Hi Pete,

“I like the smell of napalm in the morning. It smells like... victory.”
Lieutenant Colonel Bill Kilgore. (Apocalypse Now)

'The Deer Hunter' excellent movie. The only war movies I like are anti-war movies.

Have you watched 'The Odd Angry Shot' good Aussie movie about Vietnam, liked Graham Kennedy's part, not a noted actor, but he was good. More recent 'The Sapphires' was very entertaining with a couple of good performances.

The story of Donald Trump's military service.

http://www.businessinsider.com.au/donald-trump-avoided-the-military-draft-which-was-common-at-the-time-vietnam-war-2018-12?r=US&IR=T

Similar story in Australia. I refused to register for national service so was automatically conscripted. The notorious "birthday ballot" was a 1 in 8 chance. Then Whitlam came in, and the end of Australia's involvement in Vietnam, and the end of conscription.

Hi Paul

Yep aware of the difference between Colonel off his rocker “smell of napalm in the morning."

BUT Crowe's/Gladiator's use of "napalm" via Catapult shots is even more perversely interesting http://youtu.be/WVLGwTggO8U?t=2m5s

Yeah, seen 'The Odd Angry Shot' with Kennedy "Harry" the world's oldest Corporal, and 'The Sapphires'.

"Danger Close: The Battle of Long Tan" was good - in part as it starred Travis Fimmel (most famous as Ragnar Lothbrok in the excellent "Vikings" series.)

Trump avoiding Vietnam (rich daddy under the table?) - but decades later gladly accepting Russian money - was typical.

So did you do any time as a boot camp conscript? before Whitlam closed down conscription?

Pete

plantagenet,

The Night Of The Hunter is a must see for movie lovers.

Robert Mitchum's Preacher role is a classic. Like Basil Fawlty one can watch it forever.

US SENATE UNLIKELY TO IMPEACH TRUMP

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-01-26/us-politics-live-updates-trump-impeachment-trial/13089404 on 26 Jan reports:

"Joe Biden says he believes there aren't enough Republicans to convict Donald Trump

[Biden] has spoken to CNN and said that while he believes the trial "has to happen" he doesn't think it will end in the conviction of Donald Trump."

TRUMP WILL THEN CLAIM VICTORY OVER THE BIDEN GOVERNMENT

Hi Pete,

"So did you do any time as a boot camp conscript?" Nah, didn't hear a word from the authorities for the six months they could have made an arrest. The Fascists regime in Canberra were panic stricken by the mass unpopularity of the Vietnam war, and the huge number of non compliance with their national service orders.

Very, very few were imprisoned, the most famous being the high profile Simon Townsend.

He (Simon Townsend) gained national prominence on his anti-conscription stance, he said, "I suddenly decided to be a . . . objector to the Vietnam War. I then went to Sydney, I met people, I joined the groups and I read. And suddenly I had an intellectual basis for my objection to the Vietnam War. And that was when I got very busy, objecting, going to court and I ended up in Long Bay Gaol for a month. And in 1968 I ended up in the army prison for a month. I was court-martialled while I was there."

Hi Paul

I'm glad they didn't touch you. What a crazy time.

My Dad, who was a regular army Major at the time, considered conscription a waste of regular army personnel and money

- with many regular army NCO's and officers, who could have gone to Vietnam, instead being drawn off to train conscripts to go there.

Pete