Honoring Veterans

 11/11

PACKOS and MASH

Today’s hats off is to our veterans.  I’m not usually one for military style wear and especially the wearing of camo by shorts teams. But I’m making exception in a unique way. We’ve got a military style hat and olive green sweat shirt from Tony Packo’s, the famous hot dog emporium in Toledo, Ohio.  Packo’s was made famous by Toledo native Jamie Farr in his role of Klinger in the long-running Korean War era series M*A*S*H.  While Klinger usually dressed as a woman in an effort to get out of the service, his parents regularly sent him care packages from Packo’s and Klinger would occasionally opt for a Toledo Mud Hens jersey and hat thus creating an ongoing connection between MASH, Mud Hens and Packos. 

Klinger and Hawkeye in MASH

Though set in the Korean War era, MASH was clearly reflecting on the then active Vietnam conflict. The Korean War was the first of what would become an ongoing pattern of US involvement in post colonial struggles in unwinable wars that don’t end, up to the just concluded Iraq and Afghanistan engagements. 

As for Veterans Day, it began as Armistice Day noting the end of World War on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month first recognized in 1919, declared in 1926 and made official in 1954 by President Eisenhauer. In 1971 an effort was made to shift it to the universal  Monday pattern but noting the historic value of the 11’s, President Bush returned it to November 11 in 1975.

I dislike the camo uni trend because it seems like a cheap way to honor those who have risked their lives, often at great cost in their lives towards questionable ends, not to mention the simple issue of esthetics. That said, I find the Pirates current olive green and black combo actually works. 

Pirates' olive and black

Far better than ceremonies at ball parks and wearing camo in November, we would do better to deal with issues like homelessness of veterans, health care and offering real support for those with PTSD and overall support of veterans’ families. Since the end of the draft, we have created a warrior class of people pushed toward military service for economic reasons. The burden of service falls especially hard on people of color and lower income. 

I continue to believe that if we had had a draft, our wars in Iraq and Afghanistan would have ended much sooner. Instead they have been fought by “other peoples children,” out of sight, out of mind.  Universal national service, military and beyond, should be shared by all in a true democracy. 

Politics aside, it’s time to do right by our veterans.