Re: [sixties-l] Vietnam memorial and flags

From: Joe McDonald (joe@countryjoe.com)
Date: Fri Jun 30 2000 - 01:33:03 CUT

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    William Mandel wrote:

    > I had a conversation yesterday that has significantly affected my
    > attitude toward people in the military. A friend told me that,
    > when in the Navy, 1959-1962, he had volunteered, at age 19,.....

    >
    > I asked why he went through all that -- one trial after
    > another, in vastly greater detail than I have summarized here. He
    > said simply out of a sense of adventure, and that, at that age,
    > the notion of dying had simply not been real.
    > I admit that I simply had no notion of that last. Dying to
    > me was very real, not later than when Sacco and Vanzetti were
    > executed in my tenth year of life.
    >

    i also enlisted in the US Navy 1959-1962 but i was 17 yrs old. The only difference
    perhaps is that from the age of 10 yrs old i was prepared to die hard for a cause.
    i did not feel invincible but i felt very strong.

    It is good to put a human face on military personnel. They are a very large
    exploited work force with almost no advocates.

    cheers, country joe mcdonald

    -- "Ira Furor Brevis Est " - Anger is a brief madness

    country joe Home Pg <http://www.countryjoe.com>
    country joe's tribute to Florence Nightingale
    <http://www.countryjoe.com/nightingale>
    Berkeley Vietnam Veterans Memorial <http://www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/Links/Comm/vvm>
    Rag Baby Online Magazine <http://www.ragbaby.com/magazine>



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