As many of you already know, I was in the Army. I enlisted (to avoid being drafted) in 1969. I served until 1972 not long after I was taken off flight status due to yet-to-be correctly diagnosed issues with my back and legs that prevented me from sitting in a cockpit. My life began again … Continue reading Why Veterans Should Abhor Him
Category: Veterans Issues
The Wall
I wrote a letter to the editor of the Seattle Times and it was published on Dec 26, 2018. I have included the original text--their version gets to the meat of the subject, but is somewhat abbreviated. There should be no walls in the wilderness... The poor cannot eat a wall. While bridges fail, forests … Continue reading The Wall
A Christmas Story
I wrote a short story for my Facebook friends that I thought you would enjoy. Christmas 1969: I arrived in Vietnam in April (IIRC) of 1969 and flew helicopter combat and resupply missions until one day in late December, the Captain came up to me. "Mr. Vaughn?" "Yes, sir," I said, thinking "Now what?" "Do … Continue reading A Christmas Story
Veterans Day, 2018
It's Veterans Day. It's a day when some of us recognize those who sacrificed part or their entire lives to service. Some were drafted (or in my case, nearly so), some enlisted gleefully, some reluctantly, some were raised to serve by military families. Too many were forced into service by harsh economic circumstances--too poor or … Continue reading Veterans Day, 2018
The End of Tolerance
I was following a thread on Facebook where people were offended by the word "fuck" on a t-shirt. It basically said, "Fuck Trump and the people who voted for him" and went on to condemn those who still support him, after everything we've seen him do and say. My feeling on the word is that … Continue reading The End of Tolerance
Memorial Day
Several friends tried to remind us that the reason we observe Memorial Day is to honor those who died fighting to uphold the Constitution. We don't "celebrate" their deaths--we mourn them. This is not a "happy" day. It's a somber one. And looking back, tell me how many wars have we fought since 1776 to … Continue reading Memorial Day
Seattle’s Homeless—Another Solution
Seattle, like many cities large and small all over the country, is facing a homeless crisis. The homeless have been studied, vilified, embraced, patronized, and pushed from one encampment to another as we struggle with a real solution to the problem. As I see it, (and I'm no expert), there are many reasons people resort … Continue reading Seattle’s Homeless—Another Solution
Beta V—Creating, Mentoring, Storytelling 
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