Three decades ago, I could not even finish a 600m run and was mocked by my classmates for being effeminate because I did not like sports. To my utter shock, I was drafted into the Marine Corps, and for a three-year term, while others were only required to serve two. I stood there speechless as the conscripts around me erupted into thunderous applause, celebrating that there was one fewer Marine Corps slot left in the draw.
I was sent to a military academy for training, but I graduated top of my class. I also participated in the last formal military parade held on Double Ten National Day in 1991, marching in perfect step. I endured grueling training for six months. Former president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) was in office at the time. Later, with the shortening of compulsory military service, I only ended up serving for two years and 45 days. I left the military with eight-pack abs and the rank of sergeant, and often went jogging near my home. My former classmates could hardly believe how much I had changed.
Military training taught me to calmly face many challenges in a highly competitive environment, and it was that experience that gave me the ability to repay my family’s debts after returning to civilian life.
Today, mandatory military service is significantly shorter and alternative service options are available. Many celebrities, such as singer-songwriter Chang Yu-sheng (張雨生), actors Ming Dao (明道) and Leon Dai (戴立忍), TV entertainer He Yi-hang (賀一航), TV show host Hu Gua (胡瓜) and actor and singer Greg Hsu (許光漢) all served in the military and maintained their fame after doing so.
Male celebrities who dodge their military duty should acknowledge their wrongdoing, apologize to society and complete their service to erase the dishonor of draft dodging.
Serving in the military is a duty one must fulfill. Rather than burying your head in the sand, it is better to face it head-on. At the very least, you do not have to worry about one day being exposed, ruining years of hard-earned success in the entertainment industry in a single instant. Nor would someone be able to hold such a thing over you later to blackmail you after you have earned your fame. A single act of foolishness can create endless trouble down the line — the wise avoid such behavior.
Jimmy Hsu is a farmer.
Translated by Kyra Gustavsen
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