WHEN I ENLISTED I WAS TOLD THAT I WOULD NEVER BE FORGOTTEN FOR SERVING MY COUNTRY, I CAN REMEMBER THE PETTY OFFICERS FACE THAT TOLD ME THAT, RIGHT OUT OF BOOT CAMP I LEARNED THE REALITY OF MY SITUATION AT MY FIRST DUTY STATION, I WAS INVITED TO A PARTY AND WAS IMMEDIATELY CALLED A NIGGER BY A FELLOW COASTY, HE WAS AN ARAB AND ALMOST AS DARK AS ME, HE WAS INCENSED BECAUSE ALL OF THE GIRLS WANTED TO DANCE WITH ME BECAUSE THEY HAD NEVER SEEN ANYONE LIKE ME, THE CLOSEST THING TO ME WAS NATIVE AMERICANS AT WILLAPA BAY LIFEBOAT STATION, I SPENT A YEAR THERE BEING OGLED AND WHISPERED ABOUT BEHIND MY BACK, THERE WERE HOWEVER SOME VERY DECENT PEOPLE THERE BUT AFTER A YEAR OF THAT I REQUESTED A TRANSFER, I WENT ABOARD SHIP IN BOSTON AND WAS QUICKLY INTRODUCED TO THE ROYAL ORDER OF THE WHITE KNIGHTS, YOU MIGHT SAY FROM THE FRYING PAN INTO THE SKILLET, ALL IT TOOK WAS ONE FAMILY DAY ON THE SHIP, MY SUPERIORS COULD DO NOTHING, I WAS ON MY OWN IN THE MOST HOSTILE OF ENVIRONMENTS. EVERY DUTY STATION THAT I WAS SENT TO WAS PRETTY MUCH THE SAME, AND SOMEHOW I WAS ALWAYS THE BAD GUY ? I WRITE ABOUT THIS BECAUSE IT HELPS ME TO RELEASE SOME OF THE ANGER AND FINALLY UNDERSTAND AFTER 50 YEARS THAT NONE OF WHAT HAPPENED WAS MY FAULT, 1965 WAS A TOUGH TIME, THE WATTS RIOTS AND RIOTS ACROSS THE COUNTRY WERE STILL VERY RECENT, I GUESS A LOT OF MY PROBLEM WAS THAT MY PARENTS NEVER TAUGHT ME TO PLAY STEP N FETCHIT OR MANTAN MORELAND, THEY TAUGHT ME TO ALWAYS BE ACCEPTING OF ALL OTHER RACES AND NEVER PLAY THE BUFFOON, THEY DID NOT HOWEVER TEACH ME THAT OTHERS DIDNT PLAY BY THE SAME RULES. I ALWAYS REMEMBERED WHAT THAT PETTY OFFICER TOLD ME AND IT NEVER REALLY SAT RIGHT WITH ME, I LEARNED AT A VERY YOUNG AGE THAT NOT EVERYTHING THAT THE GOVERNMENT ASSURED ME WAS TRUE, I ACCEPTED MY FATE FOR FOUR YEARS BECAUSE I SIGNED ON THE DOTTED LINE AND WHATEVER I HAD TO FACE I WOULD FACE, I LEARNED THAT IN BOOT CAMP YOU HAD TO BECOME A MAN OR BE SENT HOME, THE BIGGEST BADDEST GUY THAT I EVER SAW BROKE DOWN FOUR WEEKS INTO A THIRTEEN WEEK BOOT CAMP CRYING LIKE A BABY, HE WAS SENT BACK TO TEXAS, THATS WHAT MADE ME TOUGH, I COULD NEVER LIVE WITH THAT. NOW I HAVE SEEN WHAT CONSERVATIVE REPUBLICAN FOOLS HAVE DONE TO MY COUNTRY FOR THE PAST 50 YEARS AND I HAVE NO ILLUSIONS ABOUT THE CAVALRY COMING TO MY DEFENSE, I DONT GO TO PARADES, I DONT WEAR ANYTHING OTHER THAN MY DISABLED VETERANS CAP OR MY SHIPS HAT, I AM VERY UNCOMFORTABLE BEING AROUND ALMOST ANY VETERANS EVENT FOR FEAR THAT I WILL AT LAST BLOW LIKE A KEG OF DYNAMITE, SO I KEEP A LOW PROFILE WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE INTERNET WHICH AS I SAID ALLOWS ME TO VENT SOME OF MY FRUSTRATIONS, AND I LIKE MANY OTHER VETS HAVE COME TO ACCEPT THAT OUR COUNTRY LIED TO US, NEVER INTENDED TO MAKE US WHOLE AND AFTER THE FORTY DEATHS IN AN ARIZONA VA HOSPITAL WE GET THE MESSAGE LOUD AND CLEAR
Posted on: Thu, 22 May 2014 17:51:31 +0000
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