Platform For Peace/Bokonon Again

(P1) Poetical


At A Traveling Replica Of The Vietnam Veterans' Memorial
(poem written years ago from point of view of my friend Ed Hagan)

Hell, I'd answered;
yes, there is hell,
to be there is
to know hell,
Nick
whose half head
fell again before me
from the scaled
replicas of vietnam
veterans monumented;
no names fell
only partially-headed Nick
me back in the chow hall
on the Forrestal
(June 6th, 1967)
feet on the table
raising a sandwich
to the t.v. screen
a war accident
smoke curling from an A-7 Corsair
heads and arms responding
extinguishing flash fires
devouring heads
the old illusionist's
disappearing act
secrets freely shared
navy planes firing
rockets and falling
through the deck above
me unable to tear through
that baloney sandwich
bridging teeth and hand
me watching warfare on t.v.
while, an elevator ride above,
flesh was melting
bombs ejecting
heads were falling
hundreds dying
before me
in the chow hall
of the aircraft carrier Forrestal
as I,
peering over my half
eaten baloney sandwich
at the television watched
my friend Nick as he
briefly came to hell. In Gryphon, Fall/Winter 1987

(P2) Political

Save the USS Forrestal As A New Platform For Peace

Friend Ed Hagan, who served aboard the Forrestal (see last photo before the fire) and who is the subject of the foregoing poem, is fostering this admirable and sensible proposal:

"The Navy's USS Forrestal has been decommissioned. It will become scrap or a reef that just a few wealthy sport divers will ever be able to use. Forrestal deserves a better future. I am asking you to help me get the Navy to reconsider the future of Forrestal and all other aircraft carriers in a similar situation. We need to rehabilitate the Forrestal to become a PLATFORM FOR PEACE. Forrestal should become an emergency base that can be moved to any disaster area in the world on the immediate notice of the president. Forrestal should become a FIRST RESPONDER. The cost of rehabilitation to turn it into a combination disaster response platform to supply emergency medical care, water, electricity, communications, food, hot meals, whatever is needed for thousands of victims of disasters like Katrina and the 2004 tsunami. With predictions of potential weather disasters this makes perfect sense politically and diplomatically.

"The Forrestal motto was "FID: First in Defense when I serve aboard in 1968 through 1970. Now it should be First in Disaster Assistance

"I propose we find a city on the Pacific coast like San Francisco serve as it's base when not on call. There is could be an educational facility, sort of an OJT site for health care, fire and emergency responders to environmental disasters.

"What do you say. Can I get your support? Will you help me gather support to do something that will eventually make us feel good about this wonderful workhorse of the NAVY. No money please. Just pass this along to everyone on your list, especially your government leaders."

Ed Hagan #2687 lifetime member

Nice California 95464

707 274-8652


(P3) Philosophical

Kurt Vonnegut's Bokonon has the following wisdom to impart in Vonnegut's final book, the wonderful "memoir" A Man Without a Country

WE DO, DOODLEY DO,
DOODLEY DO, DOODLEY DO,
WHAT WE MUST,
MUDDILY MUST,
MUDDILY MUST,
MUDDILY MUST,
UNTIL WE BUST,
BODILY BUST,
BODILY BUST,
BODILY BUST.

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