Chet Baker And I Never Admired The Armed Forces

I'm playing Chet Baker's"Alone Together" as I write this difficult post.Chet is one of my favorite trumpet/singers from the fifties.He was from L.A and more of a personality than anyone of his time and a contemporary of James Dean(only better looking).Chet was a great singer and an excellent trumpet player with a sound as sweet and blue as anyone in jazz in the 50's(West Coast Cool).Miles Davis was jealous of him because he could play and sing like an angel with a needle in his vein.Many angels have died along the way from "junk"and Chet's long mysterious,destructive life ended on a European street after a fall from a window. Chet was in the service for a brief time and I recall he didn't like it that much(saw Berlin's destruction in 1947 and was horrified).He played for the fifty-six-piece 298th Army Band in 1947.He also played in small army dance band and listened to Stan Kenton on the Armed Forces Radio Service(read Deep in a Dream by James Gavin).Chet was in and out of trouble his whole life because of dope.According to Gavin, Baker was frightened and disillusioned by the violence and hopelessness war brings .As they say,he was a lover,not a fighter.

"Alone Together",that's how I feel about Veteran's Day and the love and admiration we bestow on the men and women who serve our country.I feel alone because I was never a participant in the armed forces. They have their own club with stories about the time they served our country and I can't partake in the membership.. I never served and never really wanted to join these organizations. I feel alone because my perspective is very much a minority in our militaristic society(52% of our budget is defense spending). I don't get excited by young soldiers who return from battle or the older veterans who relive their days when they "protected"  the country. All of it strikes me in a negative way. I think it's all foolish (war and war stories) and so destructive to human dignity as it perpetuates horrendous mistakes generation to generation. Many soldiers are very courageous and honorable when they encounter the enemy. Unfortunately, I believe they should never encounter the enemy unless it's unequivocally necessary(WWII).The vast majority of wars shouldn't take place. The world is very impatient when it comes to warfare and violence. Human discourse has always been around and always will if we don't change our perspective and philosophy concerning warfare.One might say I'm naive but sending troops anywhere should be our last,last resort(Colin Powell).

I remember not standing for the national anthem during basketball games in the early seventies. I did so because I was ashamed of the decision to go to war in Viet Nam. It wasn't a response against the soldiers(some friends died in South Asia) but a distaste for war and the administration that sent the young men and women into battle.I also felt the young soldiers had a choice to fight or refuse to go to Viet Nam as they do today in Iraq and Afghanistan. I know I made a decision at eighteen to never follow our country's instructions for the draft. I would never go to war to fight against communism even if I believe it's repressive and destructive to the human spirit. I'm a great believer that time brings sanity to the rulers of a repressed society and change will come without violence through the determination of the oppressed.Diplomacy, with positive, human evolution,usually win out in the long run(USSR).

A few years ago I didn't stand for an honored student who recently fought in Iraq. I did so because I didn't want to give respect to a military engagement I was against. I thought the young man was wrong to go and I couldn't honor his actions even if he risked his life for the cause(which I admired). My actions were difficult because I believe I was the only person who didn't stand.Everyone was standing because they understood the danger of warfare. I only wish they understood that by honoring the student and war ,we perpetuate it. We give it positive attributes that shouldn't be assigned to the violence of war .I'm "together" with the country when it uses diplomacy and patience instead of violence. As a Christian nation, we should follow our teachings more closely and try to avoid war at all costs.Our last mistake cost nearly 5,000 lives, 20,000 injured with 200,000 suffering from traumatic disorders. Service to our country should be mandated with each eighteen year old citizen engaging in a positive occupation that brings support to other citizens. This reflection time would take the young citizens into a world of compassion and a reprieve from the materialism that has fascinated our culture.More time would be spent helping fellow citizens instead of imitating Bud commercials.