Lakewood

Chapter 8

Officially, the United States’ role in Vietnam ended in Paris earlier this year on January 27. Dr. Laighles sees the war lasting for at least another decade internally in this country, until we fight again and forget our current losses. He said people are going to protest this war for decades. I hope he’s wrong. Even though President Nixon has begun the withdrawal from Vietnam, I’m still nervous about being drafted. I’m 1-A, but I don’t trust anyone in government. With the stroke of a pen, my designation can be changed.

The Pentagon announced that 45,997 Americans have died in combat and 10,928 soldiers have died from other causes since 1961. It’s on the front page of The Columbia Union, which is delivered each morning. Right now, it’s sitting next to the typewriter. That’s 5,197 per year or 100 per week. Some U.S. government bigwigs are also talking about ending the draft, which I don’t believe will happen. It’s possible, I suppose. It will make the president a hero for anyone under twenty-eight.

The Columbia UnionI know of a few draft dodgers who fled to Canada. If my draft number is called up, I’ll probably do the same. I would volunteer if our country was invaded. I would fight on this soil. There would be little choice. If my number comes up, I will say I have a heart murmur, which whispers, “I am a scaredy-cat.”

My dad said that as an only child, I wouldn’t be drafted, but he calculated that if I had a draft number, it would have been 344, which is very high. Now, I’m almost guaranteed to never get drafted even if my 1-A were eliminated. Still, I don’t trust the system or anyone in the system, not when you can avoid the draft by being a senator’s son.

“We’re not rich,” my dad said, “but if you got the dough, you don’t have to go.”

I didn’t know this in high school, and it worried me every day back then.

§

Earlier this afternoon, I took the dogs for a long walk to the Rod and g*n Club. On the return trip, I ran them along the lake until the sky turned cobalt blue then black. The air cooled quickly and a stiff breeze across the lake kicked up. I made it home before the rain.

Lakewood is close to many places: Buffalo, Niagara Falls, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Lake Erie. I can drive to New York City in seven or eight hours.

During one of his lectures, Dr. Laighles informed the class that the Nazis had planned on bombing New York City.

“In 1944, the Nazis drew up plans to drop a nuclear bomb on Manhattan. Hell, they’d already tested a nuke. If you think the U.S. was first, think again. Germany had already tested one, but I believe they did not have the ability to control and deliver the bomb. Think about this, 1944 was only about thirty years ago, and all they had to do was level New York City. Then what would have happened? The same thing when we bombed Japan, that’s what. We destroyed their will to fight. Ours would have been destroyed as well.”