58282 Names on The Wall in Wash, D.C
The United States, over time and even today, has been suckered into war because of foreign powers turning on their own people. Our involvement in Viet Nam caused our biggest casualties other than the Civil War and World Wars I and II. This was my era that seems like it happened 100 years ago although every day, however, I will meet someone who was there, who served, and has memories unforgotten. One such person will speak this morning at Pinecrest, Retired Captain, Peter Matthews. Come on down at 10am.
We ended up there because in the North, the communist government massacred landowners and peasant rebels in a series of purges, with upper estimates of the death toll ranging between 172,000 Northern collectivization efforts, though broadly successfully, also led to a brief famine. In the South, Diem went about crushing political and religious opposition, imprisoning or killing tens of thousands; dissidents were routinely labeled as communists even if they were anti-communist. Both Vietnams developed into virtual police states according to Wikipedia.
We ended up there because in the North, the communist government massacred landowners and peasant rebels in a series of purges, with upper estimates of the death toll ranging between 172,000 Northern collectivization efforts, though broadly successfully, also led to a brief famine. In the South, Diem went about crushing political and religious opposition, imprisoning or killing tens of thousands; dissidents were routinely labeled as communists even if they were anti-communist. Both Vietnams developed into virtual police states according to Wikipedia.
God bless all the souls that we celebrate today this Memorial Day. I always liked what Einstein said about war as "I am not only a pacifist but a militant pacifist. I am willing to fight for peace. Nothing will end war unless the people themselves refuse to go to war." and "The pioneers of a warless world are the young men (and women) who refuse military service." and "I do not know with what weapons World War 3 will be fought, but World War 4 will be fought with sticks and stones."
ReplyDeleteWe need a mentality shift so we have no more deaths due to wars.
The mentality of refusing military service seems like a Fool’s Errand considering the types of enemies who today want to destroy us.
ReplyDeleteThere are nation’s who, like Germany in WWI and WWII, will blindly follow their leaders and will never consider not following orders. Russia, N Korea and China are such countries.
Of even greater danger are the Jihadist Terrorists who volunteer into disparate groups, with or without provocation, to murder and destroy the US. It is hard for me to imagine them disbanding because we won’t fight them.