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Title: Conscription Equals Slavery: My Time in the Army
Source:
Lew Rockwell
URL Source: https://www.lewrockwell.com/2019/02 ... s-slavery-my-time-in-the-army/
Published: Feb 25, 2019
Author: Gary D. Barnett
Post Date: 2019-02-25 09:56:35 by Deckard
Keywords: None
Views: 2172
Comments: 26
It was a stressful evening sitting in front of the television set on August 5, 1971 with my parents, brother, and sister. It was very quiet and the mood was somber, as my family worried about my fate. The horrible program looked more like a bingo game show than what it actually was; a possible two year sentence of slavery to the state during the Vietnam War. If chosen in this lottery, I was to be drafted into the Army. Irony at this dark level is like a macabre nightmare, especially for the young and naïve. If my number were drawn early, I would be ordered to report for “duty” the following spring. We were huddled together with fingers crossed, anxious in hopes of being there until late in the night, but unfortunately we did not have to wait long. My number was drawn 2nd, and then there was silence. The next few months were wrought with worry as a decision had to be made about my impending incarceration. My father told me at the outset that I should do what I felt was right, and live with my decision. He was very wise and always supportive, and this helped me gain confidence and courage. Mine is not a story of war and killing, or of valor in the face of great danger, it is one of personal rebellion. As I saw it at the time, I had three choices. I could go to Canada to escape the draft, I could simply refuse to go at all and face prison, or I could go into the Army and wreak as much havoc as possible. I had no money, contacts, or job in Canada, and prison for me was out of the question. So I chose to go into the Army, but with an attitude of complete indignation. I did not waste any time. Within the first few minutes after arriving at the Memphis reception center, I stood and declared that I would never kill anyone in Vietnam. Everyone stopped what they were doing, and just stared at me. I was scared to death, but whether they thought I was serious, insincere, or just plain crazy my rant was quickly ignored. What a relief! I already abhorred war, and understood the deceitful nature of the state, and as I soon discovered, this put me in the extreme minority. I was older than most there, 20 at the time, and had been taught by my father not to trust government, something for which I am forever grateful. So it was on to Fort Polk, Louisiana, the hellhole of the Army, for basic training. And yes, it was very unpleasant. As seems to be my personality, I used any and all adversity to get stronger and educate myself about life and my surroundings. I found that helped me to stay focused on important matters. I met several honorable men, and of course some who could not wait to go to war to kill. This was only three years before the war ended, and troops were already being sent home, with fewer and fewer new recruits going to Vietnam. The risk was still evident, but not as much as it had been earlier. I tried to cause as many problems as I could during basic training, with the knowledge that antagonizing drill sergeants in the Army is a very dangerous thing to do. I had my moments, especially considering one particular recruit who was mentally retarded in my estimation, and had no business being there. He was an innocent soul, but he was abused and intimidated constantly by not only a particular DI, but by several of his fellow soldiers. I took it upon myself to protect him as much as I could, a difficult chore to be sure, but he managed to get out mostly unscathed. I finished my time there with the highest shooting score in the company, and the second highest physical training score. As I learned later, this was not the best thing to do given that troops were still being sent to Vietnam. What I did not realize at the time is that one of my drill sergeants was to become an angel on my shoulder. I was told I would get orders to go to Fort Benning, Georgia for Advanced Individual Training and then Army Airborne School. I know this sounds contradictory given my hatred of war, but the competition and training was what I sought. This could have turned out badly for me, but for the unknown caring of one drill sergeant. On the last day when I got my orders, they were for me to report after a two-week leave to a cushy stateside location and a job doing a “civilian acquired trade” that I had absolutely zero ability to do. This puzzled me. I went to my drill sergeant and asked him what was going on, and he said he had my orders changed. He told me if I did go for advanced training at Benning, I would be sent to Vietnam, even though the war was winding down. He said there is no reason to die now. I think he had finally realized the real nature of war, even though he continued to train soldiers. He knew of my position on Vietnam, and also that I could be very dangerous if put in any situation where I had to choose whom to protect in war. It would always be the innocent, not the warmongers. He was much wiser than I had once thought, and I will never forget him for what he did for me. I still have his picture with my unit in my home, and I have never forgotten his name. The rest is history as they say. I was sent to a misfit unit with only 52 personnel for the remaining time in the Army. After causing as much trouble as possible, including at one point pinning a sergeant between my forklift blades and threatening him, things seemed to come to a head. A captain who was tired of the war and military, and was leaving the Army within days, saved me that time, and I mellowed a bit after that. In today’s world, I would have been jailed on multiple occasions, but I must have been lucky. I was told to never come to any formation, or base inspections. I was given an assignment to pick up a truck in the morning, go to work off base, and had little contact with the higher-ranking members of my unit. I was mostly left alone until my time was over. There were some things I did that were unbelievable considering today’s standards, but I made it through unscathed, and with a much better understanding of the horrendous mindset of the military. I have many stories to remember, too many to mention here, and they give me much entertainment, but I would never choose to do it over. Conscription is slavery, and should never raise its ugly head again! Slavery by any name is an assault on mankind, and there is no place for such heinous behavior by any civilized people. Some might think my trouble making and bad attitude was immature and not called for, but as far as I was concerned, being held against my will due to being conscripted by the state gave me every right to cause harm. I did so and never regretted it once. I think those draftees around me who were too afraid to act on their real feelings appreciated my contempt. This was enough incentive for me to rebel against authority and enslavement by the military state, as I do not believe in either. More rebellion and less apathy would be a giant step forward today.
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#4. To: Deckard (#0)
I always considered Lew Rockwell to be a little light in the loafers,as well as a coward hiding behind pacifism,but the above and what followed is an OUTRIGHT LIE that makes me question if he was even drafted. NOBODY has EVER been send the Airborne School at Ft.Benning,Georgia that did not only volunteer to go,but who had to volunteer to take a special PT test to prove they might be able to finish the course. Not even ONE person since the school was started in the late-30's or ever early 40's. I know this to be a FACT because *I* am one of the thousands that volunteered to go to Airborne School,and I had to take the special PT test to prove I had the endurance to compete the training. I know this sounds contradictory given my hatred of war, but the competition and training was what I sought. This could have turned out badly for me, but for the unknown caring of one drill sergeant. On the last day when I got my orders, they were for me to report after a two-week leave to a cushy stateside location and a job doing a “civilian acquired trade” that I had absolutely zero ability to do. This puzzled me. More lies,invented as a cover story to explain why he was never assigned to an airborne unit. Don't believe me? Ask ANYBODY that has ever been in the army if a Staff Sgt at a training command has the pull to get assigned to a " cushy stateside location and a job doing a “civilian acquired trade”. Or anywhere else,AFATG. He knew of my position on Vietnam, and also that I could be very dangerous if put in any situation where I had to choose whom to protect in war. This homo obviously has a rich fantasy life if he thinks anybody in an infantry line unit would be afraid of him. He would make one threat and end up either in the hospital or in the morgue. Soldiers in infantry units tend to take threats to their lives seriously. I was told to never come to any formation, or base inspections. I was given an assignment to pick up a truck in the morning, go to work off base, and had little contact with the higher-ranking members of my unit. I was mostly left alone until my time was over. Un,huh. This whole fairy tale should have started with "Once up a time......". We are supposed to believe this buck private homo with less than 6 months in the army was just given a pu truck and told to drive off base and work all day with no supervision?????? Rockwell is a freaking delusional liar as well as a coward.
I didn't get my Government vehicle license until I got to my first duty assignment and received the proper training on the vehicles (both left and right hand drive), which was about the 7 month mark. And if I did drive off base in a Government vehicle I was required to have a "shotgun" with me at all times in case something happened. One of our heavy equipment drivers was killed when he got out of the wrong side of the tractor and his shotgun didn't stop him. He had a D9 dozer on a lowboy on a off limits road and a civilian vehicle collided with the blade, he got out and was struck by another vehicle. His shotgun was also responsible for allowing him to go on that off limits route. After I got back to the states 3 years later the shotgun requirement was dropped for smaller vehicles like cars, pickups and deuce's.
And even then you had to have a military drivers license,which no one in a training command would have,and you would have had to have gone to the motor pool and signed it out and then washed it,refueled it, and signed it in when you came back. Since you have to be a member of a command in order to sign a vehicle out of their motor pool,ONLY cadre in a training command would be able to sign a truck out. Rockwell,IF HE EVEN SERVED A DAY,was NOT a member of the training command so they would not have allowed him to sign a truck out. Period.
You also had to do a vehicle inspection even before you got in and turned the key, oil level, water level, air pressures, lights, turn signals etc, etc... And you best not leave the "wash rack" in less than pristine condition either, a couple of my guys found that out the hard way on a Friday night after they washed the shop deuce. Being hauled out of the club and put back into uniform to go clean up all the mud they left behind in the wash rack was kinda embarrassing. P.P. our vehicle manager was not amused to say the least. lol
#12. To: CZ82 (#11)
It really is shocking how someone can think they can fool people into believing they were even in the army,when it is obvious they never served a single day. BTW,if I am ever within range of that weasel,I plan on bitch-slapping the piss out of him,and encourage ever other veteran to do the same.
Top • Page Up • Full Thread • Page Down • Bottom/LatestWhat I did not realize at the time is that one of my drill sergeants was to become an angel on my shoulder. I was told I would get orders to go to Fort Benning, Georgia for Advanced Individual Training and then Army Airborne School.
#8. To: sneakypete (#4)
(Edited)
We are supposed to believe this buck private homo with less than 6 months in the army was just given a pu truck and told to drive off base and work all day with no supervision??????
#10. To: CZ82 (#8)
I didn't get my Government vehicle license until I got to my first duty assignment and received the proper training on the vehicles (both left and right hand drive), which was about the 7 month mark. And if I did drive off base in a Government vehicle I was required to have a "shotgun" with me at all times in case something happened.
#11. To: sneakypete (#10)
And even then you had to have a military drivers license,which no one in a training command would have,and you would have had to have gone to the motor pool and signed it out and then washed it,refueled it, and signed it in when you came back.
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