50 years since the end of the Vietnam War. I couldn't fight in that immoral war so I didn't register for National Service. I was liable to be convicted and put in gaol for 2 years. I wasn't the only one. I feel I did the right thing. It's just weird to think I'm this old and it was 50 yrs ago. - ThreadSky

mantikos.bsky.social • 4 days ago

50 years since the end of the Vietnam War. I couldn't fight in that immoral war so I didn't register for National Service. I was liable to be convicted and put in gaol for 2 years. I wasn't the only one. I feel I did the right thing. It's just weird to think I'm this old and it was 50 yrs ago.

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mantikos.bsky.social•4 days ago

This is an excerpt from a post on my blog which I hope will give you a snapshot of my headspace in early 1970's. The whole post is here >> https://dodona777.com/2012/11/07/port-huron-statement-of-the-students-for-a-democratic-society-1962/

mantikos.bsky.social•4 days ago

I was so happy when #Whitlam won the election and I didn't have the worry of going to gaol because I didn't register.

smiffy51.bsky.social•3 days ago

Me too Stavros, I was lucky, got drafted, wasn't going, saved by Gough Whitlam, saved me and the army from some unpleasant times.

hughdebeer.bsky.social•3 days ago

I left the country so couldn’t be drafted and I came back thanks to Gough Whitlam.

mantikos.bsky.social•3 days ago

I was a bit radical. I & 100 guys put my name on list telling the government 2 get fvcked & we weren't registering. One of us went to court. Before he did cops came on Sydney Uni campus & tried to arrest him. We used bolt cutters to free him. We then hid him various houses. He eventually got caught.

hughdebeer.bsky.social•3 days ago

Being Dutch I went to The Netherlands 😳 after a week I got a letter from the government which read that I have to do 18 months in the army 🤣 travelled a lot in Europe until Gough got elected 😁👍 from the frying pan into fire.

mantikos.bsky.social•3 days ago

Being Greek if I went back they'd put me in their army!

hughdebeer.bsky.social•3 days ago

Surely and interesting history we have 😁👍

sandyrendel.bsky.social•4 days ago

I was at university and joined the Sydney University Regiment in the CMF. Signed up for 5 years and ticked the box saying if asked I’d go overseas. Paradoxically this meant you would NOT be called up and sent.
Catch 22, the best catch there was.
Especially as my marble came out of the barrel.

mantikos.bsky.social•4 days ago

This is where my head was at - no need to read the Port Huron Statement included in the post. Just the intro so you can see where I was coming from....all those years ago.
https://dodona777.com/2012/11/07/port-huron-statement-of-the-students-for-a-democratic-society-1962/

mantikos.bsky.social•4 days ago

Wow!

hburlingame.bsky.social•4 days ago

I was 2nd intake and decided during corps training (RAE) that I wasn’t going to fight in the American war in Vietnam and was lucky to get posted to a construction unit in PNG to build schools, hospitals, roads & housing instead.

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