Knew it would happen

[Stick]

My oldest son bought his grandmother, my ma-in-law, who lives with us. a real nice 'Colonial Slider Rocker' chair for Christmas. Some assembly required. I woke up this morning and since I seem to be the handyman here I decided to open the box that the chair came in and put it together. Right there on the bottom of the seat it said, "Made in Vietnam" I did my duty and I hope Mom will like it.

[39mto39g]

Id buy one from VN before I would from Kent state or Berkley. VC and NVA get a lot more respect out of me than any of those protester of that era.

Ron

[exlrrp]

I'd rethink that one

Here's all the men from Berkeley that died in Vietnam to help uyou think it over

James Worth

Berkeley Ca


DONALD HUBERT BROWN JR
Navy - LTJG - O2
Age - 26
Date of Birth - Aug 22, 1938
From - BERKELEY , CALIFORNIA





PHILIP MICHAEL CALLAN
Marine Corps - PFC - E2
Age - 21
Date of Birth - Jun 17, 1945
From - BERKELEY , CALIFORNIA





KENNETH ROBBINS CAMERON
Navy - CAPT - O6
Age - 42
Date of Birth - Aug 09, 1928
From - BERKELEY , CALIFORNIA





ERSKINE LOGAN CRUMP
Army - PVT - E1
1st Cav Division (AMBL)
Age - 20
Date of Birth - Apr 03, 1948
From - BERKELEY , CALIFORNIA





OTIS JAMES DARDEN
Army - SP4 - E4
11th Armored Cavalry
Age - 21
Date of Birth - Feb 03, 1948
From - BERKELEY , CALIFORNIA





THOMAS PATRICK DUGGAN
Marine Corps - PFC - E2
Age - 18
Date of Birth - Jul 15, 1950
From - BERKELEY , CALIFORNIA





DONALD LEROY GASSER
Army - PFC - E3
25th Infantry Division
Age - 25
Date of Birth - Nov 05, 1941
From - BERKELEY , CALIFORNIA





ALLEN HIDEO HARANO
Army - PFC - E3
4th Infantry Division
Age - 20
Date of Birth - Jan 10, 1948
From - BERKELEY , CALIFORNIA





MICHAEL JAMES HARE
Marine Corps - CPL - E4
Age - 20
Date of Birth - Jun 01, 1947
From - BERKELEY , CALIFORNIA





GARY MICHIEL MABREY
Army - SGT - E5
101st Airborne Division
Age - 21
Date of Birth - Apr 25, 1947
From - BERKELEY , CALIFORNIA

[exlrrp]

I'm just finishing the last of the excellent Trung Nguyen coffee Ive been hoarding since the Vietnam Victory Tour '03
Its excellent coffee, tastes like what you get in the French Quarter, New Orleans, kinda has a chicory flavor . This is the kind of coffe that its good to drink cream with. Just savoring the taste brings back memories

Here's what I learned in Vietnam the 2d time:
The war is over. You can go home now

James

[39mto39g]

Don't need to rethink,
Were any of those guys war protestors like I stated above. No. There not who I was talking about, Neather are the berkly police of firemen or military personnel that live there.
The peace of crapp war protestors at Kent state and Berkly that instigated the country against the Vietnam vets.
And to be fair, those kids were not bright enough to understand that they were being manipulated by there professors.

Protest all they want, but when it comes time to serve, they leave for canada, I wouldn't have let them back in, maybe just to exicut them.

Ron

[Andy]

Think I?ve made this confession before but here it goes again. After leaving Vietnam I spent a few months in California, mostly with collage aged kids and then back to Massachusetts with the same crowd. I went to several war protests. I didn?t turn into an anti-war freak, however being anti-Nixon: Yes.

Oh, about the protests, never went with a young lady, never left alone. This is a generalization but many of those girls did have a somewhat relaxed moral attitude. That seemed to be a good thing. Plus, just a little over 5?, long hair, a cute head band, a peasant blouse with no bra - it was a good look.

Several of my college friends who did not join the service went to the protests for the exact same reason. It was a party where there was always drink, smoke, and young women looking to get picked up. Sort of like going to a rock concert without the music. Always believed that if everyone knew there would be no sex as a result of a protest the crowds would have been reduced by 75%.

Stay healthy,
Andy

[39mto39g]

Protest all you want, Thats what being American is all about, Buuuut its also about being there when you are called, When called you went, You have the right to protest. The ones that didn't go when call don't have any rights as far as Im concerned. (I have more respect for the VC & NVA)

Ron

[Andy]

This is no big issue but just thought I'd give another opinion. A guy who felt so strongly about the war that he was willing to go to jail, I have respect for someone like that. It seems it would take a lot of courage to defy the government and loose two years of your life, living with some guy who wanted you to be his girlfriend. At the other end of the stick were the guys who felt so strongly that they went and fought. Guess I'm saying that if a person has thought things out and was willing to stand up and be counted, that takes guts.

The ones that bothered me were the guys who worked hard to get a deferment so they could sit back and be Jody. Remember for a while if you had a wife and kid you got a deferment? I know some guys who took that route. Without exception I have little if any respect for them.

Stay healthy,
Andy

[exlrrp]

The right to protest is inherent in the Constitution, Thank God. You don't have to be a veteran to do this or in any other way earn the right--its yours the day you were born in America.
I am gladder than hell I protested the war, prouder than having fought in it.. For starters, it was the best place to get laid, like Andy pointed out. Ah those long haired bra-less hippie chicks
(chuckles reminiscently)
I liked them a WHOLE lot better than the Army, they were a lot nicer to me and didnt kick me out of bed every morning ar 5:00 AM. There's no question in my mind who was healthier for young men.
And what young American really liked Nixon, anyway? (or LBJ either). it was a rebeliious generation and yours truly was one of the rebels. I am, so far as I know, the first kid in my high school to get sent home for having long hair (below my collar). What a laugh!! I was long haired when people like Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Hank Williams Jr, etc had buzzcuts. How come people don't say nasty things about their long hair like they did about mine in the old days??When it was safe to grow their hair long, then they did it--and I started cutting mine short again. Who wants to do it when everybody does it? In Berkeley, the way you rebelled from society was to cut your hair short and join the Army and thats what I did.

I am proud to have protested a war that almost everybody now agrees was a huge mistake--I saw it years before the mainstream and I was dead right, not that it did me or the world much good.
Our leaders botched up the mess to death. I told them I thought they and their policies sucked and now I'm glad I took the opportunity to tell them and that millions of others did too.
We stopped an unjust war and saved countless lives. That was a good thing, wasnt it?

James

Happy just to be alive

[39mto39g]

I don't think they have the right to protest if they don't also serve. Every military person fights for the right to protest, but when called you go. The ones that didn't go, don't have the right. Matter of fact, the ones that left the country shouldn't have had the opertunity to come back.
And James, I think your misstaken if you belive the protest saved lives, in fact the protest cost a lot of lives, The protests and protesters gave the NVA hope and determination to hold on and not give up, which cost lives. And that statment is from the North Vietnamise government.
Like I always said about the flag burning, I have fought for your right to burn the flag, But, That don't mean I wouldn't kick your ass if you did it in front of me.

Andy has a point about someone going to jail instead. Yes , if your convictions are so great that jail or leaving the country is you only way out, then Jail would be the more honorable way to choose, But you can't protest very well from a cell. Cashous Clay did this and seemed to work out for him, He didn't make as big a deal out of it as the medea did.

Ron