[SEATJERKER]

...May, 1970... most of you were full grown men at that time, and well aware of world politics... being thrust in a war zone at 19, 19 on average for most of you...I was still a boy, 12, almost 13, yes, I'm on the average, I'm 7-8 years younger then most of you, but grew up fast up here,...
...for me, it was a twisted time of revelation seeing the strife across the nation from the campus bombings, to sit ins, riots from 65 on, demonstrations, and rallys against our troops for attempting to preserve the freedoms of another, and yet for me the world changed in 63 when Kennedy was shot, then King, then kennedy again, Chicago 7, news flashes of the war in Vietnam,
... A lot for a boy to absorb when he's fighting with the very, and only truths he's ever known,...
and as far as what the leaders of his nation are doing, whats right, the peace, or fighting a war halfway across the world,...
...so many KIA's, so many wounded, too much for a boy to handle
knowing there wasn't anything he could do about it from where he was, but yearned to help as to save so many others, I guess it's guilt of being 2 years short in age to make it there, and
contribute, It was a prison, and still is...
...was a soph in high school when you all pulled out in 75, a local high school that was Catholic, which I wasn't,... Rotc, which I wanted, but didn't fit in that well being from the wrong denomination, and didn't fit in being from the wrong side of town, but was hoping to learn enough to be a leader, and stop the killing of our men by getting a formal military education, and going over to serve...
...67 to 75 was rough on the kids here as they were so divided over everthing, they would throw oranges at us in our uniforms, yes they would spit at us out the bus windows, ridicule , and renounce was standard...
the four that died a Kent State didn't deserve to die, but neither did all our men either,...
...I'm very bitter at a great many faceless people that infected the beliefs that what we were doing was wrong, ...
...I think they killed more men by their disservice of their actions here...
... what I saw America doing was protecting those that couldn't
protect themselves...
...I just wish I could have helped......