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<A HREF="http://www.boston.com/dailyglobe";>http://www.boston.com/dailyglobe</A> Ready to serve again Military retirees want to show their support By Thomas Farragher, Globe Staff, 10/19/2001 Their discharge papers are yellow with age. Their old uniforms hang in closets, tailored for leaner bodies. But their country's call, intended for younger ears, stirs them still. In recruiting stations across the nation, retired veterans who patrolled the skies over Baghdad or endured the bamboo jungles of Vietnam are asking the same question: What can I do now? ''Some of them just want to get back into uniform and kick some butt,'' said Lieutenant Colonel David Zeh at the Air Force personnel center in San Antonio. ''But most of them know that their experience could be of service to us.'' In the weeks since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, military officials report that interest in reenlisting has spiked among older veterans. The Air Force has begun compiling a database (it currently lists 365 names) of those who have separated or retired from the service and are interested in returning. The other services, relying on anecdotal reports from recruiting stations and increased traffic on recruiting Web sites and chat rooms, say interest among older veterans is up significantly. With some exceptions, the upper age limit for service in the military is 35. But that limit is being waived on a case-by-case basis to address certain needs. Massachusetts native Ralph McDonald, 44, an Air Force lieutenant colonel who had been feted at his retirement party and was hunting for a commercial pilot's job on Sept. 11, requested that his 20-year hitch be extended by another four. The offer was accepted. ''After what happened to our country's values and our economy, I had to take a second look at what I was going to do,'' said McDonald, now stationed at Moody Air Force Base in southern Georgia. ''I asked if I could be of some use and did they want me back? And people were nodding their heads, saying, `We could use you.''' For McDonald, a husband and the father of preteen children, the decision to remain in the Air Force means postponement of a second career as a teacher or as a commercial pilot, an option that has withered because of economic turmoil wrought by the attacks. ''Everybody has their long-term goals, and mine have been delayed for a long period of time,'' he said. ''But I'm very upset about what's going on. I'm trained, and if you think about the amount of time it takes to train a new person, I can come back and be an asset. I believe I have something to contribute to the cause.'' Marine recruiters said that in the immediate aftermath of the attacks, they were flooded with calls from retired Marines eager to show support. ''We had one 69-year-old man saying, `I've still got my old M-1 Garand and I know how to use it,''' said Sergeant James Covington, a Marine spokesman, referring to a World War II-era weapon. ''He wasn't serious about the weapon, but he was absolutely serious about wanting to help out any way that he could. We are really moved by this outpouring of the American spirit.'' Richard Cole, a 52-year-old former Marine from Englewood, Fla., telephoned recruiters and offered to ''guard toilet paper'' if that's how he could best be used. ''I had a bunch of things going against me, but I felt I had to try,'' said Cole, a Vietnam veteran with post-traumatic stress disorder. ''I realized I'm a little too old for combat, but I could still help training or something.'' The Marines, he said, politely declined. Some veterans still urgently want to return to active duty. Some want to volunteer to relieve desk-bound personnel for more meaningful work. Some simply want to display symbolic support. ''I'm almost 71, in reasonable good health, don't shuffle my feet, but can still shuffle papers,'' said Ralph Baber, a retired Air Force lieutenant colonel volunteering for recall. At the Army recruiting station in Quincy, Sergeant Paul White said ''there was a good rush'' of older soldiers wondering about returning to uniform. ''It's just people getting that spark of patriotism and trying to get back in to do their part,'' he said. ''You thank them, and then you ask them if they know anybody who is younger and within the age limit, and to send them our way.'' At Randolph Air Force Base in Texas, Zeh said retired men and women are being assessed to determine whether they can return to cockpits or support staffs. ''The Air Force is still looking for good people,'' he said. Laura A. Moran of San Antonio, 41, a former Air Force intelligence officer, is hoping that she is one of those people. Moran, who completed a four-year tour of duty in 1986, said she has a good job and a nice life, but she is eager to exchange that for a return to the military. ''After it became apparent that we were under attack, I was, like, man, I wish I could do something about that right now,'' said Moran, who waits daily for a telephone call from the Air Force. ''I have a great job, and I love it, but everyone's life changed a month ago, and there's nothing I wouldn't do if I could. We've actually become victim of the freedoms of our society. We need to get the people responsible for this and make sure we end this threat.'' In fact, while the offers of support from veterans have been heartening for military recruiters, they have not translated into a graying of their ranks. All four branches of the service say they have reached their recruiting goals this year, and the number of qualified applicants remains relatively unchanged. ''We have not seen an increase in the number of qualified men and women who want to serve in the Navy,'' said Lieutenant Ingrid Mueller of the Navy Recruiting Command. ''Are people lining up at the door to join? They're not. There's a lot of interest coming from those who are too young or too old.'' This story ran on page A1 of the Boston Globe on 10/19/2001. � <A HREF="http://www.boston.com/globe/search/copyright.html";>Copyright</A> 2001 Globe Newspaper Company. P.S. This speaks volumes for the dedication service men, and women have... Kay -------- Sponsor's Message ---------------------------------------- Top-quality bedding for just $29.99! Luxurious 230 thread- count cotton sateen sheet sets and more - all sizes $29.99. 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