tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3859118341865282720.post7431339739078062984..comments2024-03-16T22:30:32.183-04:00Comments on Hampton New Hampshire Mad Dog Democrat: The Unbearable Smugness of Being A Tough Guy RepublicanUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3859118341865282720.post-68071652120473918662013-03-12T08:55:29.565-04:002013-03-12T08:55:29.565-04:00From wikipedia:
During the Vietnam war, service in...From wikipedia:<br />During the Vietnam war, service in the National Guard and Reserve components were seen as a way to avoid combat. Although some number of Guard and Reserve units were in fact "called-up" to combat duty in every US war since they were founded,[1] the risk was especially low in the 1970s. Only 8700 of these soldiers were sent to Vietnam, 0.3% of the personnel who served. Furthermore, a greatly disproportionate number of famous, wealthy, and/or politically connected young men received slots in the Guard or Reserves during Vietnam, including 360 professional athletes such as Bill Bradley and Nolan Ryan.[2]<br /><br />Commenting on this disparity, General Colin Powell wrote in his autobiography, "I am angry that so many sons of the powerful and well placed and many professional athletes (who were probably healthier than any of us) managed to wangle slots in Reserve and National Guard units. Of the many tragedies of Vietnam, this raw class discrimination strikes me as the most damaging to the ideal that all Americans are created equal and owe equal allegiance to our country."[3]<br /><br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3859118341865282720.post-16953780297880632552013-03-09T17:31:02.788-05:002013-03-09T17:31:02.788-05:00Actually Mad Dog I knew your brother and he was no...Actually Mad Dog I knew your brother and he was not looking for a way out. Once called, he felt it was his duty, as an American citizen, to serve. There might have been some strategies he could have followed to get out of going to Viet Nam but he sincerely felt it was an obligation to serve if asked - and he did. What he learned, among other things, is war is no fun and the country needs to be damn sure about what it is trying to accomplish before rushing off to war because a lot of people will be killed or badly injured. War is truly a terrible thing although rarely it may be necessary.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3859118341865282720.post-81668037230485167212013-03-09T14:06:28.450-05:002013-03-09T14:06:28.450-05:00Anonymous,
A quick check on line confirms yo...Anonymous,<br /><br /> A quick check on line confirms your numbers. Almost 9,000 Reserve were deployed. 97 died in combat. The total number of reservists mustered in over the 10 year conflict has so far eluded me. But one remark shown below, suggests the political walking on eggshells aspect of sending the reserves:<br />"In 1969 and later the use of reserve forces in any large numbers was not forthcoming due to the change in conflict's strategic direction by the incoming administration."<br />This from the Minnesota Guard website. <br />One can well imagine, or I might say, be certain, the rich and well connected needed a place to hide their sons (see George W. Bush, military service, Wikipedia.)<br />the phantom speakshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01629183077961716582noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3859118341865282720.post-16524931112542281292013-03-09T13:47:33.874-05:002013-03-09T13:47:33.874-05:00Maud,
Mad Dog's family was not proud. W...Maud,<br /><br /> Mad Dog's family was not proud. We were worried, and Mad Dog was a little annoyed his brother had not found a way out. But Mad Dog was just 5 years behind, and discovered, as his brother had before him, if you had an MD, there was no escaping military service: "If you can practice medicine, you can practice it in the Army." Mad Dog was on the launch pad, but the doctor draft ended just as he finished his internship.<br /> As for the Guard and the Reserve, I'm surprised to learn 13,000 went to Vietnam. I'd like to know out of how many and during which years? I do remember those years very clearly and not a person I know thinks of the Guard or the Reserve as anything but a hiding place--which has all changed now, of course.<br /> Mad Dog does have a correction to his story about Mr. Sessions--see the addendum above.the phantom speakshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01629183077961716582noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3859118341865282720.post-63859181911848903662013-03-09T09:52:56.129-05:002013-03-09T09:52:56.129-05:00While I agree with your sentiment regarding the fa...While I agree with your sentiment regarding the false bravado of some of our elected officials I must point out that both the Guard and the Army Reserve sent ground troop to Vietnam during the conflict there. Approx. 7000 and 6000 respectively. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3859118341865282720.post-84394159443956474602013-03-09T08:32:13.367-05:002013-03-09T08:32:13.367-05:00Mad Dog,
I'm not sure about anonymous above, b...Mad Dog,<br />I'm not sure about anonymous above, but I do agree with the sentiment....As for Sessions-who thought the Klan was OK until he found out they smoked pot-now says he likes his big boy gun because it looks intimidating-does he expect that it will make him look intimidating as well-ugh..he can be added to the list of reasons why I'm glad I'm not from Alabama. I agree that the the loudest saber rattlers are usually men who have never caught sight of a battlefield i.e. Dick Cheney, the consummate tough talking, war loving chicken hawk.<br /><br />Your family must have been very proud that your brother was one of the ones doing something good in Vietnam, but it had to have been extremely stressful with him over there. Even for those of us without a family member serving, the war was a constant presence growing up-you were always aware of it. How different from the experience of kids today, even though we just spent the last ten years fighting two wars....<br />Maudmaudnoreply@blogger.com