In the 1950’s the military was a
very big deal. The Korean War was winding down. We were in a cold war with
communist countries, lead by Russia and we were expecting them to attack at any
time. They had promised to annihilate America or at the least make us a
communist country. China was rising and there was a strong movement to restore Chiang Kai-shek to power .The Vietnam War had begun
November 1, 1955, just as I was beginning high school. There was a threat of
was over the heads of all high school boys. They would turn 18 during that was,
register for the draft and… many feared they would be sent to the Orient and
not for a vacation.
The USA had used the Atomic bomb
and now believed in atomic power at a deterrent to conflict. The administration
increased the number of nuclear warheads from 1,000 in 1953 to 18,000 by early
1961.
The Soviets produced the first intercontinental ballistic missile (1957), first
satellite (Sputnik-1 1957), first
animal in space (the dog Laika
on Sputnik 2 1957), were working on putting the first
human in space and Earth orbit (cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin
on Vostok 1 1961), The USA had entered the space race late
and were playing catch-up.
To begin to complete in this new world
order, the Russian language was taught and we were encouraged to learn it,
science classes were beefed up and young men were compelled to register for the
draft. War was coming.
To that end, many schools had Reserved
Office Training Corp (ROTC). It was a large and respected program in my high
school. Our 1959 yearbook dedicated twelve pages in a section entitled
“Military.” Besides the officers and cadets, there were honorary officers (girls selected to these positions).
There were several military sub-groups. The Kings and Queens Hussars (two separate groups) who served at the
coronation of the king and queen of Aksarben (Nebraska spelled backwards). There was a rifle team, a crack
squad, a military band, a commissioned officers club, a Non-Commissioned
officers club, a color guard, and the military police. I don’t know where the
brig was, but I had been on the rifle range.
The numbers enrolled in ROTC were huge.
Since most of us were sure we would be headed to war, becoming an officer was
appealing. To achieve that would require four years in high school, four in
college and officers training school. Being a grunt was quicker and easier, but
more likely to put you in the front line.
I have often wondered how many of my
classmates served in the military, how many went to Vietnam, and how many came
home. Central was a top academic school ranked 20th in the nation.
The school was loaded with very bright, intelligent students the majority of
whom would go on to college. Very few were drafted out of college. Fewer upper
class, white boys were called to report. Did we go, were we called, were we
conscripted?
The poor also attended Central. They
lived all around the neighborhood, but there were not many of them compared our
neighbor school, Tech.
The conscientious objectors, the draft
dodgers, and the infirm kept quiet. To speak up was to make a defense for not
going. We were obligated to go. Those who just plain hated the war were just
beginning to voice an opinion. They didn’t get loud until the 1960’s, but the rumbling
was beginning to be heard even though the group determined to shit them up was
larger. That would change.
Forgive me, but I went to Canada in
1962. It was totally unplanned and not to escape Vietnam. That story comes up after the high school stories.
The Kings Hussars - wish they were in color. Striking.
The Queens Hussars all dressed in white.
There were many in ROTC and they had their own ball.
Hussars is a Hungarian Mounted Military term used throughout Europe and
England where they serve the Queen.
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