Dumb as a box of nails

Dumb as a box of nails

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I got an email this morning that reminded me of my days in the Army. I had volunteered for the Army because I knew the draft soon going to get me soon and if I volunteered, I could choose my military job. I also volunteered to go to Vietnam. It was 1964 and most people have not heard of Vietnam. I heard it was a pretty good little war, so I volunteered to go. These facts seem to startle a people know me now, but the death of my first wife made a profound change in my life. The email this morning had a brief reference to the 82nd Airborne Division. Their unit patch is in the photo you see on the left. It is dominated by two large A’s. You could always get a good fight going in a bar if you knew there were some guys from the 82nd Airborne were in the bar by calling out, “Are there any almost Americans here?” One of your buddies would answer, “You mean that chicken shit airborne division?” That would provoke an exchange of words which would quickly evolve into a fight. If you wanted to fight and there weren’t any 82nd Airborne guys around, just lob a beer bottle at any random group of guys. You see in those Army days I was invincible, tough, and dumb as a box of nails.

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VC

” I am a writer and as a writer, I do not neatly fit into any category. I have written magazine articles, feature news articles, restaurant reviews, a newspaper column, and several book length nonfiction projects aimed at people interested in particular health problems for foundations and companies. As to novels, I have published some Kindle novels.”