of a specific personal experience on your career choices and aspirations.
2. Explore the therapeutic benefits of journaling and writing about personal experiences for mental health and well-being.
3. Investigate the history and significance of storytelling as a means of preserving personal experiences and cultural heritage.
4. Analyze the connection between personal experiences and the development of emotional intelligence.
5. Examine the influence of personal experiences on decision-making processes and risk assessment.
6. Investigate the role of personal experiences in shaping cultural perceptions and worldviews.
7. Provide insights into the art of crafting compelling narratives based on personal experiences.
8. Analyze the impact of personal experiences on an individual's resilience and ability to adapt to change.
9. Examine how personal experiences can serve as valuable life lessons and sources of wisdom.
10. Investigate the therapeutic benefits of group discussions and support networks for individuals sharing similar personal experiences.

Personal Experience Essay Example 📄

Personal experience thesis statement examples 📜.

Here are five examples of strong thesis statements for your personal experience essay:

1. "Through the lens of personal experiences, we uncover the profound impact that seemingly ordinary moments can have on our lives, reshaping our perspectives and guiding our journeys."
2. "Personal experiences serve as powerful mirrors reflecting our growth, resilience, and capacity to navigate life's challenges, ultimately shaping the narratives of our existence."
3. "The sharing of personal experiences is an act of vulnerability and courage, fostering connections, empathy, and a deeper understanding of the human condition."
4. "Our personal experiences are the brushstrokes on the canvas of our identity, influencing our choices, values, and the stories we tell ourselves and others."
5. "In exploring personal experiences, we embark on a journey of self-discovery, unlocking the untold stories that shape our uniqueness and enrich our shared human tapestry."

Personal Experience Essay Introduction Examples 🚀

Here are three captivating introduction paragraphs to kickstart your essay:

1. "Amid the chaos of everyday life, our personal experiences are the constellations that guide us, the moments that define us. As we embark on this essay journey into the depths of our own stories, we unravel the threads of our existence, each tale a testament to the power of the personal."
2. "Picture a canvas where the brushstrokes are the chapters of your life—a canvas waiting for you to paint your experiences, thoughts, and emotions. The personal experience essay is your opportunity to create a masterpiece that reflects the colors of your journey."
3. "In a world of noise and distractions, our personal experiences are the melodies that resonate within us. As we venture into the heart of this essay, we uncover the symphony of our lives—a composition of highs, lows, and the beauty in between."

Personal Experience Conclusion Examples 🌟

Conclude your essay with impact using these examples:

1. "As we close the chapter on this exploration of personal experiences, we are reminded that our stories are the threads that connect us all. The journey continues, and each experience, no matter how small, contributes to the tapestry of our shared humanity."
2. "In the final brushstroke of our personal experience essay, we recognize that our stories are not finite; they are ever-evolving, ever-inspiring. The canvas of life awaits, ready for us to create new narratives and continue shaping our destinies."
3. "As the echoes of our personal experiences linger, we stand at the intersection of past, present, and future. The essay's conclusion is but a pause in the symphony of our lives, with countless more notes to be played and stories to be written."

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