様々な分野でグローバルに活躍する「普通の人々」が体験を語り、次世代の普通の人々のお役に立てればと思っているサイトです。

日本在住歴約40年のRon McFarlandと外資系勤務が長い齋藤信幸が、それぞれの海外体験を語ります。

Ron McFarlanの Personal Journey (7) - ベトナム戦争と徴兵の恐怖、そして友の死

2021-03-28 23:01:00 | Ron's Life Story
第二次世界大戦敗戦後、日本は戦争を全く経験していません。本当に平和な半世紀以上を過ごしています。また、シンガポールや韓国のような有事に備えた徴兵制もありません。

ベトナム戦争の最中、志願して兵隊になった人もいましたが、ボクサーのモハメド・アリのように徴兵拒否した人もいました。Ronさんの場合はどうだったのでしょうか。

反戦運動も盛んでした。当時の反戦歌はここ。



As the Vietnam War was still raging, we were all susceptible to go to fight. Then, came the US Army Enlistment Lottery, which was the newest selection method for drafting men to enter the US Army, be training as solders and sent off to Vietnam to fight. In the system, there were 365 numbers, one number for every day of the year. The higher the number, the less likely you would be called up to go into the military.

Well, I got 108, a number sure to be drafted. That was a real blow, as I hated fighting and hated even the smallest of guns. So, I joined whatever military reserve unit I could get into for six years. I felt that would be much better than two years in the active Army and a chance of being killed.

Anyway, I found an Army Reserve training unit right in San Jose. I signed up for whatever specialty they had available, and there was only one assignment open to me, drill sergeant! So, I could peacefully, carry on with my studies, do my security guard job and go to my monthly US Army Reserve meetings without being killed.

Then, disaster struck. One day, I came in late from my security job at the refrigeration plant to be surrounded by policemen and a lot of sad, crying faces. I think it was Bill Minkel, another roomer who gave me the bad news. Bill Minkel, Ken Holden, David Koppel and several others in the house were also from Mountain View. On weekends, Ken Holden would hitchhike home to be with his family. Well, evidently a murderer picked him up and was brutally killed. His body was found in the mountains in the area. That was my last semester just before graduation, and I was going through final tests at the time.



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