Inconvenient History
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 19 พ.ค. 2024
- Two individuals who contributed to United States history but have been purposely forgotten because of various factors are explored.
Research Links
Margaret Chung
www.nps.gov/people/dr-margare...
blogs.loc.gov/headlinesandher...
unladylike2020.com/profile/ma...
sites.uw.edu/twomn347/2023/12...
Bayard Rustin
nmaahc.si.edu/bayard-rustin
kinginstitute.stanford.edu/ru...
www.nps.gov/subjects/civilrig...
www.pbs.org/wnet/african-amer...
Other Research
www.nps.gov/articles/000/the-...
www.them.us/story/queer-suffr...
www.wbur.org/news/2023/06/21/...
www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexpe...
My father was a CO in WWII and was imprisoned in Lewisburg Federal Penitentiary because he wouldn't play along with the CO camp program, he thought it was passively assisting the war effort. He was later the Executive Director of the ACLU in Chicago until he came home one day to find the family pet nailed to the front door of the house. The board of the ACLU found him a job overseas. I guess one of the greatest ambitions one may have it to be an inconvenient truther and contribute to the nation without recognition. As Rosa Luxemburg said, "leaders are targets, it's the rank and file who move the nation."
Research I had done on Civilian Conservation Corps camps during World War II stated that this is where COs were sent to perform some service for the United States during the war, but it seems someone was mistaken. It is terrible what some people do to others who disagree with them. There is no excuse for cruelty to any animals, especially beloved pets!
Oh my gosh! I'm wearing another version of that t-shirt right now spooky! Anyway I'm a female Vietnam veteran, I had eight uncles in WWII, my Dad Korea. During my time in the USN I was the only female in our Avionics dept in our training squadron.
The entire four years and it wasn't easy.
I was only 18 truly right off our farm in East Tx. Never dated, nothing. The first months I was calling home crying I was so depressed. Then I got a call to go to the CAPTAIN's OFFICE! Oh my God! I was going to be fired from the USN....
I was shaking like a leaf.
The Captain looked at me and said with surprise, "I want you to know, I received a phone call....from your MOTHER!"
(WHAAAATT???!!!) I was stunned...
He said "I just want to ask you one thing"
Me "yes sir?"
Captain: "Is what she told me true? All these things that have happened to you?"
Me: "Yes, sir" then I started crying.
Captain; "What do you want me to do to him? You've got the whole Navy behind you and this will not happen again, what do you want?"
Me: "Could he go somewhere else?"
Captain "DONE! And tell your mother, much admiration, thank her for the call."
Me: "Thank you Sir!"
Wow...Mom! That man was gone that very day.
My life was so much easier and I think what happened sent a message to everyone else. The guys I worked with became like my brothers, the old Chief was gone and they had tried to protect me as best they could. One of the worse parts of the harassment from that Chief, if I totally ignored him, he gave me the hardest jobs to do, and the guys would sneak around and help me.
One time, I had to have a surgery and my family couldn't be there, it wasn't serious but I was lonely and afraid. When I woke up, all the guys from the shop were there!!
One of the said "We thought about getting you some flowers but they don't last long, instead, we decided to get you a plant that will last longer. BOB, GEORGE Bring it in now she's awake!!"
It was HUGE, These guys brought in a 6ft tall Rubber Tree plant! HAHAHAHA!! They were seriously waiting for me to say I liked it. They were so funny. I actually did like it, had it for a long time.
Well, I may've been the only female there but it wasn't all bad, a lot of fun and funny times. The Captain saw me standing outside the shop one day and asked me if I was in some kind of trouble?
I answered, "No, Sir, sir! They're telling dirty jokes and cussing so they asked me to step outside so I don't have to hear that"
Then the Captain started laughing, said it was hilarious.
My recommendation letter made me so proud when I left, saying that I was a "Lady of the First Order".
That was well over 50 years ago now, I don't like to remember the bad times, the awful losses we had when there were crashes, but there were good times too. Sadly, if we wore our uniforms in public in America, we were spit on! That's how bad it was here, the riots and protests, I didn't talk about my service for decades. I was standing in line to pay at a store somewhere with my dog tags on my keychain. The elderly lady behind me saw them and asked "Were you in the service?" I paused a bit and said "Yes, ma'am, Vietnam" She said "Thank you for your service!" (Oh, that made me cry. before I was spit on now this lady said thank you for your service....that was about 10 years ago, now I talk about it and proud to have served)
I decided to use my veteran benefits and go to college, the first in my family! And graduated with a degree in Military History. Growing up with so many that had served during wartime kind of stayed with me.
Deciding on the USN was after I listened to a speech from President Kennedy in 1963:
"I can imagine a no more rewarding career. And anyone who may be asked in this century what he did to make his life worth while, I think can respond with a good deal of pride and satisfaction: 'I served in the USN"
Sorry this is long, old people are like that! Memories just come flooding back.....
Thank you for your service! I'm sorry those things happened to you while you were in the Navy, and it was inexcusable. What did you do with your degree in Military History?
Yeah, both were in the text books I had.
What state did you learn history from? I was educated and taught U.S. history in South Carolina and they were never mentioned. Social Studies teachers would probably be harassed if not fired for teaching about Chung, Rustin, and other LGBTQ+ individuals because of the culture wars. Also, I was introduced to both individuals at the Colorado State Social Studies Conference this past March. There were two sessions regarding LGBTQ+ history. When Bayard Rustin and lesbian suffragettes were mentioned, I wasn't the only one whose jaw hit the ground because we never knew about the role of LGBTQ+ individuals, such as Chung and Rustin, in U.S. history.
@@teacherbytes All over, raised in the military. States included Wyoming, Washington, California, Alabama, Arizona and a DOD school in Japan.
@@mountbara quite the collection of schools. What states/countries did you spend your high school years in? I am trying to see if you got a textbook marketed to California or Texas. Those two states are the largest textbook buyers in the country and they usually fall into two camps: liberal and conservative.
@@teacherbytes DOD in Japan was High school