In article , Mike Kanze
wrote:

According to my Dad, part of this was due to the circumstances of the
Depression. For many, the armed forces were - literally - a better
alternative to whatever was available at home. So there was a stronger
motivation to treat one's unit as a real "home" and not just as a waypoint.
And thus easier to get folks interested in "community" stuff like softball
leagues.

Mikes Good sense snipped.

If you look at the make-up of the service it has also changed.
Certainly among the enlisted and the JO's many more are married now
than were in the 1920's through the 40's and most live off base. In the
past base housing was much more prevelent for those that were married
and most of the single folks lived in either in the barracks or the Q
and not many of the lower grade E's (or o's) had cars so all were much
more dependent on Navy sponsored activities. Even at in the modern era
I found my squadrons at NUW the squadron was much tighter than in
VAQ-209 where every lives spread all over the DC metro area and
basically gets together for manditory fun and that's about it.

Pugs

"If they can put a man on the moon why can't they put a man on Lifetime
TV?"

Colin Quinn