quote:

DALLAS - Lillye England was surprised when she received a personalized invitation to join the U.S. Army - not only because she'd expressed no interest in enlisting, but also because she's an 87-year-old grandmother.
"They want me to join the Army, how about that?" England said. "You suppose that could be a mistake?"
Despite the Army's recent increase in the enlistment age, from 34 to 40, the invitation certainly was a mistake, military officials said.
"There's such a large direct mail campaign for all of the services," said Douglas Smith, spokesman for the U.S. Army Recruiting Command, which sent the invitation. "Names of people who aren't eligible to enlist are sometimes included."
England said she wished she could be eligible, eager to cash in on the $20,000 maximum signing bonus and military medical care.
"Those are pretty awesome benefits, especially for someone who is 87," said her daughter, Jonnie.
But the Oak Cliff grandmother still hopes to get a small bonus; she said she planned to return the information card to receive a free knit cap with an Army logo.
And the cap would suit her better than an Army career anyway, because military routines simply wouldn't fit her lifestyle, England said.
"I just cannot get up early in the morning," she said.