hypocrite just trying to save a few bucks?

Calling them hypocrites is not accurate and assumes people cannot learn as they get older. Many, like my father, were just kids when they joined (or were drafted) and thought they were helping other people combat the spread of communism. The recent defeat of Hitler, which was (and still is) considered a great accomplishment, was being used to promote the idea that force can be used for good, so it's very easy to see how they ended up in that awful position. Most of these kids also came from poor urban or rural environments that politicians love to exploit when attempting to gain more power.

My father is extremely anti-war following that horrible experience and many others became that way as well.