I was 18 when I enlisted in the Army. It was just after Christmas that year. It seemed inevitable that my “number” would come up soon and I would be drafted anyway. Besides that, I lost my military deferment when I was academically disqualified from the college I attended (I majored in parties as a freshman). So I took the not-so-heroic step of volunteering for the draft. It seemed a difficult decision at the time, but in retrospect, one that paid dividends in later years. Continue reading
Category: My Country
Dedicated to Peace
Recently I participated in a dedication ceremony for a “Peace Pole”. The multi-sided pole states in several languages our mutual hope for peace in our world. In our small community we have many of these symbols of peace, scattered in various locations where they serve as a reminder of what is important.
Throughout this country there is a disappointing sense that peace is so illusive, that to pursue it is a fool’s errand”, or not “cost-effective” or it would wreak havoc on our “military industrial complex”! Somehow, along the way, we have lost that very important guiding principle that was once so powerful that it caused the birth of our country! Freedom without peace, or peace without freedom — neither one works until they are joined. Continue reading
