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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