Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2009/06/25
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]I'll preface my response by saying I went to a Quaker Draft Center, got a referral to a sympathetic shrink, got a letter from him, and ended up classified 1Y, which meant 'don't call us, we'll call you, you crazy mother, when the Ruskies are landing in Cleveland.' And, Ted, you know what they call photographers/reporters who haven't "run" at least once in their careers? DEAD. Let's not forget that the war photographer's war photographer, Robert Capa, went ashore at D-Day on Omaha Beach, shot his handful of rolls of film, and then FLED back to a troop ship and was perfectly willing to tell everyone that he turned tail and got the hell out of there. You've been where many of us would never dream of going. And because you made the right choice in 1968, you're still here with us. B. D. On 6/24/09 10:50 PM, "Jefffery Smith" <jsmith342 at gmail.com> wrote: > Well I ran away. Didn't have to flee to Canada, but managed to get a > deferment on an error made by the Pentagon. Had the US been doing > something that really mattered (Kings and Queens, not pawns) I might > have enlisted. > > A lot of my friends were proud of their service during those years, > but not as proud of what we were doing over there. > > Jeffery > > On Jun 24, 2009, at 9:47 PM, Ted Grant wrote: > >> God dam it! 1968 and I ran away from it because I was scared >> shitless! I've >> never run away from an assignment in my life but this one and it's >> haunted >> to this day! >> >> >> >> My assignment was to photograph the Canadians who were volunteers >> with the >> American forces serving there. Far more than anyone has any idea of >> our >> people, young boys went simply because of the many stupid stories >> they'd >> heard fromWW2 & Korea from their fathers or uncles or whomever. >> >> >> >> Me? Heck the year before, 1967, I was photographing the Israelis >> charging >> across the desert in a lightening strike manner as though it were a >> piece of >> cake. So going to Viet Nam the next year didn't seem like any kind of >> problem. It was! >> >> >> >> But now some 40 plus years later this has created a situation I'd >> never have >> thought possible when it was thrown in my face regarding my attitude >> to life >> situations of today! Yes I've finally admitted to running away, >> right here >> and now, never before admitted!! You have no idea how it is to >> finally do >> that after all these years living with the fact .. "I ran away when >> thousands of young boys couldn't?" Maybe being a father of 4 and 40 >> plus >> years of age may have had something to do with the decision. >> >> >> >> I'm sorry to lay this out in front of you as it has nothing to do with >> photography of today, but it has everything to do with photography >> with >> Leica's of 1968 and me running away! No I didn't have to shoot at >> anyone to >> survive, but the experience has been a burden all these years, >> because I ran >> away! :-( Sorry folks! >> >> ted >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Leica Users Group. >> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information > > > _______________________________________________ > Leica Users Group. > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information >