My little town

[Andy]

From July 8th thru the 15th the Moving Wall will be in Easthampton Massachusetts. The smallest city it has thus far visited in New England. Back in the day, girls would not talk to me in public if I had a uniform on, soldiers and vets were shunned. Now the town has come up with $9,000 to pay for expenses for the week long visit. Dozens of people are giving their time, making food, etc. My how times have changed.

I've never been able to bring myself to go to The Wall, just too many names I know. But with it coming here, I'll be there. Maybe a 2AM visit would be good, don't want to make a fool of myself in front of too many other people. Then again I might be fine. It does make this old man proud.

Stay healthy,
Andy

[phuloi]

Pride is a good healer-might even be contagious,cause I`m proud of you for going.Go figure..bringing it right there to you in Easthampton.The Lord works in mysterious ways,huh?

[Keith_Hixson]

Andy were you in your cop uniform or military uniform?

March 28, 1969 I was getting on a plane at the Boston Airport Logan Field. I and about six other soldiers got to board and several college students got left behind. The college kids called us trained killers and baby killers.

It must of been rough in the Boston area during the War. Never wore a uniform to town and when I was site seeing in the area. They told us not let them know we were in the military.

Glad to have you back posting again!

Keith

[reconeil]

But, it took me quite some time to make my way over here.

Also, I glad to see that you haven't changed and don't cloud-things-up with incidentals and get right to the heart of the matter, especially when Service to Country, Patriotism and Friends are involved.

Still, from your and others' postings, I never realized that so many
turncoats and/or Fonda-type mentalities existed in your neck-of-the-woods. Hell, to me such sounds like you're living in: The Berkley East vicinity.

Neil

P.S. Get off of that: "Old Man" bit, youngster.
For myself, and to sort of quote some old time Anchor
Cranker: "Hell, I have just begun to fight (and do other
things also)"

[Andy]

The first flag burning - demonstration against the war at U. of Mass. was in 1966. By 1967 they put those funnel shaped things on the flag poles, like the funnel shaped things they put on ropes that tie ships to the docks to prevent rats from coming aboard. The "Students" were forever trying to pull down the flag, by '68 they were armed with NVA flags. With one of our biggest industries being Colleges, Berkley has nothing on Massachusetts.

Keith it was the military uniform you just could not wear. In '71 when I first became a cop, you'd drive by a group of teens or people in their 20's and they'd yell PIG. However, there were always young ladies we refered to as badge suckers. Women with a relaxed moral attitude who are attracted authority figures.

Griz, there are names of people I've forced out of my memory. My concern is that when I look at, say the period of Feb. '68, I may recall a little too much, but what the Hell. If God brought the Wall to me, I guess I'm meant to look.

Stay healthy,
Andy

[Drywall]

Thats when I got out. It was the year of Bobby Kennady, MLK, Dem. Nat'l conv. riot in Chicago, riots on campus', burning draft cards and ROTC buildings, and I suppose a lot of other stuff I don't remember anymore. It was a completely alien country to the one I left in '66. My mom and dad wanted to take me to dinner but they wanted me to wear my uniform. There was no way. They were proud of me but I was ashamed. What a horseshit way to feel about seving your country. I always said the best thing I got out of the 60's was me.