[Leica] Viet nam 1968! :-)

[imagist3 at mac.com (George Lottermoser)]

Dear Ted,

I have no idea who or what "created a situation"
however, I recommend that you apply your KISS principle liberally.
As a 40 year old father and professional photographer
you chose life and family over the insanity of war and violence.

KISS - NO REGRETS - YOUR FAMILY
AND THE LARGER WORLD
HAVE BENEFITTED FROM YOUR LONG CAREER.

Had you called me in 1968
I'd have counseled you not go to Nam;
just as I did hundreds of young men during '67, 8 and 9.
As an active member of The Milwaukee Organizing Committee
we counseled young men on how to:
get to Canada,
apply for conscientious objector status,
refuse induction and go to jail,
or achieve various other draft deferments;
anything to stop that damn war machine from grinding us up.

My own story includes filing as a conscientious objector;
defending that claim through several appeals;
ultimately showing up at the induction center as a 1A
and fully ready to refuse and go to jail;
if my "insanity" did not provide an "unfit" classification.
Fortunately - they soon realized that I was "unfit" for their war  
machine.

Many years ago I filed a Freedom of Information Act request for my  
FBI file.
Very interesting piece of history - especially the heavily blacked  
out portions.
A strange, graphic document.

We all have stories.
We should not regret our stories.
We should, at best, tell our stories well enough for others to  
benefit from their telling.

Fond regards,
George

george at imagist.com
http://www.imagist.com
http://www.imagist.com/blog
http://www.linkedin.com/in/imagist



On Jun 24, 2009, at 9:47 PM, Ted Grant wrote:

> 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!