"Fixin' to Die Rag:" Jim was a good friend

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Monday May 28, 2018 · 5:57 PM PDT

2018/05/28 · 17:57

A Memorial day tribute to a friend. I first saw the movie “Woodstock” in Vietnam, in early 1971. They had set up a projector under a thatched roof structure at our base camp, and I went to see it with a buddy of mine, Jim, from Illinois. Pretty ironic experience. We sang along with Country Joe’s “Fixin’ to Die Rag:”

“And it's one, two, three, what are we fighting for?
Don't ask me I don't give a damn, next stop is Viet Nam
And it's five, six, seven, open up the pearly gates
Ain't no time to wonder why, whoopee we're all gonna die”

Not many days later, Jim was back out in the field, and went through those “pearly gates” himself. RIP, buddy.

The original chickenhawk (with apologies to Tod Browning)

Birdman

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Monday August 01, 2016 · 5:11 PM PDT

2016/08/01 · 17:11

As a vet who lost friends in combat, and who was humbled to tears by the power of the Kahn parents’ speaking for the honor and sacrifice of their son, I was moved to do a little movie research.

Turns out that Tod Browning had an alternative story line for his controversial 1932 movie, “Freaks,” where instead of Cleopatra, it was a sideshow character named Trump who totally disrupted the carnival. After visciously attacking veterans and war heroes, the outraged troupe finally exacted their revenge, transforming him into a literal, living chickenhawk.

This version of the plot was thought to be a little ahead of its time.

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