Reply #10: You're right--most vets are not eager to go into combat again

[pinboy3niner]

Those attracted to this group will most likely be chickenhawk wannabes--the ones who have the most colorful stories of their combat exploits because they're complete fictions. They tend to be the ones who are most vocal in calling for torture as U.S. policy, and are all for other mothers' sons being patriotic and going to war and doing the fighting and dying while they remain comfortably at home. Their made-up war stories are WAAAAAY over the top, with lots and lots of "confirmed kills."

Tomorrow I have to speak about the Vietnam War to a history class at the local JC. I won't be extolling the glories of killing. I WILL talk about spending 18 months hospitalized on the floor that had all the other facial casualties and the amputees, and about the psycholoogical trauma of war. Usually I talk about politics only in response to questions. But the funny thing is that if it doesn't come up, the prof will ask political questions. I think he just likes to show that vets are diverse in their politics, and not all are war-lovin' wingnuts.