Monday, September 20, 2004 - Vietnam vet's CD supports troops in Iraq
By James Hannah
The Associated Press
DAYTON - When Rick Crawford returned from the Vietnam War in 1970, anti-war protesters spit on him.
Someone mentioned that I should tell mre detail just to make the story undeniable.
Here goes.
I graduated Parris Island Dec 13, 1977, took the train home, got home Dec 14 evening, went outside during the day on the 15th and walked down Turnpike Road in my home town right outside the airport.
I had on a denim jacket, sweater, jeans and sneakers, and NO HAT. I wanted to show off my High and Tight! I was A MARINE!
I heard some yelling, 3 beer bottles went flying past me, went in front of me, landing a few feet in front, I heard the yelling saying BABY KILLER...
Had some drunk in the downtown bar try to pick a fight with me, some older biker hippie type, drunk, I just walked away.
Some girl who I was friends with from a few classes ahead of me told me I was a baby killer for being a Marine. She was a friend 2 years before, too, and all of a sudden I was a baby killer.
When I got to LAX to find a way to Palm Springs, I heard the baby killer comments in the airport. In Palm Springs I heard nothing, but we got pulled over by CHIPS and accused of smoking pot in the car which was a lie, they were just trying to bust us.
In Hollywood, we were money to most people, but some old hippies yelled at us, some were friendly, the homos tried to pick us up...
In North Carolina the locals hated us, I had beer bottles thrown at me from a car there, too, at Atlantic Beach the girls wouldn't talk to us, some shouted out baby killer, others were friendly.
Hawaii, we were respected by the tourists and the locals just wanted our money.