I Hereby Resign in Protest Effective Immediately

[TheJames]

88. In 1968, I quit the Air Force, after

having figured out, and thought deeply about why we were in that "war". I had, some months previously, noticed the C-4's parked off to the side on the flight line at Clark AB, where I was stationed. I found out that these were "special flights". They contained coffins. Going "in theater", they were stacked on pallets. Coming "out of theater", they were on racks, so as not to have coffins stacked. I made an appointment with my Commander and told him in no uncertain term that I was no longer willing to assist them in pursuing this war. We talked for about an hour and a half about personal responsibility and choice. Lucky for me, there was a reduction in force going on, and rather than bother with me, he just put me out, "General Discharge, at the convenience of the military".
And, yeah, I didn't think too deeply about war at my previous duty station, Hickam AFB, hard by Pearl Harbor. Hawaii can be so distracting to a 20 year old, raised in the country in rural Louisiana.
It can take awhile to "get your head", as we used to say in the '60's.
Then ensued long talks with my Dad. "What if everyone felt like you? The Russians would be over here in a week," he asked. My reply? "Dad, if everyone felt that way, that would include the Russians and there would be no one to "come over here".