OTB on KUAR
I’ll be appearing on “Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow” on KUAR, Little Rock’s public radio station, from 4 to 5 Eastern to talk about the military draft with host Phil Mariage, freelance writer and pastor Allen Teal, and WWII vet Ralph King. The show will stream live and be available for download later.
[UPDATE: Actually, while we’re recording at 4 to 5, the show doesn’t air until 8 Tuesday.]
The premise of the show is an inter-generational dialogue on an important topic.
Looking back over history at the time of WWII our attitudes were entirely different than those held by the younger generation during the Viet Nam War. What does the draft mean to you and what would be the response of tomorrow’s younger generation if the draft were to be renewed?
Amusingly, at 44 I’m the “younger generation” for the purposes of the show, as Teal is a grandpa and King is 86.
Teal published an essay titled “How Would a Military Draft Change American Society in the New Millennium?” a couple years back.
King served with the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne, made famous in Band of Brothers. He was wounded in combat, served in the Battle of the Bulge, and became a lifer, joining Special Forces in 1951 and retiring after 21 years in 1964.
This is a topic I go back and forth on. I think we could be well served by having a broader swath of society serving in the military. OTOH, almost everyone currently serving dreads having draftees around. On balance, I currently oppose a draft, but could tip the other way pretty easily.
Steve