Thank you to all of our Veterans for their service!
Chuck
I'm of an age to remember when the experience of military service was much more widespread among the (male) US population. I was drafted in the fall of 1965, served two years in an infantry company that only left Ft. Carson in Colorado Springs, for a brief "TDY" at Ft. Riley KS. As one of the few college grads in Co A 2nd Bn 61st Inf, and having some prowess on the typewriter, I got installed as company clerk, and churned out orders and reports until discharged as a Sp5.
What I got was exposure to a diversity of fellow draftees, and a few enlistees, that I would never have otherwise experienced. Black, white, Latino, from all over the US -- even Guam -- educated and school dropouts, working class, middle class (few rich kids, unsurprisingly). Officers, NCO's, enlisted personnel, a mixture I never encountered in my small-town NY youth, or at my Ivy League school. I squirreled away my modest pay, enough to buy a slope-shoulder Gibson J-50, a Muse 5-string banjo built by Ode, and an Appalachian model Autoharp from Harry Tuft's Denver Folklore Center. I picked when possible, at the service club and elsewhere, met some good Denver musicians like Mary Stribling and the late Dave Ferretta, put in my time doing the best I could, and welcomed my "ETS" in November 1967.
Now our service people are self-selected, volunteering, not "unwilling conscripts" as many of us Vietnam-era soldiers were. As such, they merit more admiration, perhaps, than a draftee like me, who wouldn't have chosen to enlist if circumstances were different, but who "did my duty" and gladly returned to civilian life. I can give them the automatic "Thank you for your service" respect, but when it's offered to me, I feel a bit of an impostor. As Townes Van Zandt wrote:
"He only did what he had to do,
And now he's growing old."
Allen Hopkins
Gibsn: '54 F5 3pt F2 A-N Custm K1 m'cello
Natl Triolian Dobro mando
Victoria b-back Merrill alumnm b-back
H-O mandolinetto
Stradolin Vega banjolin
Sobell'dola Washburn b-back'dola
Eastmn: 615'dola 805 m'cello
Flatiron 3K OM
I was in the final 1974 draft lottery, #35. Graduated High School at 17, so I was in college. My father was Air Force, Korean War. My father's father was a Marine, WWI.
That year I really wrestled between a war that I hated and my duty to country. No one was drafted that year and I was relieved. I honor all who take their duty to serve their country seriously and especially those who went through hell for our sake.
My father-in-law was a Naval corpsman with the Marines in the WWII Pacific Theater. From him I have a first hand account of the terror and the resulting debilitating injuries to mind and body.
1989/2019 Ike Bacon/Barry Kratzer F5
1945 Levin 330
192? Bruno (Oscar Schmidt) banjo-mandolin
early Eastwood Mandostang
2005 Tacoma CB-10 acoustic bass guitar
Fender Tweed Deluxe clone
A big thank you to all who have served our country and made it possible for us to spend time learning to play the mandolin.
"All of us contain Music & Truth, but most of us can't get it out." - Mark Twain
Eastman MD615SB
Martin D35
Gibson SG
I grew up believing military service was what you did, that it was a small price to pay for the blessing of living in this country. I still feel that way.
I was an Air Force medic back in the 60s.
♫
David Hopkins
2001 Gibson F-5L mandolin
Breedlove Legacy FF mandolin; Breedlove Quartz FF mandolin
Gibson F-4 mandolin (1916); Blevins f-style Octave mandolin, 2018
McCormick Oval Sound Hole "Reinhardt" Mandolin
McCormick Solid Body F-Style Electric Mandolin; Slingerland Songster Guitar (c. 1939)
The older I get, the less tolerant I am of political correctness, incompetence and stupidity.
There are organizations who provide musical instruments to Veteran's Hospitals. Seek one out and give them that old beater you have in the closet.
Silverangel A
Arches F style kit
1913 Gibson A-1
I served in Vietnam which I strongly believe was a senseless war and what makes me sick is that there were over 40,000 deaths of US serviceman 22 years old and younger !
i appreciate all of you who served. Thank you.
In my area there is a Military base, a Coast Guard station and a submarine building shipyard - all within just about 3 miles of each other. Needless to say, there is a lot of military presence and military pride on our streets.
One of my fondest memories is being about 5 years old and watching a Veteran's Day parade that processed just just up the street from our house. At one point I saw a small group of old men marching together. When I asked my father (who served in WWII) who they were, he told me that they were World War I veterans - and for some reason it had a profound impact on me that continues to this day.
My old radio boss (who passed away about 10 years ago) was born in Maryland in 1913 and often recalled the Civil War veterans who lived in his neighborhood.
Those of us who live in the U.S. should have much to remember and be thankful for on this holiday. Like SOMorris above - 'thank you' to all who served. I salute you.
I graduated high school in 1973 and I drew in the '73 &'74 draft high numbers,past 300 so I wasn't going anywhere. My brother in law served in Nam though,,my father in law joined the Army at 17 to see the world and then W.W.2 broke out,,he was a marine that went down on the U.S.S.Vincennes during a kamikaze attack,he sat wounded in shark infested waters for 3 days,survived that,went to Thailand to repair and in 2 weeks is back storming a Japanese island,,he lived to almost 90 and went on to accomplish many great things,,I've talked to him a lot about the war,,and he always got pretty emotional about it,,it basically ruined this awesome guys life..
I graduated in '68, draft number 2. I enlisted in the Navy, did overseas time in an ammo depot, and worked on Appolo 9. Also worked for 20th Century Fox when filming Tora, Tora, Tora. All in all quite an experience. Drove the shuttle boat going to the Arizona memorial. Still get emotional when I talk of that time. 75% of passengers were Japanese and would kneel, pray and cry on the memorial. Often wondered how many have gone to Hiroshima or Nagasaki and prayed and cried. I am sure some have. It was impressive in the 60's how many Japanese came, it was very expensive then for them.
THE WORLD IS A BETTER PLACE JUST FOR YOUR SMILE!
God bless all who have served!
I believe he's a member of "Country Current," the Navy's country and bluegrass band. They're really quite good. Check this out:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3MwiOlGaDSc
David Hopkins
2001 Gibson F-5L mandolin
Breedlove Legacy FF mandolin; Breedlove Quartz FF mandolin
Gibson F-4 mandolin (1916); Blevins f-style Octave mandolin, 2018
McCormick Oval Sound Hole "Reinhardt" Mandolin
McCormick Solid Body F-Style Electric Mandolin; Slingerland Songster Guitar (c. 1939)
The older I get, the less tolerant I am of political correctness, incompetence and stupidity.
Thanks DHopkins! They rip . . . WOW
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