Friday, February 13, 2004
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The New York Times
February 13, 2004
Dear Mr. Herbert,
Thank you for today's column. It hit home with me and I suspect the issue of Bush's service is in the back of many men's minds who avoided service in Vietnam.
I am a little younger than Bush. I graduated college in May of 1972 and shortly thereafter received the first of many letters from the Selective Service System.
My father was a real estate broker in the Park Slope section of Brooklyn, so while I was fighting the draft notice I went to work in his office that summer. While we were far from wealthy, my Dad did have a few connections in the community that he had lived in for many years.
After passing the medical and intelligence tests, I got my draft notice in September. To avoid being drafted, one had thirty days enlist in one of the services or join the Guard or Reserves. I had opposed the war and while it was coming to a painful and slow end, the last thing a middle class, white kid-just out of college-wanted to do was go into the Army.
Using my Dad's connection-interestingly, he supported the war-I was able to join the National Guard in October, razing my right hand at the Armory between 6th and 7th Avenues in Park Slop. The unit was "over-manned" but they found a slot for me. Although I didn't have drivers license, they called me a truck driver.
The draft ended on December 31, 1972 but as a member of the Guard, I reported to Fort Jackson for basic training in January 1973. My basic training company was largely composed of other guardsmen who were caught between leaving college and the end of the draft. Although we were bitter about how we ended up in the Army, each of us was very happy that we avoided the war.
Service in the Guard was a joke. You could wear a short hair wig during drills, covering your long hair. Most of my unit, an artillery battalion, was composed of men who were city employees-fire, police, public works, teachers-who also received city pay for their drills. It was a gold mine for them but few had any clue about actually firing our 155mm howitzers.
Missing drills and "making them up" was a common. Sign in on a Tuesday night and watch TV for a few hours and you've made up for the drill you missed over the weekend. While it was no fun giving up time in the armory, it had Vietnam beat.
Everyone understood that the reason they were playing soldier was because they had the connections to avoid service in the Army in Vietnam.
But unlike the president, I enjoyed my service in the active army. After a few years of playing soldier in Brooklyn, I transferred to the real army. I left in 1985-they made me a recruiter-as a staff sergeant after serving in this country and Germany. I never saw combat.
While I'm proud of my service, I also know that my days in the Guard-like my college deferment-was a legal "out" available to well connected white guys to avoid the Vietnam War.
Like thousands of others, I did everything I could to legally not to fight in it. I accept this fact. President Bush did exactly the same but unlike me and other former guardsmen, he wants Americans to believe that his service in the National Guard was something more than the joke it really was. He, and we, played the game. But the joke is really on us.
Thanks again and my best regards,
Peter Roberts
New London, CT
-------------
Peter J. Roberts
Editor and Publisher
Newenglandwow.com
The New York Times
February 13, 2004
Dear Mr. Herbert,
Thank you for today's column. It hit home with me and I suspect the issue of Bush's service is in the back of many men's minds who avoided service in Vietnam.
I am a little younger than Bush. I graduated college in May of 1972 and shortly thereafter received the first of many letters from the Selective Service System.
My father was a real estate broker in the Park Slope section of Brooklyn, so while I was fighting the draft notice I went to work in his office that summer. While we were far from wealthy, my Dad did have a few connections in the community that he had lived in for many years.
After passing the medical and intelligence tests, I got my draft notice in September. To avoid being drafted, one had thirty days enlist in one of the services or join the Guard or Reserves. I had opposed the war and while it was coming to a painful and slow end, the last thing a middle class, white kid-just out of college-wanted to do was go into the Army.
Using my Dad's connection-interestingly, he supported the war-I was able to join the National Guard in October, razing my right hand at the Armory between 6th and 7th Avenues in Park Slop. The unit was "over-manned" but they found a slot for me. Although I didn't have drivers license, they called me a truck driver.
The draft ended on December 31, 1972 but as a member of the Guard, I reported to Fort Jackson for basic training in January 1973. My basic training company was largely composed of other guardsmen who were caught between leaving college and the end of the draft. Although we were bitter about how we ended up in the Army, each of us was very happy that we avoided the war.
Service in the Guard was a joke. You could wear a short hair wig during drills, covering your long hair. Most of my unit, an artillery battalion, was composed of men who were city employees-fire, police, public works, teachers-who also received city pay for their drills. It was a gold mine for them but few had any clue about actually firing our 155mm howitzers.
Missing drills and "making them up" was a common. Sign in on a Tuesday night and watch TV for a few hours and you've made up for the drill you missed over the weekend. While it was no fun giving up time in the armory, it had Vietnam beat.
Everyone understood that the reason they were playing soldier was because they had the connections to avoid service in the Army in Vietnam.
But unlike the president, I enjoyed my service in the active army. After a few years of playing soldier in Brooklyn, I transferred to the real army. I left in 1985-they made me a recruiter-as a staff sergeant after serving in this country and Germany. I never saw combat.
While I'm proud of my service, I also know that my days in the Guard-like my college deferment-was a legal "out" available to well connected white guys to avoid the Vietnam War.
Like thousands of others, I did everything I could to legally not to fight in it. I accept this fact. President Bush did exactly the same but unlike me and other former guardsmen, he wants Americans to believe that his service in the National Guard was something more than the joke it really was. He, and we, played the game. But the joke is really on us.
Thanks again and my best regards,
Peter Roberts
New London, CT
-------------
Peter J. Roberts
Editor and Publisher
Newenglandwow.com
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