Anti-Protest Music and Sentiment toward Military Personnel

Here is an essay that my hubby put together for his History II class. I thought it was kind of neat and thought I would share it here. I also helped him do the research.

Anti-Protest Music and Sentiment toward Military Personnel

 

                As I said before, I am not originally from the United States. My home country of Mexico was not involved in the Vietnam War. In order to accurately write this paper I went to my father-in-law who is a Vietnam Veteran. According to Gunny Sergeant Marine Corp, (personal communication December 11, 2014) He was stationed at Marble Mountain Air Facility from December 1969 to December 1970.  Marble Mountain was an air facility used primarily by the Marine Corp in Vietnam. It was a helicopter facility. He states that his time there was more often than not just a normal day. They lived in hutches that didn’t have heat or air conditioning. He said that most of his time there it was the rainy season and they had to keep fresh sandbags around the buildings. He said that the things that stuck out the most for him was the Kent State Shooting in Ohio, several popular protest songs, but especially “Give Peace a Chance” by John Lennon. He also noticed that there was a lot of racism in the ranks. I am going to briefly mention each of the incidents or songs and related material here. Gunny Sergeant Smithson was in Vietnam as the conflict was drawing down.

                Gunny Sergeant  also stated that many people were not nice to Military personnel if they were spotted in their uniforms. He remembers an incident in West Virginia when he was visiting his family. One of his cousins wanted him to wear his uniform to the local fair. He said that he was heckled out of there by people calling him a baby killer and many other not so nice names. (Personal account December 11, 2014) Many Veterans remember when they returned from Vietnam and how they changed out of their uniforms in order to avoid the negative response the uniform brought. They didn’t have parades and warm homecomings and many even stated that once out of the military they tried to hide the fact they were Veterans.

                Due to the draft and the high number of military members being killed every day in Vietnam and the expansion of the war into Cambodia, student protests had begun popping up on university campuses all around the country. For the most part many of them were peaceful protest. On Monday May 4, 1970 that all changed. After a weekend of student protest on the Kent State Campus in Ohio, the Mayor of Kent met with the National Guard to seek assistance with the overflow of protestors. Many business had received threats. The protestors were throwing beer bottles at police cars and damaging local business. By Monday the National Guard was on Campus. They were armed with fixed bayonets and live rounds of ammunition. After throwing tear gas into the crowd and having them thrown back at them, after several attempts to get the crowd to disperse, and being pelted with rocks by protestors, shots rang out. The National Guardsmen dropped to one knee and fired. Out of 77 Guardsmen, 29 claimed to have fired and a total of 67 rounds of ammunition were fired. All of this happened at 12:24p.m., and was over in 13 seconds, leaving four students dead and nine wounded. Two of the dead were not protestors. According to Gunny Sergeant  when word reach Vietnam of the shooting the majority of corpsmen were on the fence as who to truly blame. They felt like the media was falsely portraying the protestors as well dressed individuals who were just on their way to class. They also felt like the majority of the people enlisted in the National Guard, had enlisted with them in order to avoid being sent to Vietnam. (Personal Communication, December 11, 2014) Very few National Guard Units were sent to Vietnam.

                In 1969 John Lee Hooker recorded a song tilted “I don’t want to go to Vietnam” One of the lines from the song states “We’ve got so much trouble at home we don’t need to go to Vietnam”. Between 1968 and 1969 the rise of the Black Power began. In the beginning of the Vietnam War many more African American soldiers were losing their lives than White Soldiers. This was eventually evened out. This was also the first war where the soldiers were integrated and not segregated by race. Many felt that the draft was a form of genocide by the American Government toward African Americans. Others saw the money being put into the Vietnam Conflict as money that could be spent on poorer black neighborhoods in the U.S. African Americans were just as vocal about their dislike for the war as White Americans. They even burned their draft cards in protest. One of the more popular anti-war groups was the Black Panthers.

                Gunny Sergeant  stated that one of his more favorite protest songs was “Give Peace a Chance” By John Lennon. He said that many of his fellow corpsmen listened to the popular music of day and a lot of that music happened to be protest music. (Personal communication, December 11, 2014).  The popular chorus is as follows: “All we are saying is give peace a chance” This was often chanted at anti-war protests. The song was released in 1969.

                Another song that I came across was by Country Joe McDonald and it is called “The Fish Cheer/I Feel like I’m fixing to Die Rag”. It became popular in 1969 when he sang it unexpectedly at Woodstock. The song was well known, but never a hit. It is a sarcastic song urging young and able men to join in the Vietnam War. It also urges parents to send their children to war as soon as possible so as to have the first one return in a box. Here is the chorus:

And it's one, two, three, what are we fighting for? Don't ask me I don't give a damn Next stop is Vietnam. And it's five, six, seven, open up the pearly gates, Well there ain't no time to wonder why, Whoopie! We're all gonna die!

                The Vietnam War era was a time of change in the Nation. The culture, music, and racial issues were all shifting and moving into the modern era.  Gunny Sergeant  stated that he wasn’t angry at the protestors, that more often than not he could see where they were coming from and why they were protesting. He also stated that the reason he joined the Marine Corp is because he had received a summons from the United States Army, but didn’t want to go to Vietnam in the Army because he wanted it to be his choice to serve and to pick the military branch he would serve in. (personal communication, December 11, 2014)                           

 

 

REFERENCES:

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marble_Mountain_Air_Facility

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kent<http://sunpatriot.com/2012/11/07/attitudes-towards-veterans-have-changed-for-the-better/_State_shootings>

 

Proverbs 6: 22) When thou goest, it shall lead thee; when thou sleepest, it shall keep thee; and when thou awakes, it shall talk with thee. 23) For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light, and reproofs of instruction are the way of life:

 

5 Days Before Christmas Vacation

For the most part today was an easy day. A good friend who is about to move across the country from me came over to use my stove. She has already packed just about everything in her house. So here she came to bake 48 pumpkin muffins. It was good to have the conversation, to watch our kiddos play.

Hubby's day off had turned into a half a day at work. Thinking that we were still doing lunch, I got all gussied up and looking pretty. Lunch date never happened.

 Here I am with awesome updo and make up. We still managed to have a quiet day at the house with him working on his work stuff and me mopping and doing some spot cleaning. We made a small supper, he gave the kids a bath and I ran to the store for milk. That was it, not much for an exciting day.

 

 

 

 

Luke 8:15) But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience. 

And There were Tacos

 

 

 

We had pork loins in the fridge, it was a Saturday. Hubby was in the mood to cook and this is what he came up with. Much to my surprise, it was very yummy. It is a true blessing to be married to someone who not only loves to cook, but puts so much heart into it.

 

 

 

This is how it all began. Just a little olive oil, some mushrooms and thinly sliced pork loins.

 

 

He pulled the mushrooms out once they were done and then just cooked the meat, then added them to the meat

 

He did this until they were a light golden brown and then warmed up some corn tortillas. You can use flour if you prefer them.

 

 

Once the tortillas are warmed up he placed them into the skillet and added the meat and mushrooms and then lightly fried them on each side, and then they were done. A simple meal for a lazy Saturday.

 

Luke 1:41) And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost:42) And she spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.

 

 

 



 

 





Six Days Before Vacation

Today is Sunday. Around 12:30 a.m. on Saturday we will roll out. Vacation will begin. Now let me explain the back story to this. Exactly two weeks ago we were not going anywhere. Hubby was not taking any leave. Then it all changed, he came home on lunch and announced that we would be going home for Christmas. I was over joyed but at that exact moment I was already overwhelmed due to other things happening at that moment.

Within a matter of days it had gone from a simple going home to celebrate Christmas to a complicated quest. The In-Laws were added and as if that were not possibly enough, the Father-In-Law decided that this would be the perfect time to lay new floors in our house that we own in TN.

It was now my responsibility to inform my border-line hoarder father who is staying in the house that we would be coming, and not only would we be coming, but we would be laying floors. Needless to say the very next morning at 7a.m. my time, my father is calling me and for 15 minutes outlining all the many reasons this would be a bad idea. As if I hadn't already gone through this very same list.

The idea of just brining his parents was enough to make me cringe. Now I get along with them very well, I enjoy their company, but I am not sure I can travel with them. For one my FIL loves that sappy love/lost love Mexican Music. I can barely handle said music in English, when it is played on the radio I begin to loose the ability to breathe. It cannot be tuned out, even if you try to sleep in a car. Believe me I have tried this tactic when hubby and I were newly married. We had to find the middle ground and it did not include said music. This is a 26 hour trip, can you imagine hearing this music the entire way?

The floors, sigh and adventure all unto itself. So hubby was thinking that we could just go to Lowes and get the stuff we need and be on our merry little way. Nope this did not happen, it did not play out that way at all. We found the laminate flooring we like, nope none of the stores keep much of it in stock. Yep you have to order it and it takes two weeks to come in. But we found a tiny loop hole and maybe just maybe this will carry us through.

Your prayers are much appreciated, and I will keep you updated.


Luke 1: 27) To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. 28) And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou art highly favored, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.

The Creations are Endless

One day not to long ago the hubby decided that he wanted to make Pollo Loco. I was thinking in my mind that there is no way he could pull it off.....but he did

 

 

The only down side was not having the yummy cheese sauce that it is normally covered in when you order it at a restaurant. I have found a recipe for some, so next time

 

It was pretty easy to make. He took two chicken breast and cut them into thin slices.

 

 



Then he used seasoning salt.

 We actually use this for a lot of different recipes.

 

 



You fry the chicken until it is a light golden brown.

 

Now for these yummy looking veggies:



 

These are really quite simple: just heat up some oil, we used olive oil, in a pan drop in the veggies and fry them to desired consistency.

 

Enjoy!

 

 

 

Luke 3:29) Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word: 30) For mine eyes have seen thy salvation, 31) Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people;

Christmas Craft for 2014

 

 One day as I was scrolling through my FB news feed I came across a tutorial on how to make this fireplace. I fell in love with it and printed the picture out. I mentioned to my husband that I would love to make it. Of course he didn't take me seriously....until my son saw the picture that is. So for about a month our son asked everyday for about a month when we would be making the fireplace. Finally hubby came home with the boxes and a plan was formed.

The only supplies we purchased were two rolls of red wrapping paper, one roll of white wrapping paper, and two bottles of glue. We purchased all of this at the Dollar Tree. The boxes hubby got from his work. This was time consuming, but very inexpensive.

STEP 1:  Assemble your boxes, this can take some time if they are all different sizes. The hubby tapped them together with packing tape.

 

STEP 2: We used the flap from one of the smaller boxes to cut out squares that later became bricks. This is where the two rolls of red wrapping paper came into play.

 

 

 

STEP 3: Cover the boxes with your white wrapping paper. We were actually short a wee bit and ended up using the back of the red wrapping paper to finish covering the boxes. We bought the small rolls of wrapping paper, so if you buy larger rolls you may only need one.

 

 

STEP 4: Begin gluing your red squares to the white paper.

 

 

THE FINISHED PRODUCT:

 

 

 

This was our families first ever craft together. The kids do crafts at friends houses or at school, but we don't normally do crafts at home. I highly recommend this project if you have the space and the time. It brought us all together. Our five-year old son helped cut the squares out. Both kids helped put glue onto the back of the squares and the hubby and I glued them on. It was a lot of fun, and a nice accent to our Christmas Tree.

THREFORE THE LORD HIMSELF WILL GIVE YOU A SIGN: THE VIRGIN WILL BE WITH CHILD AND WILL GIVE BIRTH TO A SON, AND WILL CALL HIM IMMANUEL.
Isaiah 7:14

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Riding the Emotional Rollar Coaster

This week has been a hell of a ride. You name it, it has probably happened. I have felt so emotional all week. Ready to cry one minute and raging the next minute. I swear if someone were to offer me a cigarette I would take it. I would deeply inhale each and every breath. The problem with that, I don't smoke, haven't in six years. The same with alcohol. All week long as I drive the kids to their appointments I have envisioned what I want to drink and to what point. It's been a rough one for sure. I will not give in though. I won't drink just so that I can get through or I can forget.

One morning after the hubby has already woken up our daughter and it still isn't quite 6a.m., hubby goes out to start the car and it is dead. Has plenty of power, it just won't start. So I have to get in and try to steer the nearly impossible to steer car as he pushes it out of the drive way so that he can get the van out of the garage. It is cold, it is dark, and he has a big day ahead of him. One that he was already nervous about. So we get him off to work and it is just the kids and I.

I have a semi cranky toddler and an overly hyper little boy. I am counting down the minutes until his bus comes to whisk him off to school. For around fifteen minutes he is running all through the house being loud and generally annoying me. I am not a coffee drinker, but by this time, I was ready for a black cup of day old coffee. So just as the bus pulls up my son tells me that his hearing aide won't work. I begin to pull out the tiny little tools to see if it is clogged, but I can't get it to work. I send him out the door with just one on.

My daughter has two appointments next on the agenda. Lucky for us they are in our home. They go without a hitch but getting her take a nap afterwards was no easy task. Finally she is napping and I am working on a project for the hubby, one I promised would be done and the it isn't happening. The telephone people show up to install a land line. Oh and they need to install a new internet router for whatever technical reason, I was only half listening because I couldn't hear past he blood boiling in my ears.

They get this done, get the network re-named and now I have a wireless printer that will not connect to the network. The blood is past boiling by this point. I call the company and ask them what can possible be done to fix the huge inconvenience to my day. They can do nothing. I call the printer support line and I have a field day with them, but we get it fixed.

By the end of that day I did have a working printer, the hubby did have the requested land line, I did not get the breads that I wanted to bake done. I made a passable supper I took a shower and I read my book until sleep came.

The next day was somewhat better, somewhat in that hubby has offered to drive us all the way to TN so that I can see my older son. I was flying high on this until he decided that when we go home we should pull up the carpet in our house and lay laminate floors, but hey we can do this right?

And then today I over shot our account when I went to the grocery store to buy a few things. My daughter was cranky and I am still trying to fight her to take a nap, but right when I thought I would make progress the maintenance guy shows up and he is not the least bit quiet. So the one day that I actually would love to take a nap, I see this as not becoming a reality.

But in all things give thanks to the Lord, so despite the fact that I want to eat everything in site and I want to play the angriest music I can find, I am thankful that all of that is a viable option.

Matthew 24:42 Watch therefore; for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come