It may be post-Memorial Day, but this read was well-worth the delay.
I’m a hair younger than you, and I remember when the first kid from my Indiana hometown died in Vietnam. The family were members of our church, and my mother said she taught him in Sunday School. I went to Jr. High with his kid brother.
What a hash our politicians—and, to be fair, behind them our people—made of the sacrifices of the great and good young men they and we sent to Vietnam. And I say that whether (as some believe) our involvement in that war was initially good and wise or (as others believe) misguided and/or wrongful from the beginning.
(I notice especially among those who dodged the draft a tendency to regard our war as wrongful, and themselves therefore as not so much cowardly as noble. John Kerry is their patron saint, but Donald Trump worships in that church.)
I didn’t dodge the draft. I just narrowly avoided it. I was born in early 1954. Last lottery was 1953s (though I don’t think any of them were sent. I eventually was against the war (having concluded that LBJ had no interest in winning it.) But I always respected those who went.
LBJ capped a career of splitting the difference by so conducting the war as to give the right what it most wanted—no conquest of a non-communist state by a communist state—and give the left what it most wanted—no conquest of a communist state by a non-communist state. He could never understand—even unto death—why he wasn’t loved by everyone.
The best thing about his ex-presidency is that he utterly vanished from public view. No one had to deal with an endless barrage of LBJ on talk shows, explaining himself. A couple of odd photos of him appeared with him sporting shoulder-length hair.
You reached the same conclusion as my father, career Army from the invasion of North Africa through an initial tour in Vietnam. Then, when he was being sent back for a second tour, he retired. He told me he did not care to fight in a war we weren’t trying to win.
You have written a meaningful and kind tribute to an ordinary young man that suffered an unfair fate. I am sure his family and friends appreciate someone who remembers and honors that young life long since passed. Thank you for this Memorial Day reminder. I am grateful for all of the young Tommy Warrens and saddened by their sacrifice.
Very moving tribute, Professor Graboyes. There are two pop songs that this brings to my mind: Glen Campbell’s version of Jimmy Webb‘s “Galveston,” which takes me back to my childhood, listening to my parents talk about why the neighbor boy had to go to Vietnam, and Elton John & Bernie Taupin’s “All Quiet on the Western Front.”
I don't know the Elton John/Bernie Taupin piece, but I will check it out. I love "Galveston." Always amazed that Jimmy Webb wrote "Up, Up and Away", "By the Time I Get to Phoenix", "MacArthur Park", "Wichita Lineman", "Galveston" and much more while 19 or 20 years old. Interestingly, while people associate "Galveston" with Vietnam, Webb said he was actually imagining a man going off to fight in the Spanish-American War.
He wrote some great songs. I didn’t realize he was so young when he wrote the ones you listed, all of which I love. “MacArthur Park” always makes me feel like I missed the first part of the song. Another of my favorites of his is “The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress” (I’m a big Heinlein fan).
I didn't mention "The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress," but it's probably tied with "Wichita Lineman" as my favorite of his songs. I didn't mention TMIAHM because it was written years after those others and because it's not as well known. I love the provenance of the title. From Webb: "'The Moon is a Harsh Mistress' was one of the best titles I've ever heard in my life. I really am guilty of appropriating something from another writer. In this case I had contact with Robert A. Heinlein's attorneys. I said, 'I want to write a song with the title, 'The Moon is a Harsh Mistress'. Can you ask Mr. Heinlein if it's okay with him?' They called me back and he said he had no objection to it." I always thought well of Heinlein for being a good sport about it.
First of all, May 31 IS Memorial Day, as far as I'm concerned. It should be observed in its time as Independence Day is, not to make a 3-day weekend.
Secondly, as I more or less said last year, this is a fine tribute to what sounds like a fine man. I expect many people have remembered him as fondly. I hope we can find enough men like him when we need them again, but I'm not optimistic.
Lastly a minor correction: I was in the 1956 Selective Service group and that was the only lottery I've ever won. (I think we were the last one, too -- so far.) My sequence number was 004, which would have certainly been called up except they had quit calling a few years before. Whew.
I had forgotten the original fixed date. Looking it up, the original was May 30--but 5/31 is close! I'll have to check on the draft lottery. Pretty sure I never faced a lottery. But, I'll look it up.
We're both guilty, then. So I see that the last ones called would have been the 1953s. I was a few weeks into 1954. Guess I was remembering callups rather than lotteries. But funny, I didn't recall getting a lottery number at all. By this chart, had there been 1954 callups, I might well have faced the music. I must have known at the time that the lottery wasn't relevant. But seeing that number gives me pause!
It may be post-Memorial Day, but this read was well-worth the delay.
I’m a hair younger than you, and I remember when the first kid from my Indiana hometown died in Vietnam. The family were members of our church, and my mother said she taught him in Sunday School. I went to Jr. High with his kid brother.
What a hash our politicians—and, to be fair, behind them our people—made of the sacrifices of the great and good young men they and we sent to Vietnam. And I say that whether (as some believe) our involvement in that war was initially good and wise or (as others believe) misguided and/or wrongful from the beginning.
(I notice especially among those who dodged the draft a tendency to regard our war as wrongful, and themselves therefore as not so much cowardly as noble. John Kerry is their patron saint, but Donald Trump worships in that church.)
I didn’t dodge the draft. I just narrowly avoided it. I was born in early 1954. Last lottery was 1953s (though I don’t think any of them were sent. I eventually was against the war (having concluded that LBJ had no interest in winning it.) But I always respected those who went.
LBJ capped a career of splitting the difference by so conducting the war as to give the right what it most wanted—no conquest of a non-communist state by a communist state—and give the left what it most wanted—no conquest of a communist state by a non-communist state. He could never understand—even unto death—why he wasn’t loved by everyone.
The best thing about his ex-presidency is that he utterly vanished from public view. No one had to deal with an endless barrage of LBJ on talk shows, explaining himself. A couple of odd photos of him appeared with him sporting shoulder-length hair.
At the time, nobody knew how much that was worth appreciating.
You reached the same conclusion as my father, career Army from the invasion of North Africa through an initial tour in Vietnam. Then, when he was being sent back for a second tour, he retired. He told me he did not care to fight in a war we weren’t trying to win.
See the harder versions of Johnny I hardly knew ye by the Irish Rovers and the Chad Mitchell Trio.
Thanks! Always looking for good musical recommendations.
You have written a meaningful and kind tribute to an ordinary young man that suffered an unfair fate. I am sure his family and friends appreciate someone who remembers and honors that young life long since passed. Thank you for this Memorial Day reminder. I am grateful for all of the young Tommy Warrens and saddened by their sacrifice.
Thanks so much. I have gotten nice words from his family over the years.
Very moving tribute, Professor Graboyes. There are two pop songs that this brings to my mind: Glen Campbell’s version of Jimmy Webb‘s “Galveston,” which takes me back to my childhood, listening to my parents talk about why the neighbor boy had to go to Vietnam, and Elton John & Bernie Taupin’s “All Quiet on the Western Front.”
I don't know the Elton John/Bernie Taupin piece, but I will check it out. I love "Galveston." Always amazed that Jimmy Webb wrote "Up, Up and Away", "By the Time I Get to Phoenix", "MacArthur Park", "Wichita Lineman", "Galveston" and much more while 19 or 20 years old. Interestingly, while people associate "Galveston" with Vietnam, Webb said he was actually imagining a man going off to fight in the Spanish-American War.
He wrote some great songs. I didn’t realize he was so young when he wrote the ones you listed, all of which I love. “MacArthur Park” always makes me feel like I missed the first part of the song. Another of my favorites of his is “The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress” (I’m a big Heinlein fan).
I didn't mention "The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress," but it's probably tied with "Wichita Lineman" as my favorite of his songs. I didn't mention TMIAHM because it was written years after those others and because it's not as well known. I love the provenance of the title. From Webb: "'The Moon is a Harsh Mistress' was one of the best titles I've ever heard in my life. I really am guilty of appropriating something from another writer. In this case I had contact with Robert A. Heinlein's attorneys. I said, 'I want to write a song with the title, 'The Moon is a Harsh Mistress'. Can you ask Mr. Heinlein if it's okay with him?' They called me back and he said he had no objection to it." I always thought well of Heinlein for being a good sport about it.
First of all, May 31 IS Memorial Day, as far as I'm concerned. It should be observed in its time as Independence Day is, not to make a 3-day weekend.
Secondly, as I more or less said last year, this is a fine tribute to what sounds like a fine man. I expect many people have remembered him as fondly. I hope we can find enough men like him when we need them again, but I'm not optimistic.
Lastly a minor correction: I was in the 1956 Selective Service group and that was the only lottery I've ever won. (I think we were the last one, too -- so far.) My sequence number was 004, which would have certainly been called up except they had quit calling a few years before. Whew.
I had forgotten the original fixed date. Looking it up, the original was May 30--but 5/31 is close! I'll have to check on the draft lottery. Pretty sure I never faced a lottery. But, I'll look it up.
As I've said, it's not what I don't know that bothers me, it's what I know for sure but isn't so. I sit corrected about the date.
But not the draft: https://www.sss.gov/history-and-records/vietnam-lotteries/
We're both guilty, then. So I see that the last ones called would have been the 1953s. I was a few weeks into 1954. Guess I was remembering callups rather than lotteries. But funny, I didn't recall getting a lottery number at all. By this chart, had there been 1954 callups, I might well have faced the music. I must have known at the time that the lottery wasn't relevant. But seeing that number gives me pause!