Nope, not ever, not even once, not one red cent, not one thin dime. We were so poor that as an example, we had to wash our paper plates and hang them on the clothesline to dry instead of just throwing them out and buying new ones.
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I see now that I misunderstood your question, thank you for clarifying. I thought you only meant when we were of minor age.
Yes, I received a reenlistment bonus in the Marine Corps, it coincided with my plans to get married, so it helped us out financially getting started as a new couple. My bride-to-be was coming from her country to the US, so there were added expenses that the average couple might not have incurred. I also rented an apartment, bought furniture and housewares for it, bought my first car, etc.
In retrospect, the amount of money was not astronomical even for that time period, because military pay itself isn’t either, but it was significant enough to be appreciated. If I recall correctly, it represented a good percentage of a year’s pay, a chunk of money that provided a nice cushion. (So many years have gone by that I can’t even remember how much it was.)
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My condolences to you having lost your mother.
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How did I miss that? Maybe she distracted me with her womanly charms. Grrrrrrr.
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Randy D 