Another WW 2 hero at life's end...

[knloregon]

He, like many in the Greatest Generation, flew missions that seemed impossible to survive, as the pilot of a B-24, the supposedly 'nimble' bomber that couldn't reach the altitudes of (relative safety) of say, the B-17. But survive he did, bringing his crew back from successful missions, intact. His heroism earned him the Distinguished Flying Cross.

 

And while many in America thought of him as a Communist appeaser --- and a coward, He was the first man to earn my vote for President of the United States -- in 1972. Farewell, George McGovern, and God Speed....

[Dan R]

A good man who dedicated his efforts to make the world a better place.

[Mick]

I spent the summer of 72 in D.C., studying at Georgetown and working in McGovern's campaign headquarters. He, too, was the first man I ever voted for in a Presidential election. A great man in my estimation.

[warpedbored]

He was the first presidential candidate I voted for too. An interesting fact, when he was running against Nixon his campaign staff wanted to use Nixon having only been a clerk while McGovern was a bonafide war hero. He responded that everyone who served contributed to the war effort and wouldn't let them do it.

[tsap seui]

Nice to read yawl's comments about McGovern. I can't remember knowing back then that he was a pilot, that would have interested me very much.

 

1972 was the second year of my "extreme hatred" of politicians, the military, in general, anybody in charge of anything. I mean a deep burning hatred to the point it was so virulent it probably took 10 years off my life. By 1972 I was on a roll and had already tuned out of society....taking the old Zap Comix philosophy of the Heads against the Feds to real life proportions .

 

I missed out on anything good McGovern may have had or been. Friends back then knew better than to talk about politics around "Catfish" as I was known by back in those party and wild time dayz.. I wasn't the biggest guy in the crowd just quite possibly the kraziest klown aroun' complete with no kontrol when I got pissed off.

 

Not proud of lots I did in those days. Happy to have survived them intact with no jail time.

 

Very interesting to read yawls comments and to see how this guy touched you....hell, I had gone underground and off the radar most of each year by the time McGovern ran. Funny to look back and see how far off track I got from society...the only real memory I have of politicians and political stuff from those days is the time four of us underground hoodlum Vietnam veterans lined up beside each other and pissed through the black iron fence onto the NIxon White House lawn after a Frank Zappa concert down the street at Constitution Hall. That was about as politically involved as I ever got and it still sums up my sentiments.

 

tsap seui.

[Yuanyang]

uh, he ain't dead yet. Close, but not yet.

[knloregon]

Nice comments, actually Tsap ~ There is no question that the absolute politically polarized nation of that time --- wasn't in any condition for a civilized discussion of national policy --- VN had everything way too raw --- and I'm actually surprised that Mick (at the time) had, after all he had been through -- enough shit together to actually work on McGovern's campaign. Just too bad that the posters on this thread weren't the sum total of the: ELECTORAL COLLEGE ! history would be quite different...

[Mick]

You're so right about my state of mind at the time, Kim. I should have been a lot worse off than I was. I think it was the ten months I spent out in the Arizona desert meditating with those Zen monks and facing some of my dark demons that brought me back around to at least a marginal grasp of sanity. As I have said before, those monks and especially the Abbot, gave me the gift of much healing. I went back to college, and after two semesters in Alabama, applied for the summer program at Georgetown. I was accepted with full scholarship and part of the gig was an internship on Capitol Hill. Although the program was run by an arch-conservative organization, I was more or less the token liberal in the bunch. They, to their credit, got me a placement at McGovern's headquarters, which was far outside their usual placement menu. It was a great experience, especially for a budding writer.

[dnoblett]

Passed on yesterday (10/21/2012) http://www.cnn.com/2012/10/21/us/george-mcgovern-dead/index.html

[tsap seui]

Kim, I can only remember a tad about politics of those particular years. I came home to my barely 18 year old wife, told her I couldn't be around people anymore and we moved from upper Montgomery County to Harper's Ferry, WVA (about 50 miles away) up in the mountains. That time was the start of my tuning out, turning on, and raising my middle finger to so called civilization....cough cough.

 

Still tuned out in so many ways...although, for the first time in my life I watched the, oh my Gawd, presidential debates with Wenyan and Fengqi loosely watching the screen trying to catch snippets about China and asking me questions here and there.

 

Now, I am not trying to spread my view on anyone else or suggest in anyway that I am right.....I found that in ways, that maybe??? it was a good thing I let down my vow of abstinance and turned on the tube to watch this Godawful blankty blank Tom Foolry It is the American way, I fought for our system and our rights that many others don't have.... but I still hate "them" all it's still too soon for me.....I found I haven't missed a damn thing.

 

Tried my best to explain the system and the two songbirds on the TV screen and our system to Wenyan and Fengqi. They want me to go vote....I had to explain, sometimes it ain't easy bein' me. One day they will have the right to vote. Often I bite my tongue to not show the dark side of me....these two are so innocent, I don't want to cloud their new experience.

 

Sometimes it's so tiring to pilot this phantom medivac Huey with bodies and body parts spilling out the back on the grotesque fight for "right for the freedom to vote." Let others vote, I think it'd gag me to walk up to the place you register to vote, that's if I could get out of the pickemup truck to even go inside to begin with.

 

tsap seui

What the hell am I talkin' about? Where the hell am I? I have a beautiful Chinese woman standing in the doorway with a perplexed look on her face, demanding to know when we are going to work.....only a few days left to finish this apartment for the new tenant. Focus your ass slick, get the job done.

[knloregon]

".. I have a beautiful Chinese woman standing in the doorway with a perplexed look on her face, demanding to know when we are going to work.....only a few days left to finish this apartment for the new tenant. Focus your ass slick, get the job done.... "

 

Tsap, I don't have any answers.. As a life long DEM --- I always vote, (mostly party line) now, I'm not so sure...

[tsap seui]

Your thread woke me up to something I completely missed in those days Kim. I read that first post of yours, thought of what a radical I was then, living out in the woods with my wife, riding Harleys as fast and often as possible....just in the wind while America passed me by. Somehow you touched something about those days man.....not so much about Mr. McGovern per se just about the times. Thanks.

 

Funny thing....a tad under the weather today I took a very rare off from working on restoring these apartments for Wenyan (I take 5 minutes off and I feel guilty for some reason)....anyway, what is Wenyan watching on her usual Chinese morning news shows on her computer? The 3rd debates again....in full english !! I tried to help her understand the subjects but other than that not much was said.

 

 

I feel for you with your upcoming decision, this one is not going to be an easy one.....or......... is it? It would be easy for you if you took my just over a year in America wife's advice after her 4 1/2 hours, and now more, of watching the debates. Without anything from me other than a few comments about how it is in America right now, she has her rmb on a candidate she likes.

Me, only time I wuz ever gonna vote was when Ross Perot decided he would run.....then he blew a gasket and the Martians beemed him up....such is life.

 

tsap seui

[knloregon]

".....not so much about Mr. McGovern per se just about the times. Thanks." Exactly, Tsap, exactly... Not so much about the man, but the times --- but he truly was a decent Man as well....

 

 

[dnoblett]

The other day my wife was reading the news and was convinced Nixon had died, I had to tell her Nixon died a long time ago, and they were talking about the McGovern vs Nixon election.

 

Nixon has particular note with Chinese because of his trip to China to meet with Mao.

[Yuanyang]

Originally, I had thought you guys were talking about CSM Plumley (potrayed in We Were Soldiers)

 

Shown here with Hal Moore.

 

http://cdn5.warhistoryonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/MoorePlumley.jpg

 

 

From the movie. Those who knew CSM Plumley said he was 'down played' and 'softer' in the movie than real life.

 

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/10/11/article-2215992-157284F0000005DC-570_634x339.jpg