Burt's age

[manintrees]

If Burt is 52 in 2009, and the Vietnam War ended in 1975, then at the very most he would have been only 18 at the end of the war. Is that possible?

[Ra1th]

yeah he could have, there was a draft during that time it's easily possible that he got drafted into the marine corp. ( i read a wiki on it, it seems like the marines took physically capable looking members out of army draft lines, and threw 'em into the marine corp) Or he may have joined up at 18, there was a lot of propaganda swirling around at that time, hey he might have even joined at 17 cause that's acceptable under some circumstances

[nikvoodoo]

If he enlisted early it would make work. I currently don't have access to the surgery episode when he told the sandwich story. If he was a gunny then, there might be a continuity issue.

If he wasn't a gunny, he still had plenty of time to go up in rank after the war.

[TCM Revolver]

If Burt is 52 in 2009, and the Vietnam War ended in 1975, then at the very most he would have been only 18 at the end of the war. Is that possible?

Sure, if Burts parents signed a consent form he could have signed up at 16. Seems really young, but I think they took anyone they could get.

[COsurvivor]

All possible, but unlikely... I don't recall my Uncle saying people got promoted so quickly during his tour. To make a Marine Sergeant in a single tour or duty???

I guess Bert stayed in the Marines after the end of the war which would make it the ONLY plausible way he would reach the rank of Marine Sergeant.

[yarri]

All possible, but unlikely... I don't recall my Uncle saying people got promoted so quickly during his tour. To make a Marine Sergeant in a single tour or duty???

I guess Bert stayed in the Marines after the end of the war which would make it the ONLY plausible way he would reach the rank of Marine Sergeant.

Didn't Burt say he was retired? When he was picked up by Angel and Saul

[nikvoodoo]

He did say he was retired, Yarri.

Also, Burt punched his commanding officer after the RPG attack on his position and Burt claimed he didn't get promoted anytime soon. So once again, he either already was a gunny and never passed that rank, or he stayed in well after the war and ranked up that way.

[HaveCrowBarWillTravel]

Well the rank of Gunny starts at E7, which is where I'm at right now at 20 years active duty. Marines and Army get promoted much quicker than we do though, so I'd take a guess to say he could have reached E7 by his 15th year in normal conditions. If he was field promoted due to buddies taking dirt naps, then I could happen much quicker.
My guess is that that's the rank he retired as though.

[Kc]

Well the rank of Gunny starts at E7, which is where I'm at right now at 20 years active duty. Marines and Army get promoted much quicker than we do though, so I'd take a guess to say he could have reached E7 by his 15th year in normal conditions. If he was field promoted due to buddies taking dirt naps, then I could happen much quicker.
My guess is that that's the rank he retired as though.

Yup! Burt was not a Gunny in Vietnam. After a long term in the service is when he reached the rank of Gunny, which he ended up retiring at E-7 later.

Promotions are funny, they can happen fast or slow, just due to available positions and slots with units. It gets more complicated and difficult the higher up you go.

[HaveCrowBarWillTravel]

Roger that.. see, we compete against our entire AFSC (MOS), so depending on how well you study and take a test basically determines how fast you move up.
Anyway, the Age of Burt Mystery has been solved *and he would have gotten away with it, if it hadn't been for those kids and that dog!*

[cheesehead1493]

I always kinda pictured Burt as Bill from Left 4 Dead, so him being maybe in his 60's?