VVAW – I Ain't Marching Anymore

50 years ago, exposing a war tlhat was one long crime

It’s more important than ever to remember and acknowledge the veterans who peacefully organized to tell truths only they knew.

In the news today

Ward Reilly’s so much of a firecracker now, I can only imagine when he was an infantryman stirring up trouble in 1974.

Unstuck in time again, in a good way

It’s been forever, I know. I should have at least updated my other shop’s cheers as Sotomayor became a Justice, especially the soulful essay about how she, a wise Latina herself, felt during that confirmation ceremony. But given the demands of that other shop (go look! Make comments!) and that I’ve been writing the lastContinue reading “Unstuck in time again, in a good way”

of time warps, and beside-the-point ANSWERs to worlds that can wait

a little rant, about something that’s none of my business.

The months reading/writing about the “Vietnam years” made me feel more strongly than ever about trends I’m seeing in some of these newer veterans’ groups — stuff I keep TRYING, in good journalistic fashion, to shut my mouth about so that I can just watch it happen in real time. It’s about the perpetual dance between dissenting veterans and groups of the sectarian left, for whom the latter are sort of a dream date.

"Let’s hope I don’t have to call you from under a freeway bridge"

From one of the veterans’ lists I’m on, a cri de couer from Placido Salazar, retired USAF who served in Vietnam: This Wednesday morning, I heard that DOD/VA were holding Suicide Prevention “hearings” at the most luxurious hotel (Grand Hyatt) in downtown San Antonio. I was able to get there for the afternoon session. IContinue reading “"Let’s hope I don’t have to call you from under a freeway bridge"”

why I went to New York this week: video

Just a brief note to annotate the video above. Filmmaker David Eric Allen, who I met there, did a good job of conveying the event I was there to witness – the arraignment of 15 young veterans and their supporters — and even intermixed footage of Monday’s events with that of the moment onContinue reading “why I went to New York this week: video”