Re: WANNABE HUNTERS

[<Decaturvlp@aol.com>]

I THINK A LOT OF IT IS THE ORGANIZATIONAL AND INDIVIDUAL AWARENESS OF 
SERVICE, MAINLY FROM THE VIETNAM ERA - UNLIKE PREVIOUS WARS, AN UNUSUALLY 
HIGH NUMBER OF PEOPLE DIDN'T SERVE, MANY BY DEFERMENTS, MANY BY GOING 
NORTH......THEN, WITH THE PUBLICITY AND HYPE OF SUCH THINGS AS SEALS, SPECIAL 
FORCES, SOG, ETC, ETC, THESE "WANNABEES" NOW FEEL LEFT OUT. (feelings of 
inadequecy??)  DURING WW II, AND EVEN KOREA, THERE WAS NOT QUITE AS MUCH 
MOVING AROUND, AND EVEN AS A HIGH-SCHOOLER IN THE 50'S I KNEW EVERY ONE IN MY 
HOME TOWN (HELL, in the COUNTY!) THAT WAS A REAL WW II OR KOREAN WAR 
VET............BASICALLY, THERE WERE ONLY 3 KINDS - THE VETS,  THE 4-FS AND 
THOSE THAT WERE EXEMPT) AND EVERYONE IN TOWN KNEW WHO WAS WHO. THE VETS 
PRETTY MUCH CAME HOME AND STAYED THERE.   I HAVE RELATIVES IN BIG CITIES  
LIKE CHICAGO - THEY KNEW EVERYONE IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD THAT WAS A VET OR WHO 
WASN'T IN THOSE DAYS.  A 4-F GUY FROM THE SW SIDE OF CHICAGO AROUND COMISKY 
PARK MIGHT BE ABLE TO GO UP TO THE NORTH SIDE TO WRIGLEY FIELD AND CLAIM TO 
HAVE BEEN ONE OF "CARLSONS RAIDERS", BUT EVEN THEN THERE WAS A GOOD CHANCE 
THAT SOMEONE UP THERE WAS RELATED TO SOMEONE IN HIS NEIGHBORHOOD AND WOULD 
KNOW BETTER, OR REMEMBER SEEING THE JAMOKE AT THE BALL GAMES IN 1944/45  - 
SO, I THINK IT WAS HARDER BACK THEN TO TRY AND BE A "WANNABEE"...... 

TONY  NEWCOMB- (SOA-570L) (SFA-450L) (AFIO-5746L) (POVA#168)
State Outreach Coordinator, VETERANS LEADERSHIP PROGRAM of ILLINOIS
"The only easy day was yesterday" - Special Ops -   "You have never lived 
until you
      have almost died. For those that have fought for it, life has a special 
flavor the 
      protected will never know."