“Village Boy 2: We’re ashamed to live here. Our fathers are cowards.”*
“O’Reilly: Don’t you ever say that again about your fathers, because they are not cowards. You think I am brave because I carry a gun; well, your fathers are much braver because they carry responsibility, for you, your brothers, your sisters, and your mothers. And this responsibility is like a big rock that weighs a ton. It bends and it twists them until finally it buries them under the ground. And there’s nobody says they have to do this. They do it because they love you, and because they want to. I have never had this kind of courage. Running a farm, working like a mule every day with no guarantee anything will ever come of it. This is bravery. That’s why I never even started anything like that… that’s why I never will”*.
*Those words spoken by Charles Bronson’s character in The Magnificent Seven, written by screenwriter William Roberts, sum up what a lot of veterans feel. By the way I lifted this right off of the IMDb site, just in case Rand Paul wants to know how it should be done.
Many of us who served, especially in the 1960’s and 1970’s, were reluctant to go into the military. Like Dick Cheney we had “Other Priorities,” however the looming threat of being drafted influenced us to join the reserves or the National Guard. This was a safe way to fulfill our six year obligation by sacrificing six months of our time and 25% of our free weekends. When you’re in your early twenties you don’t realize how much productive life is ahead of you and six (paid) months is absolutely nothing. You treated it as an obligation and that was that. World War II had been over for almost twenty years and we had enjoyed an economic prosperity unheard of since the beginning of recorded history. America’s youth had led sheltered lives, yet we had real enemies; just during my time in college we saw the Berlin Wall erected and the Bay of Pigs fiasco, as well as the Cuban Missile Crisis in a short period of time. The Cold War against Communist aggression was in full swing. Although it wasn’t regarded as very important at the time President Kennedy had sent more military advisors to South Vietnam. Had I thought about it much I would have applied to graduate school just to get a deferment, but I didn’t, and lots of my friends were caught in the same situation. The reserve units in those days were filled to overflowing.
I joined in March of 1964 and took my basic training at Ft. Knox, Kentucky. In those days I was a Goldwater conservative and I cast my first absentee ballot for him. What being in the military did teach me was that I had the opportunity to meet and know people from all walks of life. In our training unit we had people from many southern, midwest and western states, well educated and hardly educated at all, wealthy and destitute and we all had to work together. I still have some lasting friendships from those days of people I would have otherwise not known. Although we don’t see each other we manage to keep in touch by email and social media.
As Lyndon Johnson and then Richard Nixon kept expanding our participation in Vietnam the reserve units were no longer safe places to be. Usually the units were called out for disaster relief associated with hurricanes or earthquakes, and we were, they were also being called out for civil unrest, and we were. They were for short periods of time, but in cities like Newark in 1967 they faced hostile action and gunfire. Although we had weapons we were never issued ammunition, which actually was a good thing considering what happened at Kent State a few years later. That was also when they started calling up the reserve units for Vietnam service and many units were called; mine wasn’t. My honorable discharge came in April of 1970 and the buildup was still going on. I was one of the lucky ones; I never had to face a hostile enemy on foreign soil and I never had to fire my weapon in combat. I also barely qualified for the time required to be called a veteran. When you’re still in your twenties you don’t think much about it. As you mature you begin to realize that you did what your country asked of you; you fulfilled your obligation. I don’t need to be thanked for that. It was nothing extraordinary or above and beyond the call of duty.
If you’re old enough to recall those years, people in the military were not regarded as heroes. The anti-war movement had taken hold and our soldiers were not treated well. There were no parades for returning war heroes and a whole generation of Vietnam Veterans were forgotten people, and in many cases still are. Today our military people and veterans are scandalously used as props by uncaring politicians (most of whom never served at all) who won’t fund their needs properly.
In the movie, The Magnificent Seven, the villagers finally fought back and won because they weren’t cowards. They had a lot of help from the seven and in the end fought side by side with them. Our veterans don’t need empty words. They need our help and participation.
Well said Jerry. Let us also remember those that served in the anti-war movement, those that, deserted, or otherwise avoided putting their lives on the line for unjust wars. Their actions helped to end the Viet-Nam war and brought thousands of Veterans home that would have otherwise been killed or maimed in battle.
After reading this articulate piece, I’m almost ashamed to say “Thanks” I put in service (USN) during Desert Storm. I certainly give deference to Nam Vets and ALL whom served before me.
Great stuff Sir! as a Naval veteran, this was inspired reading sir.
David Ferber
November 13, 2013
After reading your article your points were right on, I was in the M.P.’s Rockville MD, my basic was at Fort Knox and M.P. Mos School was in GA. The 800th M.P.’s were activated for 18 months when the Cuban Missile Crisis. The six years when I was 18 with a wife and soon two children, I did what your country asked of you, and in my time is was 2 years of six. I learned much. Thanks for the article.