Crooked Jack

Of course Kiowa never got to reflect on a lifetime of experiences; the joy and pain of a full time lived. Right up until he was blown up he was strong and vibrant, with all of the potential of a young, strong man. Most of soldiers who went off to Vietnam, never wanted to be there in the first place. They had no aptitude for life on the front lines or in a uniform. Their country needed to tap into their strength, their stamina, their testosterone-fueled rage, and their country used them for all they had before tossing them either into a hole or back into a society they were unprepared to face.

Crooked Jack talks about a man who was “tall and true, all of six foot two. But they broke him across the back” and “could work hard hours long.” When using up young men like natural resources, a society should take better care that they aren’t being wasted.

Our sweat and tears, our hopes and fears,
Bound up in shuttering jams
They say that honest toil is good
For the spirit and the soul
But believe me boys, it's for sweat and blood
That they want you down that hole