Draft Dodging, A Matter of Honor

In 1993, President Bill Clinton spoke at the Vietnam War Memorial. A large group of Vietnam War veterans were in attendance.  As soon as the President began speaking, they stood up and turned their backs.

I agreed. Every man who dodges the draft lets another man serve, and possibly die, in his place.  I have never voted for a draft dodger. Which means since 1992, my only choice has been the candidate who served, or was too young to be drafted.

In 2008, I had a choice. I could have voted for either candidate. I chose the one who did not have Sarah Palin for a running mate.

Every other year I voted for the honorable man or woman regardless of party. There was only one.

Today the veteran and Presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg called out President Trump as a draft dodger.  He was right to do this and brave.  Whether he wins the nomination or not, Mayor Pete is the best candidate in my opinion. Here is the video.

So Mayor Pete and I agree that a man who dodged the draft, who let another man service and maybe die, is not fit to be Commander in Chief. We think it is a matter of honor.

On Memorial Day, my son Nigel and I will go and visit the grave of Major Dick Winters--the soldier that I admire most for his service and his life.

And yet, the vast majority of Vietnam War veterans, men who were despised by draft dodgers, support the current President. The same men who despised Bill Clinton cheer the sleazy billionaire who said his Vietnam was avoiding STDs. If they saw draft dodging as a matter of honor, they could not have voted for the man who could not remember which foot had bones spurs.

Some civilians ask me about honor in the military.  I answered more confidently before 2016, now I have to say we soldiers are just like everyone else.  The best of us are amazing, the rest of us are just people. 

Mennonite Warriors: Pacifist Killers

Dunkard Mennonite Seal

In the early 80s, when I first lived in Lancaster County, I was a tank commander in a Reserve Armor unit based in Reading, Pa. One of the soldiers, a tank gunner, was a Dunkard Mennonite who told his family that he was a medic. This odd young man bought "Soldier of Fortune" and other gun and mercenary magazines. When we were in the field, he talked endlessly about various ways to kill with his bare hands. He owned many knives and liked to talk about strangling the enemy with piano wire.

M60A1 Main Battle Tank, Not an Ambulance

He wanted to remain in his community so he kept his real job and interests to himself. But he loved being a combat soldier, and training with combat soldiers, even if his family thought he was a medic.

Lancaster is very conservative, about 80% Republican outside the city of Lancaster, but also very Mennonite and Amish. So there are a lot of pacifist conservatives.

Recently, I overheard a Mennonite farmer who never served in the military talking about the coming Civil War caused by the "Liberals" who are pushing the nation further into sin. His definition of sin is, of course, things Liberals do. He clearly relishes the possibility of Civil War and talks about it like the tank gunner used to talk about piano wire. He has his military-style weaponry ready for the Liberal onslaught.

These guys were brought up to turn the other cheek, but have secret lives in which they are warriors, at least in their own minds.

It's not that Mennonites don't own guns, all the Mennonite schools close for the first day of deer hunting season, just like every other school in Lancaster County. But the guns are for hunting, not weapons of war.

Both Amish and Mennonites were hated during the draft for their Conscientious Objector status. They got rich during World War II.

F in the Middle Acronyms: Military and Civilian

In 2007 I re-enlisted after almost a quarter-century as a civilian.  I quickly started learning and re-learning acronyms for everything.  My kevlar helmet was an ACH not simply a helmet.

ACH, or helmet

In the 70s and 80s as a tank commander I was always looking for BFRs to keep my driver from hitting them and knocking the track off the tank.  BFR?  Big Fucking Rock. I actually said "Driver Left, BFR."

BFR, hazard to tank tracks

If I was asked to do something beyond my capabilities I said NFW: No Fucking Way.

A few months after I joined my high-school sophomore daughter Lisa said in a casual way that Claire was be BFF.  I had not heard the civilian version of that acronym, so thinking Army, I assumed she was saying, "Best Fucking Friend."  I was kind of surprised that she would use that acronym to describe her friend and said hesitantly, "BFF?"

Lisa said, "Right. BFF. Best Friends Forever." She looked at me, seeing me smile as she spelled out the acronym. "What did you think it meant?"  I told her. We laughed.

The year before she went to see the movie "Jarhead" with some of her soccer teammates. When she came home she said, "Dad! You didn't tell me the right words to the Yellow Bird song." I admitted I changed the words.