I was drafted in 12/1*66. Had a sweet college Track scholarship at the University of Maryland, which meant a deferment from service. BMOC, or at least somewhat. Spiro Agnew was governor of the state at that time. On campus, was where the notorious Students For A Democratic Society (SDS) anti-war group started. On a tour with the Track Captain, we came upon a organized protest by them. The speaker asked, "Who ran against Washington in the first US e******n?" From a good Catholic education, I knew the answer and expected the large, antagonistic crowd to give a quick answer.

A short digression: Ho Chi Ming was running unopposed for president of a united Viet Nam. The official position of our government was that this was not a true democratic e******n and opposed it.

The crowd was disappointing. After maybe ten minutes of throwing out the name of every Founding Father, the speaker for SDS said two words: "No one." Two football players rushed the podium and knocked him to the ground. Security quickly intervened. But that day stuck with me.

I was very anti-war at that time. Innocents are k**led in such conflicts and that broke, for me, the 6th Commandment: "Thou shalt not murder." In my second year, this whole issue weighed very heavily upon me. The status quo became an accusing finger. So without telling my dad, the coach or anyone, I went down to the Selective Service center and changed my status to 1-A. With that, I was determined to be infantry all the way, go to Nam...and refuse to fight. Fate intervened and kept me from that alternative.