Reddit Link: https://www.reddit.com/r/interestingasfuck/comments/pkdc1w/this_is_the_grave_of_technical_sergeant_leonard/
Obviously, there are weird feelings about this, and I don't really want to dunk too hard on an individual who was a victim of America's response to the AIDS crisis and treatment of homosexuality in general... but come on.
I really cannot tell what the takeaway is supposed to be from this memorial.
I am not meaning to undermine homophobia. I am only pointing out that the guy was willing to inflict misery and death onto others, but when the machine turned its gaze on him he was quick to point out the oppression and cruelty.
Probably a victim of the draft. And lived in a time of ignorance in general. Don't know how to feel either, but mainly feel pity.
Oh. And the obligatory "fuck Reagan" is in order.
Nah, he signed up. I checked.
This also ignores that there were tonnes of protests and resistance to the war.
Only 1/3 of American soldiers in Vietnam were drafted. Most volunteered.
The draft might have been unpopular at the time but it works wonders for propaganda decades later.
You can just say "but they were drafted" and that magically makes all the horrific shit okay because they didn't want to do it.
IIRC, a higher percentage of the US fighting force in Vietnam was volunteer than their force for WWII
I’ll argue that a lot of men who went to Vietnam willingly (I’ve talked to a few at the VA) we’re signing up to “fight communism and give the Vietnamese democracy and freedom.” The propaganda at the time would have been insane at the height of the Cold War, and the counterculture popping off at the time would have been something else to struggle with. Not defending his service, but it is always more complicated than assuming “they wanted to kill people for amerikkka”.
Also, if you willingly signed up you got more of a choice of job than if you were drafted, but if he did kill 2 comrades then I’m not sure why he picked a combat job or whatever.
In the 30’s the CPUSA (when it was good still) was the 3rd largest political party.
but always navigate to it rather than following direct links, which easily allows reddit to filter votes
lol, I posted this in /r/leopardsatemyface lets see which way it goes
https://www.reddit.com/r/LeopardsAteMyFace/comments/pkrt9n/cant_believe_the_government_i_helped_in/?
Twist: The people he killed were officers that he fragged.
I know they weren't, but wouldn't that be nice?
* Gets discharged from imperialist army *
"Oh dip, this is just like the holocaust"
yea i don't think vietnam vets talking about their experiences in vietnam are generally advocating for military service, seeing as they were mostly conscripts.
- They were not mostly conscripts. Most, including this guy, volunteered.
- If they were drafted, not fighting is still an option.
Americans act like getting drafted gave their stormtroopers carte blanche to do whatever they wanted. Imagine explaining to the loved ones of those two Vietnamese comrades that you're sorry they died, but you might have had to go to prison for a little while if you didn't run off to murder them in their own homes.
I thought, years ago when I first saw this, that he was drafted, and the point was that they extracted violence from him and punished him for love. New context, screw this guy.
Bahahahahahha a discharge for loving one. Dude got an STD in the army and put it on his grave stone.
I would feel better about that if we could get confirmation both those Vietnamese guys were straight
