Scott Olsen
Oct. 28th, 2011 12:33 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
curmugeonI have never met the man, but I feel as if he is my brother. When I got out of the military in January 1972, the Vietnam War was still raging. I also attended anti-war demonstrations in Los Angeles and as far away as San Francisco, Berkeley and Oakland. I wore my fatigues, I still had my combat boots. I had returned from serving, and found no job. I knew the war was wrong, I had lost many friends in the war, and I wanted it to end. I stood in pickets, marched up the streets, rallied in the parks. Hey, I was a veteran, I was unemployed, and had missed the earlier demonstrations after 1968 because of a little thing called the draft. No, I was drafted, but having limited options after you are called up for a pre-induction physical, I enlisted in the Air Force Reserve. I felt that was one way to survive as I wasn't too keen about going into combat.
There were quite a few veterans at the time marching, we supported each other. We were brothers as we had all served while those with money went to college and bought 4F classifications or had been passed over because daddy had friends on the draft board. Vietnam was a poor mans war, the rich rarely served, except as some of the dumb shit officers we were stuck with. After we did our time, we fought the war in the United States, till a movement was able to bring the war to an end.
I'm just wondering what they are going to do when all those thousands of troops come back from Iraq, and many are going to be out on the streets, fighting to save the lives of their brothers who are now stuck in that other rich mans war, Afghanistan? I can see a new influx of veterans marching with the Occupy movement. I envision a Marine Color Guard at the front of the march, that will be something I salute.
Be well Scott, there are a whole bunch of us who are praying for you. I look forward to the day when what you were fighting for is realized. A government by the people, for the people, with liberty and justice for all.
Posted on Dreamwidth
There were quite a few veterans at the time marching, we supported each other. We were brothers as we had all served while those with money went to college and bought 4F classifications or had been passed over because daddy had friends on the draft board. Vietnam was a poor mans war, the rich rarely served, except as some of the dumb shit officers we were stuck with. After we did our time, we fought the war in the United States, till a movement was able to bring the war to an end.
I'm just wondering what they are going to do when all those thousands of troops come back from Iraq, and many are going to be out on the streets, fighting to save the lives of their brothers who are now stuck in that other rich mans war, Afghanistan? I can see a new influx of veterans marching with the Occupy movement. I envision a Marine Color Guard at the front of the march, that will be something I salute.
Be well Scott, there are a whole bunch of us who are praying for you. I look forward to the day when what you were fighting for is realized. A government by the people, for the people, with liberty and justice for all.
Posted on Dreamwidth
