» High cost of war: The U.S. Army stored Agent Orange in Danang, also a common place for soldiers to be found when on leave, and used more than 12 million gallons over the decade-long Vietnam War. This marks the first time that the United States has attempted to clean Agent Orange from Vietnamese soil and, according to U.S. Ambassador David Shear, the two countries hope the process will be the “first steps to bury the legacies of our past.”
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About 45 years ago, George Romney was looking hot. A popular Michigan governor who did well in the 1964 Republican primary (but did not win), he was considered a frontrunner in the 1968 race. Until this interview above, that is, done in August 1967 by Detroit news personality Lou Gordon. When asked about the Vietnam war, he explained why his views changed so that he was suddenly against the war. His answer? “When I came back from Vietnam, I had just had the greatest brainwashing that anyone could get.” This one comment derailed his campaign, decades before Twitter would’ve made that comment blow up like a forgotten third thing in a debate. MLive has a really great history on this interview that’s worth a read. source
Unlike most draftees, this guy made a career of it. Back in 1972, 19-year-old Jeff Mellinger received a draft notice from Richard Nixon. Roughly 39 years later, Mellinger, now a Command Sergeant Major who’s taken part in numerous wars and helped out at Ground Zero, will be the last Vietnam-era draftee to retire. Talk about taking something that wasn’t really your choice and running with it. (Photo by Alex Brandon/Associated Press)
» Harvard’s take: “Our renewed relationship affirms the vital role that the members of our Armed Forces play in serving the nation and securing our freedoms, while also affirming inclusion and opportunity as powerful American ideals,” said university president Dr. Drew Gilpin Faust. She sounds very positive about the change, doesn’t she?
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