Veterans Day by George J. Condon

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K._Vesi

Veterans Day by George J. Condon

Post by K._Vesi »

The detail in this story is impressive. You create a very believable future world, bleak and war-torn at it is. Hope it is not our future. But the way soldiers often get used/exploited/forgotten by governments, unfortunately, is all too true.
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Robert_Moriyama
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Re: Veterans Day by George J. Condon

Post by Robert_Moriyama »

The bitter edge to this story reminded me of Joe Haldeman's Forever War, where the veterans really couldn't go home again because home had vanished centuries before.  K. Vesi's remarks re:  the poor treatment of veterans by governments, while true, are incomplete:  some veterans, particularly those who served in Vietnam, have been treated as unclean by the civilian population as well.<br><br>It is interesting to contrast this with the accolades heaped on WWII vets in recent days.  WWII was a 'clean' war, with an obvious Enemy with huge resources who could be defeated by mustering enough men and materiel.  Vietnam was -- a quagmire, often literally, where the enemy was often indistinguishable from the rest of the local population, where atrocities committed by the U.S. side were publicized along with those committed by the enemy.  It was hard for people to view veterans of THAT conflict as shining heroes after My Lai and other misadventures.<br><br>Now we have Iraq and the so-called 'war on terror' (well, you do.  So far, Canada has stayed out of that mess.),  Vietnam writ large and dusty and backed by oil millionaires on both sides.  The enemy in the 'war' on terror is everywhere, and nowhere; there are no hard targets that can be destroyed to end it, no central leadership to capture or kill.  Every 'victory' serves to increase the ranks of the enemy, around the world.  But somehow, Dubya thinks this is like WWII ...<br><br>I digress, in politically provocative ways ...<br><br>I guess we are supposed to assume that low (relatively) level radiation from depleted uranium ammunition plus chemical agents (and the antidotes thereto) caused physical changes in the brains of some of the China campaign vets -- like Ephemerol in Cronenberg's original Scanners movie, or Lot 6 in Firestarter.  Hence the existence of Talented zombies, thin, pale, scarred men, often dressed in ragged clothes, who can Do Things with their minds ... an arresting image, and one that begs for more stories exploring the New War between the power-brokers and those with a new kind of power.<br><br>Robert M.<br><br><br>
Last edited by Robert_Moriyama on June 14, 2004, 03:44:33 PM, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Veterans Day by George J. Condon

Post by george_condon »

My thanks to you, Robert and to K. Vesi for your kind words and for your insights about my story. I admit that "Veteran's Day"was a little dark, though I opted for a hopeful ending. Next time, I will try to lighten up a little.<br><br>I hope that readers will not mistake the story for an anti-American political screed. I remind readers that Royce and the other disadvantaged but decent souls in the story are Americans too.
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