John "Duke" Wayne / Marion Robert (Michael) Morrison - Revered Western Film Star
Fort Duqua Dar - Quadrant G-19, Coruscant, Coruscant System, Core Worlds, Republic Space, "The Galaxy"
03:14:16 ATC / March 14th, 1969 - 06:15 / 6:15 AM
The journey took three months and everything had to be arranged, a surprise visitation in the making until the word was officially announced forty-eight hours prior to the two-day event, which was after drawing lots the tour was scheduled to commence at Fort Duqua Dar and would continue on the next day before journeying to the next location.
News quickly spread like wildfire in the chow halls that a special festival was in order, confirmed to be hosted by two celebrated actors and the garrison was excited at the surprise announcement.
And it was no small affair either as it was none other than the Duke himself who have arrived to the other galaxy in-person as well as fellow actor Steve McQueen, the two being the designated hosts of the show and dinner managed by the United Service Organizations, a nonprofit-charitable corporation that since being established in 1941 provided live entertainment, such as comedians, actors and musicians, social facilities, and other programs to members of the United States Armed Forces and their families.
And the lineup for the two-day event here before touring elsewhere was excellent. It had the talents of Pat Boone, Jerry Reed, Jimmy Sweeny, Glen Campbell, Buck Owens, Freddie Hart, Mel Tillis, Merle Haggard, and Johnny Cash on the lineup, even the Man in Black's little known brother and singer Tommy Cash was temporarily detached from the U.S. Army to perform tonight in front of his fellow servicemen and countrymen.
"Alright, pilgrims, easy now, easy does it!" Wayne hollered, overseeing the unloading of equipment and pre-made meals in insulated containers, still adjusting to the sight of robots unloading the wooden crates in conjunction with the more familiar forklifts and good old fashioned muscle.
"Welcome to Fort Duqua Dar, Mister Wayne."
"The pleasure is mine, son."
"Can I have your autograph?"
"Why, sure." John pulled out a pen and signed the soldier's journal. "There. I hope to see you at the show tomorrow night."
"Oh the guys and I will certainly be there, Mister Wayne. I for one wouldn't miss it for the world."
"Say, what's for breakfast this morning?" The Duke queried but there was still a long day ahead.
Lance Corporal Jacob Gregory "Jake" Meyer - Fireteam Alpha, Second Squad, First Platoon, C/Charlie Company, Second Raider Battalion "Carlson's Raiders", Second Raider Regiment, Second Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, United States Marine Corps
Bowdarr's Bowcaster Cantina - Quadrant G-19 Coruscant, Coruscant System, Core Worlds, Republic Space, "The Galaxy"
03:14:16 ATC / March 14th, 1969 - 19:33 / 7:33 PM
Jake and a few of his brothers-in-arms were on leave intermingling with fellow Marines drinking away and the Devil Dogs of differing Military Occupational Specialities all decided to sample the booze at the intergalactic establishment with the Hoosier this time settling on tasting some cocktail called a red dwarf.
Some of the guys were in the midst of discussing the arrival of John Wayne and Steve McQueen while other Jarheads were wondering about the lineup with Pat Boone and Merle Haggard rumored to be on the roster but while the visitation was unexpected it still was certainly a boost in morale and spirit, a clear reminder of home yet a few including Meyer were watching the screen of some sport known as phaseball being played, it bore a close resemblance to baseball and the former right fielder for the Franklin Central High School Flashes couldn't help but to reminiscence about competing in America's pastime even if his batting average was only three hundred fifteen, something that was around the median for the High School level but he couldn't complain as he was more proficient in riflery even if the Hoosier did enjoy baseball and even shooting the occasional ball into the hoop but he personally preferred the former over basketball.
"Is there anything about this place you're not uneasy over, Jake?" One of the newest transfers, a former Rodeo star and talented musician from Wyoming, Private First Class Chris Ledoux, wondered as Jake watched number nineteen struck the Galactic equivalent of a home run which caused the entire team attired in yellow running towards the diamond while those in red frantically attempted to retrieve the ball to no avail.
"I have been thinking it over, about this galaxy I mean, and I think it's an acquired taste." Meyer reasoned. "Not everything is bad about it but there's too much mumbo jumbo and at times, some decisions I don't understand."
"You are stubborn at times to be fair." Polonsky added. "And you also dislike Science Fiction."
"No, I don't hate it and you might be surprised to learn that I have read some of my old man's Buck Rogers comics but Science Fiction isn't my thing really." Jake sighed."Though Ash does enjoy watching 'The Jetson's'."
"I thought you said she was a fan of 'Foghorn Leghorn'?" Howard Dean questioned.
"She is and her reason is because she always found a rooster speaking with a southern accent funny but as to 'The Jetsons', I don't get why she finds it appealing other than admiring the conveniences Jane uses I suppose and while 'Star Trek' is described as a space western, it's actually communist."
"'Star Trek' is communist?" The other newest member of the unit, John Frederick Milius, who claimed to know both George Walton Lucas Jr. and Francis Ford Coppola personally, frowned with disappointment. "It's not that I don't believe you, Jake, as we're both conservatives unlike Marvin but if so, that is rather...disconcerting to say the least."
"You know that I can hear you, right?"
Jake ignored the New Dealer and gazed squarely into John's eyes. "It is, John. It bothered me that Spock kept saying 'Live Long and Prosper' and to quote something Kirk uttered from Season Four that was in the headlines of the National Review: 'The acquisition of wealth is no longer the driving force in our lives. We work to better ourselves and the rest of humanity.' Face it, Roddenberry is a damn filthy unAmerican Commie with the five year missions being subtle stand-ins for five year plans and other nonsense. Your friend George should find himself another benefactor pronto."
"You're a spoilsport." Howard grumbled.
"Alright, guys, maybe I'm a stick-in-the-mud but you can't deny that this is a completely different culture generally speaking and I don't mean by alien but more like an instance of seeing and encountering things that are, well, unsettling compared to what our norms are. And that's not to mention this underworld we heard about. I thought Saigon and Da Nang were bad but if true..." Jake decided to pause and not go further into detail as it was astonishing that there was an epidemic of anarchy and worse occurring on the lower levels of this city-planet, something that just was dismissed, ignored, and shrugged off as a fact of life by the native Coruscanti. "Now I wouldn't say everything is negative but there's some aspects I'm disappointed with."
"I don't like saying you're right, wingnut, but you have a fair point there." Marvin sighed. "I think we can agree that the upper levels are well maintained and the shops are endless but open fairies may be a bit much."
"Needless to say, I think we all unsurprisingly share mixed feelings about this place as it is an alien culture afterall."
But the evening came to an end when some Republic troops decided to confront them and cause trouble.
"Hey, some of you Earthlings are wearing our bloodstripes!" One of the Corellians pointed out to the American serviceman in an infuriated tone. The Raiders and other Jarheads didn't know what in the hell they were talking about in regards to the scarlet trouser seams worn by those with the rank of Corporal on up the pay scale and officers of the United States Marine Corps, the recognizable bloodstripes on the blue trousers.
"No, we earned them at the Halls of Montezuma." Jake corrected after setting his beverage down on the counter, taking care not to spill any on his long-sleeved khaki shirt with green chevrons representing the rank of Lance Corporal stenciled on each shoulder plus the service stripes on his cuffs due to him serving four years as a Marine and ironically while he didn't intend on re-enlisting to serve another four years or even be a career 'lifer' like his Grandpa Doug, the newfound war of course threw his plan of applying for the Indianapolis Police Department and the Marion County Sheriff's Department for a Law Enforcement career off as it was currently a total war for the duration situation. "The red represents the blood the Marines lost in the Battle of Chapultepec during the Mexican-American War back in 1847. Let's calm down and sort it out, I'm sure it's a misunderstanding."
"Sithspit! Any Corellian is entitled to kill without repercussion any other Corellian or non-Corellian we catch wearing bloodstripes that hadn't earned them and you Earthlings certainly have not!" He retorted before throwing a fist at Meyer, but it was swung wildly.
"Oh, it's on now, scumbag." Jake growled as he granted the fool an uppercut, his patience and calm demeanor had understandably disappeared and metamorphosed into one of defense. "Clearly you Corellians don't understand that we are known as Uncle Sam's Misguided Children."
Marines left and right began striking the Corellians, utilizing beer bottles, chairs, and anything handy to teach the extraterrestrials a lesson in civility. The Hoosier could have sworn he saw a few switchblades being pulled out as well. Clearly this barroom brawl was spinning out of control, yet the Gyrene was not going to let a bunch of spacemen tarnish the honor of the United States Marine Corps and neither would his fellow Leathernecks. Meyer granted a raven-haired Corellian a knee to the groin before lifting him up and threw him at two of his fast approaching comrades.
"Okay you sons of bitches! You really want us to demonstrate how Devil Dogs fight!" Milius roared, giving a hook to another Corellian, this time a light blond-haired serviceman. "Well, here you are!"
Off to the side, a pair of Corellians nodded at each other before rushing straight at Jake, yet the former Military Policeman knew the tactic and sidestepped before tripping them with a barstool. "Ha! You gotta do better than that, bastards." Meyer cracked. "Clearly you have a lot to learn about ground combat, flyboys!"
"You just didn't go there."
"Oh, yes I did." The E-3 smirked. "Fighting in the skies is a common stereotype from what I understand."
"We've suffered a eighty-five percent casualty rate during the Sack of Coruscant!"
"Too bad. So sad." The Hoosier deadpanned. "You besmirched the entire Marine Corps, so I don't give a fuck at the moment." He snarked, knowing full well that he was being an ass, yet the farm boy believed that the only way to teach them a lesson was to be a jackass himself and in all fairness he did attempt to be reasonable before all hell broke loose.
"Garrrggghh!" The tan-skinned man charged, yet Jake once more jabbed a Republic soldier. "Funny how you call these bars cantinas while Brits call them Pubs and we're fighting against Space Brits who call you Pubs." He humously declared to his fallen opponent while placing a knee against his chest. The Pub attempted to strike at Jake, yet the Marine calmly held his hands, the Corellian spanned around and tackled Jake to the ground. Meyer managed to strike the off-duty soldier in the balls, to which his opponent moaned in agony and the American struck his face, forcing the Pub to get off of him and groan.
The barroom brawl, however, attracted the attention of the Provost Marshal as well as a few Jedi, resulting in them intervening.
"What in the Nine Corellian Hells is going on here?!" A familiar voice shouted when the Military Policemen from the Republic, the United States Army, and the West German Bundeswehr rushed in to break up the brawl between the amphibious warfare branch - Uncle Sam's Misguided Children - and the Republic Army unit composed mostly of Corellians.
'Ah, great. It's Mister Monk himself.' Jake groaned internally. "Good evening, Casavir. Want to sit down, have a drink, and catch up?"
"Very funny." The Jedi Master was not amused one bit. "I don't think that there's going to be any more drinks served tonight."
"Just what I figured." Jake chuckled nervously. 'It seems that Sara neglected to mention something about Corellians when she posed as one.'
Casivir Therin - Battlemaster of the Jedi Order / Hero of Tython
Room Number 777 - Equinox Apartments, Senate District, Galactic City, Coruscant, Coruscant System, Core Worlds, Republic Space, "The Galaxy"
03:15:16 ATC / March 15th, 1969 - 07:45 / 7:45 AM
"Sometimes I wonder if Jake is going to be the end of me the next time I run into him." Cas groaned as he reflected on last night. "Not because he's necessarily a bad person and he's usually even-tempered even if he believes himself to be witty but it just seems like trouble finds him at times for some reason and it's just best to stay away, far away."
Yet Cas couldn't help but to reflect that there indisputably was a change of temperament regarding the Marine he had gotten to know and the Jedi theorized that it could be some sort of self-consolation due to dealing with frequent riots after Vietnam and the matter involving his then girlfriend that was a gut punch. Honestly he couldn't blame Jake as it honestly would test anyone's resolve and it was unfortunately how his formerly imperturbable nature and being an exemplar of equanimity had evolved into this yet it just hasn't been the same.
'If only we've met under better circumstances.'
"Might be a good idea but on a different note, will you be heading to the USO Show tonight at Fort Duqua Dar?"
"We can but I think it's more for the Americans." Cas determined. "Still, I can't say I met John Wayne in person, only watched some of his holofilms. Then again, we need tickets anyway in order to attend."
"We could try sneaking in." Kira suggested, causing Cas to roll his eyes.
"Kira, I don't think we need to be ejected and after last night, I don't want to bump into him again."
"That's fair, but I'll be going as I'm actually curious and I'll see if I can get you an autograph."
Rebecca Davis (nèe Cameron) Meyer
Meyer Farmhouse - Acton, Franklin Township, Marion County, Indiana, United States of America, North America, Earth, Sol System, Milky Way Galaxy
03:15:16 ATC / March 15th, 1969 - 07:45 / 7:45 AM
With a mug of coffee in her left hand due to retrieving the three papers, Rebecca waved at the passing newspaper boy who threw the latest editions of National Review and the Indianapolis News as well as the weekly community newspaper The Southside Times and the Informer by the Franklin Township Civic League to the porch of the farmhouse.
Glancing at the headlines of The Southside Times, she couldn't help but feel some pride:
Three Franklin Township Natives Hold the Line, One Nominated To Be A Medal of Honor Recipient
On Tuesday, February 10th, 1969, in three separate engagements, three of our own held on against the odds when faced against the Sith Empire and their allies.
During the Battle of Crondre, Henry Davis, an Private First Class in Foxtrot Company, Third Battalion of the Seventeenth U.S. Infantry Regiment under the United States Army's Seventh Infantry Division and his detachment were faced with a mixed force of Imperial Commandos and Mandalorian Warriors.
During the skirmish, his M79 Grenade Launcher was shot from him and due to the damage, he retrieved an M14 Rifle that was loaded with M118 Match, calmly mowing down the enemy with deliberate aimed rifle fire in the tradition of marksmanship as taught by the United States Army, placing three shots on three of the encroaching Mandalorians due to being the main threat and killing them outright before engaging the enemy commandos with the bayonet.
His superior officer, who was killed in this action by a Mandalorian, Second Lieutenant Damian Watson of Brusett in Garfield County, Montana used his example to rally the platoon and led a countercharge, capturing seven surviving Imperials as prisoner-of-war and dispatched all of the five remaining warriors who fought to the last, their armor punctured by the M118, which due to the discovered capabilities of piercing the particular armor during this firefight and other confirmed instances will be superseding M59 Ball as standard issue as it is likely for more such encounters with Mandalorians to transpire when our boys continue to press forward over there.
While Private Davis was initially destined to be awarded with the Silver Star, it was upgraded to the prestigious Medal of Honor after a review.
For his heroic actions at great hazard and personal risk, for his conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of life above and beyond the call of duty, Private First Class Davis is expected to receive the Medal of Honor to be personally presented by the President of the United States himself.
"Well, at least it wasn't Jacob." The mother noticed as she continued to read about the details of the trio. "We don't need any recognition but I'm sure he's proud of his old classmates."
Captain Paul Meyer - D/ Delta Company, Second Battalion, 324th Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division, XVIII Airborne Corps, United States Army
Fort Duqua Dar - Quadrant G-19, Coruscant, Coruscant System, Core Worlds, Republic Space, "The Galaxy"
03:15:16 ATC / March 15th, 1969 - 07:45 / 7:45 AM
"Well, what you know." Paul chuckled as he read the latest publication of Stars & Stripes. "Henry Davis, the boy who wasn't great at basketball, is recommended for the Medal of Honor."
"It's probably a good thing you requisitioned pallets of M118 and trained the company to a high standard of marksmanship, sir."
"Which is why we're going to survive and win this war by outshooting the enemy who wear fatigues and armor that contrasts nicely against the terrain." Paul chuckled as the gray and black of the Imperial Infantry standing out - not to mention the gaudy armor of each Sith to their own individual preferences - was an incentive to whittle them down and the Imperial emblem on the pauldrons was ironically like a bulleye but unfortunately it wasn't on the breastplate as alas not everything could be perfect.
"Didn't you also attempt to have some soldiers with experience in DCM competitions transferred to this outfit as well?" First Sergeant Kevin Becker smirked 'innocently'. "Even brazenly attempting to pluck those on the United States Army's Marksmanship Unit roster?"
"I sure did and I won't deny it, Top." Meyer grinned. "Every trooper under my command will be expected to shoot accurately out to six hundred yards with their rifles at minimum or they'll be transferred and I know you and the other Staff NCOs have done one thousand yard matches, whether with the service rifle or any rifle."
"You could've waited until Yulant to be honest."
"In my defense, if I have known that there's going to be an restructuring taking shape, I wouldn't have done this at all but at least we have an head start and it isn't like we can do rifle practice actually out to one thousand yards currently anyway due to space limitations and no backstop for it." Paul reasoned to the First Shirt. "The best we can do is use targets scaled down to size to represent one thousand yards but firing at the actual distance is better."
"Of course, sir, I don't disagree with the implementation at all." The Company First Sergeant smiled, knowing that it was actually advantageous to thin out the enemy ranks from beyond their effective range before they could retaliate with their own small arms, not to mention the obvious benefit of dispatching Sith before they could dismember limbs. "I'll keep this hoarding matter between us but I have to say I have to pity the Space Brits."
Kevin recalled that a rifleman with the M14 could deliver at least thirty aimed shots per minute, which was more destructive and demoralizing to the enemy than the spray type of fire of submachine guns, to say nothing of the waste of ammunition with little gain in return regarding the burp guns, and aimed fire was more effective in terms of hits than hard-to-control full-auto bullet spraying.
To quote Marine Corps General Merritt A. Edson: 'One hundred rounds do not constitute firepower. One hit constitutes firepower.'
It was no wonder that the M14 was being described as a super weapon by the holonet media and part of the restructuring on Yulant was making the varying individual standards of rifle marksmanship among the member-nations of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization be more coherent and Becker personally was just beyond elated that the fine marksmanship tradition was not only making a complete comeback but evidently was here to stay and the shortsighted foolhardiness of trying to field the Stoner rifle was rightfully condemned for all eternity, the poodle-shooting jam-o-matic would have only just be giving the advantages away, nevermind the poor performance against the armor of the enemy as the Isreali commando team at Kuat unfortunately learned and it was no surprise really as the best way to reliably pierce armor ballistically was to have a large caliber, high velocity projectile, preferably those with excellent Ballistic Coefficients.
Why 'armchair generals' who knew diddly-squat about firearms, ballistics, and military tactics even believed it would have been useful even if to the contrary it was in fact useless circumstantially was something he never understood yet the NCO enjoyed how in the end those few sensational articles attempting to promote that pea-shooter were recanted and the authors of those editorials quickly realized that perhaps the nature of the conflict made the M14 the weapon needed, not the supposed 'Space Age' black plastic Mattel with kinks that still needed to be worked out but in the end would never be utilized in any fashion at all and Becker believed that those who even after the discreditation still continue to advocate for introducing the counterproductive weapon should be imprisoned in the Stockade - not the Brig in Naval speak - for the crime of aiding and abetting the enemy as well as hindering the war effort through sabotage or better yet taken for a psychological evaluation and placed in an asylum.
On second thought, it was a capital offense to commit sabotage for the enemy anyway - aka literal treason - and Kevin certainly would be among those to volunteer to be on the firing squad, armed with an M14 of course and requiring only one cartridge, something that was fittingly ironic but then again who would in their right mind still support the concept after the whole debate was settled and Armalite became defunct?
"They might as well paint bullseyes to make our task easier." The mustang officer snickered. "By the way, are you heading to the USO Show tonight? John Wayne and Steve McQueen will be there in-person and believe it or not, McQueen was born in Beech Grove, only eleven miles away from Acton."
"I wouldn't miss it for the world."
Lance Corporal Jacob Gregory "Jake" Meyer - Fireteam Alpha, Second Squad, First Platoon, C/Charlie Company, Second Raider Battalion "Carlson's Raiders", Second Raider Regiment, Second Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, United States Marine Corps
Fort Duqua Dar - Quadrant G-19, Coruscant, Coruscant System, Core Worlds, Republic Space, "The Galaxy"
03:15:16 ATC / March 15th, 1969 - 16:33 / 4:33 PM
Jake and his fireteam along with the rest of Charlie Company, Second Raider Battalion of the Second Marine Raider Regiment were in the midst of doing calisthenics in their olive drab PT uniforms when Sullivan noticed two officers arriving.
"Officers on deck! Attention!"
"Why aren't the men saluting?" The Republic officer wondered, theorizing for a moment that the arrival of celebrities got them lax but it was clarified that it was for another reason entirely.
"Marines don't salute when uncovered or indoors, sir." Brigadier General Merritt Austin 'Red Mike' Edson, Senior explained. "We're not the United States Army."
"Most peculiar." General Ros Stanton mused. "I never heard of any formation who doesn't conduct a hand salute in some fashion upon spotting an officer."
"We're United States Marines." Edson chuckled before glancing at the subordinates, more like glaring and he was beyond disappointed at those who otherwise were regarded as model Devil Dogs, most of whom didn't have even an Article 15 in their service record - three out of four of these men were just spotless in regards to discipline action taken against them - but while the anger toward the besmirching was understandable, it still didn't excuse their actions even if what transpired was an inadvertent misunderstanding that got out-of-control. "It has come to my attention that some of you were involved in a barroom brawl against a Republic unit of mostly Corellians last night." Red Mike mentioned. "Now while the matter was the result of another coincidence and a cultural misunderstanding, Besh Company of the Republic Army's 275th Infantry shouldn't have lash out and act unprofessional, you are still representatives of the Corps - the Marine Corps! - and having a late night scuffle reflects poorly on our beloved Corps."
There were no murmurings, just men standing at attention silently taking it in as they knew that repercussions and a reprimand was inemiant and they had to take responsibility for their action.
"Personally I would be sending the culprits straight to the Brig and have them transferred out of the unit but our friends interceded on your behalf. Next week you will be facing Besh Company as OpFor in a field exercise to blow off steam. That is all, gentlemen."
Major General Merritt Austin "Red Mike" Edson, Senior - Commanding Officer of the Marine Raiders, United States Marine Corps
Fort Duqua Dar - Quadrant G-19, Coruscant, Coruscant System, Core Worlds, Republic Space, "The Galaxy"
03:15:16 ATC / March 15th, 1969 - 16:40 / 4:40 PM
After the lecture, Red Mike watched the men immediately go back to their calisthenics that they were doing before and nodded approvingly before walking out with his current companion.
"So, Merritt, what else should I know about the United States Marine Corps?" Ros inquired.
"It might be easier to lend you a book on the history of the Corps but what I will say is that you'll find us to be not exactly like your definition of marines at all despite sharing similar roots."
Lance Corporal Jacob Gregory "Jake" Meyer - Fireteam Alpha, Second Squad, First Platoon, C/Charlie Company, Second Raider Battalion "Carlson's Raiders", Second Raider Regiment, Second Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, United States Marine Corps
Fort Duqua Dar - Quadrant G-19, Coruscant, Coruscant System, Core Worlds, Republic Space, "The Galaxy"
03:15:16 ATC / March 15th, 1969 - 16:40 / 4:40 PM
"A exercise to blow off steam?" Polonsky muttered. "Seriously? When we didn't even provoke them? How in the hell were we supposed to know that wearing bloodstripes such as mine is eligible to have Corellians murder any Marine at the paygrade of E-4 and up wearing them, apparently with no repercussion? And don't get me started on the formal dress trousers of the United States Army with the yellow stripes or the service stripes!"
"Space Monks, Space Samurai, Space Nazis, Space Mobsters, Space Pirates, Space Hippies, and after last night I think we still haven't learned everything yet." Jake analyzed but he and everyone in the room knew that unlike the bloodstripes, the service stripes were not located on the trousers but instead on the lower part of the sleeves, specifically the cuffs with each stripe denoting four years of service as a Marine, it was just that Junior was understandably wrapping his head around this tidbit, they all were.
"That little scuffle certainly showed it." Marvin grumbled. "Turned out we were a blight on Corellian culture."
"Wait a minute." Polonsky turned to confront his frenemy and inquired after realizing something. "Jake? Didn't a certain spy and a former girlfriend of yours pretended to be from Corellia?"
"She did, Junior." Jake muttered. "And I thought about it but the only mention that I can think of was her commenting about how handsome I looked in my dress blues and wondering why I didn't have stripes on them one day. Maybe that should have been my first warning sign yet then again she was the one who was informing me about her supposed birthplace and home."
"Well, I'm sure that was awkward then." Ledoux mentioned with sympathy.
"No need to gloat about it, guys, I know, I know. Sara certainly didn't mention anything that could have deescalated that situation if possible before it resulted in blows."
"Speaking of blows, does anyone still feel satisfied with the Hard Hat Riots against those bead and sandals cladded long-haired freaks?" Milius mentioned with satisfying snickering.
"I think some bandsmen of an Orchestra who once played with Glenn Miller were playing at the time of the bashing in Boston or so the rumor goes." The Cuban-born American, Private First Class Eduardo Hernandez, snickered. "Either way, the AFL-CIO made the right call in having a nationwide counterprotest."
"That would've been the sight to see." Jake chuckled. "Quincy's Uncle was caught up in it and those Hippies learned not to mess with Patriots like him from Hell's Kitchen."
"And let us not forget about the New York City firemen who were present using the hoses from their engines as they were having lunch nearby at the time." Marv added.
"Those flower children sorely were in need of watering in New York City, Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, Saint Louis, Indianapolis, San Diego, and San Francisco. Oh and Jackie Robinson was forced to use his bat, Howard Hughes had golf clubs being handed to him by his valet, Elmer Keith and Jack O'Connor both fire off warning shots...say, Jake, didn't you arrest John Lennon who was outside Quantico two years ago singing 'Give Peace A Chance' during the demonstration that became violent with bottles and rocks hurled?"
"I sure did along with three other MPs manhandling him and I'm just glad his ass was deported and declared persona non grata by the State Department." Jake smirked. "The Democratic National Convention in Chicago was something else as well and while I wasn't there two weeks later, there was that incident with the space slug in Chicago and I was one of the guards who assisted in the transfer of his subordinates to Republic custody."
"Besides space mobsters, I still can't believe that Zeltrons and Chandrillaians are the closest thing to Hippies that exist here."
"You can say that again." Jake groaned. "There's too many coincidences that it's not even funny anymore!"
"By the way, would anyone want to listen to 'The Fightin' Side of Me' by Merle Haggard or Pat Boone's 'Wish You Were Here, Buddy'?" Chris asked. "I could even sing something on my guitar if you would rather listen to an actual voice."
"Why not. We all hate Hippies and they both are instant classics." Jake smirked yet couldn't help but with country music in mind he realized that he and possibly the others had forgotten about the schedule. "Shit."
"What?"
"We're missing the USO Show and Dinner with John Wayne, Steve McQueen, Jerry Reed, Pat Boone, and more!" Jake realized.
"Ah hell!" Milus cursed.
The six other Marines glanced at each other before rummaging to grab their wallets and tickets before hurrying exiting the room, noticing that everyone else had already departed for the USO Show without them.
John Winston Ono Lennon - Former Beatles musician, founder of The Plastic Ono Band, and leader of the Plastic Ono Commune
Chandrila, Chandrila System, Bormea Sector, Core Worlds, Republic Space, "The Galaxy"
03:15:16 ATC / March 15th, 1969 - 16:40 / 4:40 PM
"It's a shame we'll never be welcomed anywhere on Earth ever again." One of the Flower Children who snuck away from being drafted into one of the national armies lamented. "If we went to France and seeked asylum there for example, we'd immediately be shipped off to the desert and be trained as Foreign Legionnaires. Every country is drafting every and all available manpower and placing the conscripts in uniform and issuing them a rifle or even a medical kit if the Pacifism excuse is accepted by the Draft Boards but they hardly are granted from what I heard. I don't want to kill any Space Brits who are misunderstood and the Sith are probably not the bloodthirsty monsters people make them out to be."
"Don't fret about it man, Big Brother will never draft us against our will nor put any guns into our hands now." A fellow former American reassured him.
"I survived the Hard Hat Riots in Pittsburgh and was bruised up by those union men fresh from their shift at one of the steel mills but man, as much as I hate to say it, they were right. You must either love America, love it or leave it on one of the planes or ships leaving everyday."
"And I still can't believe that Bobby Seale shot at Bob Dylan!" A third doped up on pot added, an occurrence that hit the already disgruntled counterculture movement like a shockwave. "I heard a rumor that it was something to do with some girl but, man, the Black Panthers became unexpected allies of the right and are no better than the Klan!"
"It's good that you still believe in the spirit of the movement Marlin. Peace should have a chance." Lennon smiled, ignoring the comments about Dylan as it was too much to bear and made John wonder if he could be gunned down for his beliefs. "While a Marine with the surname of Meyer believed I was naive, foolish, ignorant, idealistic, idiotic, and other words he listed off I forget but were insulting now let's hope that our new home here is a utopia and becomes an enlightened example to the rest of the universe."
Joleen Mothma - Knight of the Jedi Order
Chandrila, Chandrila System, Bormea Sector, Core Worlds, Republic Space, "The Galaxy"
03:15:16 ATC / March 15th, 1969 - 16:49 / 4:49 PM
Knight Mothma smiled in the lobby as she approached the temporary lodgings for the refugees from Earth including this musician John Lennon and his wife Ono.
"You're always welcome here on Chandrila as we believe in peace, love, and nature."
"Yeah, our values are similar to yours." Lennon smiled at the Chandrillian-born Jedi who aided in the 'Great Escape' from Earth.
The Republic security officers and soldiers did not prevent them from emigrating except for searching their possessions before letting them depart, deciding that turning any draft dodgers of military age to local authorities wasn't worth it but there was no place on Earth for the caravan to go due to every last nation being involved in the war.
Canada had a citizenship program where any military age man fleeing the U.S. must become Combat Engineers before gaining citizenship with similar programs occurring internationally and both France and Spain were placing anyone dodging conscription in their Foreign Legions.
There was no place to run except ironically to this very Galaxy and it was only by sheer luck they managed to get out as the Jedi was called in to explain her decision and the military personnel were being reprimanded by the chain-of-command with transfers expected.
Still, Joleen believed that the decision was justified as no one should fight against their will even if their civilization, their individual liberty was at stake as they would still die for what they felt was right. Bloodshed only resulted in further needless bloodshed and peace was always preferable to killing other beings. The Jedi had considered leaving the Order due to being pacifistic and believing in upholding peace herself, which was unfortunate due to the Order being by circumstances actively fighting in the war and she wanted no further part in it. The devolution from peacekeeping to becoming warriors was too much and her patience has finally run out.
Her transfer to the AgriCorps was denied and feeling that there was no other choice, Joleen submitted her resignation to the Jedi Council, the approval or rejection of her request being considered but for the time being she was going to assist with the settling of these refugees who were persecuted for either not getting clean-shaved and an job before the war for the men but now being conscripted against their will or the pressurization and social expectations for the human women.
"You can stay however long you need." Joleen declared."There will be a communal dinner welcoming you and the other refugees from other worlds at 18:14."
"On behalf of my friends, I would like to say thank you, Miss Monthma."
"It was no trouble as you are refugees fleeing inhospitablity. Not everyone in The Galaxy likes Chandrillaians either, finding our respect for nature and environmental beliefs overbearing."
"Groovy! We humbly appreciate the generosity." Lennon exclaimed. "Guys, I'll be singing 'Strawberry Fields Forever' to mark our newfound homes."
Let me take you down, 'cause I'm going to Strawberry Fields
Nothing is real and nothing to get hung about
Strawberry Fields forever
Living is easy with eyes closed
Misunderstanding all you see
It's getting hard to be someone but it all works out
It doesn't matter much to me
Let me take you down, cause I'm going to Strawberry Fields
Nothing is real and nothing to get hung about
Strawberry Fields forever
No one I think is in my tree
I mean it must be high or low
That is you can't you know tune in but it's all right
That is I think it's not too bad
Let me take you down, cause I'm going to Strawberry Fields
Nothing is real and nothing to get hung about
Strawberry Fields forever
Always know, sometimes think it's me
But you know, I know when it's a dream
I think a 'No', I mean a "Yes"
But it's all wrong
That is, I think I disagree
Let me take you down, cause I'm going to Strawberry Fields
Nothing is real and nothing to get hung about
Strawberry Fields forever
Strawberry Fields forever
Strawberry Fields forever
Barry Morris Goldwater - 37th President of the United States
The Oval Office - The White House, 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, Washington, District of Columbia, United States of America, North America, Earth, Sol System, Milky Way Galaxy
03:15:16 ATC / March 15th, 1969 - 14:00 / 2:00 PM
"Sir, it appears that the 'Jane Fonda Legacy Movement' is planning a demonstration at the Lincoln Memorial today." The Vice President, William Edward Miller, frowned at the Arizonian.
"The Communist-aligned group both publicly and privately denounced by the Chinese, Soviets, and even the Cubans? I'm honestly surprised they're even still active under these circumstances." Barry sighed as he wiped away the fog from his glasses. The President knew that the majority of the group's members ironically came from luxurious backgrounds with celebrities or industrialists or even those of American Old Money as parents, the naivety of Marxism in the minds of the brats being rather comical.
"Yes, I know. The formerly backed by North Korea 'peace organization' until Pyongyang cut off funding desires a peace-settlement with the Sith Empire, declaring that the current conflict has gone on long and far enough."
"This is also their last significant protest they're able to organize given the reality." Roy Cohn grinned. "It's almost as if they wanted to have one final symbolic but fruitless act before the draft evaders are arrested and shipped straight to induction and it wouldn't have mattered if they scheduled it on Saint Patrick's Day as their luck has run out."
"What's the response plan, Ronald?" Goldwater inquired of the visiting Governor of California who immediately during his trip became an inadvertent adviser to the President on dealing with the inevitable rioting that would be commenced by this bunch of misfits, only this time it was not the now shuttered campus of Berkeley but rather the nation's capital once more.
No wonder that the 1968 Presidential Election went down in history as the first time since 1912 that the nominee of a Third Party was the second-place candidate and it was none other than George Corley Wallace Jr. of the American Independent Party.
'It is unfortunate that domestically our nation went to hell these past few years.' Goldwater reflected on how he became the Republican Party's nominee and he was not the first choice, as matter of fact the pundits believed that William Warren Scranton was certain to be on the ticket yet it quickly became apparent to the GOP leadership that the Governor of Alabama was gaining momentum, making inroads where he shouldn't have and even those who consider themselves as 'Rockefeller Republicans' were planning to vote for Wallace only because of the chaos and a need of leadership.
Goldwater was derided by the Republican Party leadership and everyone knows it yet arguably the nation needed to regain its confidence and neither Wallace nor the former Vice President, Lyndon Baines Johnson, were the answer. The New Deal Coalition had arguably collapsed and there was no way the Hippies were going to make gains politically either.
Therefore begrudgingly the GOP gave the nod to the man who once joked about lobbing an atomic bomb into the Kremlin's bathroom not because they approved of him but presented to the electorate as an alternative to Wallace as well as to gain an edge, an opportunity that was not available previously.
The Republican Party had been relegated to nothing more than an opposition since the 1930s, since the implementation of the New Deal and the Party of Lincoln also at one point was almost certainly on the brink of dissolution as they were blamed for the nation's plight during the Great Depression and accused of kindling the economic catastrophe when it could not have been predicted.
And the only chance at governance was during Dewey's first term as well as Eisenhower's, a chance that was soon lost due to being blamed once more for economical reasons, the 1958 Recession even though the Moderate and Liberal Wings of the Republican Party followed Keynesian economics.
Yet this time it was not because of economic uncertainty but an unexpected nightmare in the midst of a struggle against world domination by the Communists.
Goldwater was principled and believed in the Constitution, he was a strict constructionist, and most importantly of all he believed that 'All Men Were Created Equal', he was fundamentally a staunch supporter of racial equality. The Arizonian desegregated the Air National Guard of his home state a full two years before Truman signed the Executive Order to integrate the military, he voted for the Civil Rights Acts of 1957 and the Twenty-Fourth Amendment to prohibit poll taxes, Goldwater even believed that voting laws can be an Federal responsibility yet despite financially supporting the local chapter of the NAACP and voting for previous Civil Rights Acts, Goldwater became derided as a racist and it was only due to disagreeing with two portions of the 1964 Civil Rights Act.
Goldwater did not believe that the government should force anyone to accept customers and as much as it disheartened him, Barry was uncompromising in his Constitutional views and took the step to vote against the then bill, only because he believed everyone should have an equal opportunity no matter their values, not to mention government interference in an matter that was not prescribed to it.
Goldwater believed that racism was not a matter of legislation but of the heart. And he was heartbroken by the fact that he was regarded as a racist despite his reputation.
Still, while he was glad that the country was finally moving on from what should have never been, what shouldn't have existed in the first place due to the ideals cherished by the American people, there were those who were arguably misguided as soon as the matter that should have been resolved during Reconstruction was settling even if gradually, a new movement that sprang up and it was not one of reconciliation but instead a radical vision and one of naivety with the idealistic slogan of 'Peace and Love'.
It popped up shortly after the United States intervened in Vietnam when the South was invaded by the North though it was rooted on the campus of Berkeley in 1964 and the movement was peaceful at first with demonstrations that were reminiscent of the non-violence the famed Reverend, Doctor Martin Luther King Junior, used but tragically it quickly got out of hand with false rumors of what was occurring in Vietnam causing reactions domestically and they were mostly rumors due to wartime censorship.
It was pure pandemonium and the situation had devolved into national riots and sporadic incidents of bombings but while Kennedy attempted to conduct a crackdown and while it gradually became calmer it was not quick enough, as far as many Americans ultimately came to believe society had deteriorated and blamed John for it, for his pronouncements of how the youth were the future.
Then unexpectedly during the midst of this crisis, in late 1966 California became a front in the Vietnam War when it became apparent that elements of the Viet Cong arrived on American soil and managed to link up with an group of disgruntled Hippies to found the Weather Underground, and that was not to mention that another VC cell who arrived from Paris attempted to murder the Kennedy family at their compound.
It came and went but the impact just cemented that as far as the people were concerned the New Frontier was not the answer.
Barry felt devastated for his friend, he and Jack never completely agree politically but the two were more often than not seen together publicly yet while the Arizonian knew that it was beyond the Irish-American Brahmin's control, the optimistic dream of the New Frontier was just scrapped and the Kennedy's were tainted, even cursed, only because of the actions of out-of-control bead-cladded pot smokers.
Even so, while against advice from his cabinet who wanted Goldwater to cut off all ties and association with Jack, he was there for him and wanted him at his side, to show that it was an unforeseen situation that spiraled out of control, acting as an intermediary between Kennedy and the American people to showcase that it's time to move on and forward together as Americans regardless of what rift occurred before.
'We truly have plenty to work on and while everyone still believes in America, we need to make sure we are on the right path.'
Barry was convinced that he might be the best hope for the sake of the nation and he was willing to step up to deal with the challenges, both old as well as new.
"After the Attorney-General, Secretary of Defense, and I chatted about it, the response force will be composed of two battalions of Military Policemen from Fort Myer, U.S. Marshals, FBI Agents, Park Policemen, and the entire local Police Department to greet the protestors at the Lincoln Memorial." The former movie star, Ronald Wilson Reagan, informed the President.
"All of them?"
"Well, we do have the home guard literally consisting of elderly VFW members and American Legionnaires as well as Boy Scouts since the National Guardsmen are currently at the front at the moment but we do still have some other troops here at home."
"And they are?"
"Such as the detachment of The Old Guard, the First Battalion of the Third Army Regiment of the Regular Army, take your pick." The Gipper grinned. "They should make those naive brats take pause."
"That's right." Goldwater remembered the mission. "Although The Old Guard primarily functions in a ceremonial role, it is still an infantry unit and meets standards for certification in its combat role, not to mention contingencies."
"Which is exactly why they're responding." The Attorney-General, Roy Cohn, declared himself the current President of the United States. "And due to it being wartime, those ignorant brats forgot that martial law is applicable here and could really use the reminder."
"No, Roy, we'll have them charged in the civil courts." The constitutionalist directed. "I have no problem with Freedom of Speech and desire the Constitution to be upheld no matter what but given the reputation of this organization of radicals, this heavy response is unfortunately not unfounded. Even so, I still want only the minimum level of force to resolve this inevitable riot here when maintaining Law and Order, not heavy-handedness, you understand?"
"Yes, Mister President." Cohn muttered begrudgingly.
'At least Roy is starting to realize that he only has his position as long as he's serving at the pleasure of the President.' Goldwater smirked as while the position of United States Attorney General meant the officeholder was a statutory member of the Cabinet of the United States, it did not mean that he held all of the power and the Attorney General could be dismissed by the Commander-in-Chief at any time.
Corporal Daniel Jay Schneiderman - Firing Party Platoon, Delta Company, First Battalion, 3rd United States Infantry Regiment, United States Army
Washington, District of Columbia, United States of America, North America, Earth, Sol System, Milky Way Galaxy
03:15:16 ATC / March 15th, 1969 - 15:00 / 3:00 PM
"Schneiderman? You got the tear gas rounds?"
"Sure do, Sarge." The young Corporal who was a battle hardened transfer from the Second Battalion of The Old Guard acknowledged. "Those fucking disrespectful brats will regret not going to 'Nam like I did or forget the sacrifices of every American buried at Arlington."
"Men, you know the drill here as riot control is part of duties, which most civvies don't realize! Stand your ground then bash on sight." The commander of the First Battalion ordered. "If it becomes too dangerous that it threatens the lives of civilians and only then, live ammunition will be issued, but for now it's just 'harmless' bayonet scabbards."
"Pigs!"
"Baby killers!"
"Fascists!"
"THIS IS AN UNLAWFUL ASSEMBLY! TURN AROUND AND GO HOME!" A DC Patrolman ordered the crowd through a bullhorn. "YOU HAVE ONLY FIVE SECONDS TO COMPLY!"
"We have the right to protest! This is a free country, man!"
"Not in wartime according to the Supreme Court." Daniel snorted at the poor usage of the Constitution when it came to public demonstrations since two could play the game regarding constitutionality. "Commerce clause covers the free movement of troops and the judges say otherwise when it comes to time of war where invasion is an immediate threat, pal."
"FIVE!"
"Hey, hey, Big Goldman, how many Sith kids have you killed today!?"
"Morons." Sergeant O'Keefe snarled. "I'm just appalled at these reprehensible, disrespectful, dimwitted brats."
"We all are, Sergeant."
"FOUR!" The patrolman continued with the countdown. "THREE!"
"These idiots can't tell the difference between a screwdriver and a hammer if it hits them."
"Evidently their parents didn't spank them hard enough or belted the brats." Sergeant O'Keefe growled before proceeding to shout back at the Hippies. "How many of you have fathers who fought in Europe, in the Pacific, or even Korea!? How many of your grandfathers were fighting Spaniards in Cuba or were at the Meuse-Argonne!?"
"TWO!"
"Stay calm, men." The Major directed. "We're not going to become Imperial propaganda because some agent of theirs is watching us."
"You think there's Imperial Spies here on Earth, sir?"
"No doubt that some will manage to get through despite the over-extensive and extreme beyond belief security measures designed ironically by a Hutt." Daniel reasoned. "Here they come."
"Reagan, Reagan, cowboy hoodlum y'all, are you going to continue spewing tall tales to us all?!"
"Gee, I wonder how many evaded the draft?" Daniel wondered. "I see mostly Hippie chicks gathered but it's very odd that about a quarter of those before us are men in their early to mid twenties."
"Probably not much left as Canada just hands them a uniform as soon as they arrive as does Mexico." O'Keefe grinned. "Free buzzcuts and delousing showers as well. These are the remaining holdouts I suppose."
"Wait, really? They're being drafted across the border?"
"ONE!"
"In the words of their governments, if they're moving north or south, they better fight. Face it, these activists have no way to go except to prison or shipped straight to the front after training." The Sergeant declared as he noticed a bottle about to be thrown. "And that's a common sense policy, which these complainers, who literally are the final legs of the so-called counter culture movement, lack."
"And there's the rocks being chucked." Daniel noted, watching the Hippies beginning to pelt various objects toward the DC Patrolmen and United States Marshals.
"ALRIGHT THEN! RIOT SQUAD!? YOU ARE AUTHORIZED TO ARREST ON SIGHT!"
District of Columbia Jail - 1901 D St SE, Washington, District of Columbia, United States of America, North America, Earth, Sol System, Milky Way Galaxy
03:15:16 ATC / March 15th, 1969 - 16:50 / 4:50 PM
"Make love, not war!" One of the prisoners from the anti-war riot whined as two Soldiers and two Sailors visited his cellblock where all of the male rioters were being held.
"Sorry brother, but welcome to the Navy." Daniel smirked at the draft dodger as two Shore Patrolmen prepared to drag the last of the known hippies in America forcefully out of his cell. "You can either be inducted peacefully into your nation's navy or take the Canadian program."
"Canadian program?"
"Duration of the war plus seven years in the Canadian Army's Corps of Engineers as either a bridge builder in hot zones or demolitions expert, Mister Jones." Sergeant O'Keefe revealed this to Harvey Jones. "Then citizenship automatically granted once your term of service is either over with or hostilities with the Empire cease since as of now our planet as a whole is in it for the duration."
"I'm screwed, am I?" Jones pouted, quickly realizing that his fingerprints were used against him with how the soldier who placed him and his comrades in the cell knew his name. And there's also the chance that if he accepted the Canadian Program he may not live long enough to become a Canadian citizen given how it literally meant being under fire from snipers and artillery while serving as Combat Engineers but at least he had a choice unlike his fellow Flower Children who escaped to north of the border only to be involuntarily conscripted and placed in the construction or demolition units. "We're pretty much all that's left of the movement. What about the Peace Corps?"
"You probably were high when the news came out but when war was declared, the Peace Corps has been suspended for the duration being and conscious objectors are doing their service for their Uncle Sam in non-combat roles as medics or cooks. I can only help you if you cooperate with us."
The prisoner weighed his options, he could either remain American even if unwelcome but at least he would be placed in a non-combat role and had a decent chance to live or risk it all to become a Canadian with no guarantee for survival.
"Fine, I'll do the goddamn, worthless navy then! My uncle was a worthless sailor anyway."
"Good boy." O'Keefe smiled warmly. "While obviously I'm no sailor: Welcome to the Navy, Mister Jones."
Harry Allen Gardner - VFW Post 9439
On the outskirts of the remote small town of Crimson Dawn - Crimson Dawn, Natrona County, Wyoming, United States of America, North America, Earth, Sol System, Milky Way Galaxy
03:15:16 ATC / March 15th, 1969 - 16:50 / 4:50 PM
"Play the song, Harry." The lead VFW member ordered as the posse assisting the Sheriff Department pulled up next to the Hippie encampment.
"With pleasure." The Deputized Doughboy who was part of the posse smiled as he played 'Ballad Of The Yellow Beret' by Bob Seger to announce their inmeniant arrival to raid the caravan and arrest the draft evaders.
What should have been a day of discussing old times at the VFW Post in Casper and drilling for their part in the local Saint Patrick's Day parade was thrown off due to reports of spoiled brats trying to evade the draft and to the elderly Doughboys who went 'Over There' it was repugnant - a slap in the face - and completely reminiscent of the slackers during World War I, meaning that the Slacker Raids had to be revived from time to time due to the necessity of the conflict with all the manpower that could be spared from essential wartime occupations being placed in uniform and now was not the time for slackers during this conflict.
It was at times very reminiscent of 1917-1918 in regards to slackers especially with what occurred in New York a week prior when New Rochelle Policemen, the New York State Park Police, New York State Troopers, New York Guard, and New York Naval Militia as well as VFW men and American Legionnaires raided an encampment on Travers Island and dragged off the Hippies to get taught a lesson in hygiene and do their part in the conflict instead of lounging about to smoke marijuana or shoot LSD.
But at least the slackers fifty-two years ago were civilized and respectable unlike these uncivilized, delusional, and ungrateful miscreants the agencies of the State of New York including the New York State Division of Military and Naval Affairs had rounded up and transferred to the custody of the Federal Government for induction.
At seventy-two years, Gardner was far from the twenty year old man who was at the Battle of Cantigny on May 28th of 1918 but he was gleefully going to make sure these brats had a chance to preserve and defend this nation from being vanquished by the Sith Empire. There was no use for Hippies in these circumstances nor was there ever a need for their existence at all.
This is a protest against protesters:
Fearless cowards of the U.S.A.
Bravely here at home they stay
They watch their friends get shipped away
The draft dodgers of the Yellow Beret
"Come on you hippies!" The Sheriff of the County shouted at the commune after the posse surrounded them. "Off to war you go!"
Yellow streaks up and down their spines
Men who gladly stay behind
They won't fight for the U.S.A.
They fought hard for the yellow beret
"Not Mooney!" One of the women sobbed as the men had no choice but to surrender to the Law Enforcement officers surrounding them.
Men who faint at the sight of blood
Their high heeled boots weren't meant for mud
The draft board will hear their sob stories today
Only the best the yellow beret
"Does he have a draft exemption card, ma'am?"
Back at home a young wife waits
Her yellow beret has met his fate
He's been drafted for marching in a protest
Leaving her his last request
"No. I qualify as 1-A." 'Mooney' admitted, holding back tears as he knew there was nowhere else to run or hide on Earth as Canada and Mexico, nevermind the entire world, were drafting even noncitizens to fill their individual manpower needs. "I and the others and I will accept the consequences."
Put a yellow streak down my sons back
Make sure that he never ever fights back
At his physical have him say he's gay
Have him win the yellow beret
"Welcome to the Army, son." The Sheriff smiled reassuringly at the men before facing the women. "As for the rest of you, ladies, I advise you to go to the diner in town and call your relatives to pick you up or make arrangements for a flight home at the Natrona County International Airport." The highest Law Enforcement officer with jurisdiction over the entire county couldn't help but grin at the outsiders who were going to learn how to shave and bathe properly at taxpayers expense as the public were finished with their ilk, nevermind receive free haircuts. "Load them up, men! I'll call the recruiting offices back in Casper in the morning to arrange their induction."
The yellow beret
The yellow beret
The yellow beret
"With pleasure, Sheriff." Harry chuckled, the Doughboy had his M1903 Springfield Rifle at port arms and prepared to strike any of the draft evaders if they attempted anything. "You heard him, get into the vehicles! You are malingering, unpatriotic and ungrateful cowards! It's time to grow up and be men!"
"Hey, you can't take me! I got a hurt knee, and a bad back, and I'm allergic to everything, and I have asthma, and look at that hang nail! And I got a pimple on my trigger finger and besides, I'm learning to play an instrument at college but I just started to learn and - ahhh, nooooo!"
The yellow beret
The yellow beret
Yeah the yellow beret
"Well, we were planning on having children sometime soon…"
The yellow beret
Yeah the yellow beret
Sergeant Samuel David "Sam" Westbrook - First Squad, Third Platoon, D/ Delta Company, Second Battalion, 324th Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division, XVIII Airborne Corps, United States Army
Fort Duqua Dar - Quadrant G-19, Coruscant, Coruscant System, Core Worlds, Republic Space, "The Galaxy"
03:15:16 ATC / March 15th, 1969 - 16:50 / 4:50 PM
"Hey, Sam, what are you placing in the player?"
"'Ragged Old Flag' by Johnny Cash." The Sergeant declared. "What else?"
I walked through a county courthouse square
On a park bench, an old man was sittin' there.
I said, "Your old court house is kinda run down,
He said, "Naw, it'll do for our little town".
I said, "Your old flag pole is leaned a little bit,
And that's a ragged old flag you got hangin' on it".
He said, "Have a seat", and I sat down,
"Is this the first time you've been to our little town"
I said, "I think it is"
He said "I don't like to brag, but we're kinda proud of
That Ragged Old Flag
"You see, we got a little hole in that flag there,
When Washington took it across the Delaware.
And It got powder burned the night Francis Scott Key sat watching it, writing "Say Can You See"
It got a rip in New Orleans, with Packingham and Jackson tugging at its seams.
And It almost fell at the Alamo beside the Texas flag, but she waved on though.
She got cut with a sword at Chancellorsville, and she got cut again at Shiloh Hill.
There was Robert E. Lee and Beauregard and Bragg,
And the south wind blew hard on
That Ragged Old Flag
"Today it is a time to reflect and remember after all as Freedom isn't Free." Sam sighed. "There's also old memories between Jake and I and unfortunately some of them are in regards to domestic disturbances."
"More like recent memories."
"Unfortunately…" Westbrook groaned, wishing he never had to deal with the ungrateful Hippies in addition to the Communists in Vietnam and the paratrooper never asked to fight a war back home.
"On Flanders Field in World War I,
She got a big hole from a Bertha Gun,
She turned blood red in World War II
She hung limp, and low, a time or two,
She was in Korea, Vietnam, She went where she was sent by her Uncle Sam.
She waved from our ships upon the briny foam
and now they've about quit wavin' back here at home
in her own good land here She's been abused,
She's been burned, dishonored, denied an' refused,
And the government for which she stands
Has been scandalized throughout the land.
And she's getting threadbare, and she's wearin' thin,
But she's in good shape, for the shape she's in.
Cause she's been through the fire before
and I believe she can take a whole lot more.
"So we raise her up every morning
And we bring her down slow every night,
We don't let her touch the ground,
And we fold her up right.
On second thought
I do like to brag
Cause I'm mighty proud of
That Ragged Old Flag"
"Still, at least those attempting to evade conscription have their chance to be useful militarily. I mean some literal nobody, this fella named Sylvester Stallone, got in the headlines for becoming a French Foreign Legionnaire after fleeing to Europe to evade the draft."
"It's appalling but what can I say? He didn't want to be inducted into the United States Army and I'm just grateful he's not in this Army but fate undeniably caught up with him."
"Yeah...Talk about irony. I'm sure he regrets not spending time with Uncle Sam given the nature of Foreign Legion training." Jason snickered.
"The Drill Sergeants in their smokeys would just make him dig his own grave and kneecap him." Sam shrugged. "Though come to think of it, Jake must've become cynical."
"What do you mean?"
"He used to be even-tempered and optimistic but I think the past few years got to him with the Hippies running amok." Sam sighed.
"You know I can't blame him. War can change men."
"And it was a goddamn war at home that did him in."
"Say, speaking of the Man in Black, Sam, will you be at the USO Show tonight?"
"I wouldn't miss it for the world."
Hanna-Barbera Productions, Inc. - 3400 Cahuenga Boulevard West, Hollywood, Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California
03:15:16 ATC / March 15th, 1969 - 16:50 / 4:50 PM
Despite the full schedule and desire to beat rush hour to return home, William Denby Hanna and Joseph Roland Barbera agreed to stay and listened to the proposal for a new cartoon series jointly conceived by employees Charles Kenneth 'Ken' Spears and Joseph Clemens 'Joe' Ruby with intrigue.
The co-created program and proposed franchise - what would be entitled as 'Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!?' - was about a team of teenage sleuths and their dog traveling to solve crimes with the crooks masquerading as supernatural entities when they committed their crimes.
While it was appealing to Hanna and Barbera and met Fred Silverman's criteria, the two veteran cartoonists recognized a serious flaw in regards to pitching the concept to Silverman and the board, something that would kill it outright before it could even air given the current climate.
"Look, it's not because I don't like the concept but we need to make some changes to this proposed program." William advised. "That Hippie needs to be changed to appear more conventional - clean-shavened with a fedora, the whole nine yards - or be edited out."
"Shaggy is not a Hippie but a Beatnik." Ken corrected.
"Alright, you have a fair point, Ken, and those formerly obscure beatniks somehow evolved into be widespread hippies but to be fair that painted Volkswagen you call 'The Mystery Machine' threw us off." Barbera reasoned. "It's just that recent events made anything to do with Hippies unmarketable and Silverman would immediately reject this as a result if you were pitching it to him today."
"I will get on it, sir." Ruby understood. "Maybe we could change his appearance to be more of a typical clean-shaven student in contrast to the Ivy Leaguers Fred and Daphne, we can also change Shaggy's name to Norville Rogers as that's what would be his Christian name anyways -"
"Hold on. You said his name is 'Norville Rogers'? Norville? Why Norville?"
"Umm...Because that's why the character prefers to be called Shaggy as part of his backstory but since it is being changed...How about Charles Rogers?"
"Charles Rogers? I like it. Now that only leaves the...Great Dane was it?"
"The talking dog is supposed to be a Great Dane." Joe verified.
Hanna snapped his fingers when a thought of salvation occurred. "Charles 'Charlie' Rogers and Scotty-Doo?"
"Hmmm...It could work." Ken figured. "Scotty-Doo, Where Are You? Wait, wouldn't that infringe on 'Star Trek' though?"
"You're right, in that case, perhaps retaining the name of Scooby is fine as the only change other than the vehicle being more like a business van is just that Hippie, Beatnik, whatever to someone more mainstream and unmistakably proud to be an American."
Fort Duqua Dar - Quadrant G-19, Coruscant, Coruscant System, Core Worlds, Republic Space, "The Galaxy"
03:15:16 ATC / March 15th, 1969 - 17:00 / 5:00 PM
"You don't need to see our tickets." Kira smirked, waving her wrist to do the mind trick. "You'll let us through."
"I don't need to see your tickets." The Duros contractor manning the booth for the R&R area where after being rented out the USO Show was being held tonight acknowledged. "I'll let you through."
"Hold on, where's your tickets, sir? Ma'am?"
"Uh oh." Cas spotted two Shore Patrolmen of the United States Navy approaching, their white helmets and armband with 'SP' along with the blue uniform immediately helped the Jedi identify them as ordinary American sailors who were tasked with augmenting the Master-at-Arms as auxiliaries in keeping order.
"We recognize that stunt, Jedi, and know you're trying to sneak in like some kid who didn't pay to see a hit film playing at the local motion picture theater."
"Now what's the trouble here?"
While the Jedi only know of his appearance from posters, the voice was that of Steve McQueen with John Wayne close behind.
"We forgot our tickets." Carsen fibbed to McQueen.
"Well, unfortunately you won't be able to attend."
"Hurry up, will you!?" A Coast Guardsman shouted out of irritation and impatience at the hold up. "We're going to miss out seeing Jerry Reed!"
"And Johnny Cash!" An Air Force Airman grumpily added.
"Two friends of ours gave them to us as they didn't want to attend due to not being fans of country music."
"I see. Well, I guess we can make an exception to two Jedi we heard about." Wayne justified. "Let them through and I hope you enjoy the steaks, onion soup, and show." The Western actor then realized something. "Aw, shucks, I forgot the index cards."
"Hey, that's right, more like we both forgot the cards!" McQueen uttered. "Enjoy the show and dinner you two!"
"You really wanted to see the show, didn't you?"
"I won't deny it." Kira smirked, causing Cas to groan.
Lance Corporal Jacob Gregory "Jake" Meyer - Fireteam Alpha, Second Squad, First Platoon, C/Charlie Company, Second Raider Battalion "Carlson's Raiders", Second Raider Regiment, Second Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, United States Marine Corps
Fort Duqua Dar - Quadrant G-19, Coruscant, Coruscant System, Core Worlds, Republic Space, "The Galaxy"
03:15:16 ATC / March 15th, 1969 - 17:15 / 5:15 PM
Turning around the corner, Jake didn't notice that two individuals were walking in the lobby and the Marine's eyes widened like a deer caught in headlights as he realized that he accidentally knocked into the two main stars hosting the concert.
"I'm sorry Mister Wayne, Mister McQueen."
"It's quite alright, son. Where are you from?" The Duke pried, chuckling.
"Acton, Indiana, eleven miles away from Beech-"
"Beech Grove." McQueen finished, chuckling as well, especially as it turned out this serviceman hailed from a locality literally near the actor's birthplace. "What a small world."
"Here, allow me to help pick up the index cards." Jake offered as he knelt down and assisted the two hosts of the inemiant USO Show.
John "Duke" Wayne / Marion Robert (Michael) Morrison - Revered Western Film Star
United Service Organizations concert - Fort Duqua Dar, Quadrant G-19, Coruscant, Coruscant System, Core Worlds, Republic Space, "The Galaxy"
03:15:16 ATC / March 15th, 1969 - 17:30 / 5:30 PM
"Now howdy everyone. I'm sure everyone attending here tonight recognizes my friend and I." Wayne began. "If not, well… you should."
The American servicemen of the United States Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard who made up the audience laughed while Steve McQueen took over the microphone and continued with the introduction.
"What my compatriot geared up for the O.K. Corral
standing next to me here unlike the comfortable bomber jacket of yours truly meant that you must have been primitives living underneath a rock and be neighbors with the Flintstones to not be aware of us or Marlene Dietrich."
"Don't you mean Maureen O'Hara, Steve?"
"Haven't you read the papers with the rumors about her and Marylin Monroe, John, or are they too primitive compared to those finicky datapads we heard so much about? Actually, come to think of it, the latter rumors involve John Kennedy, not John Wayne, my bad."
"Well, I'm certainly no Jack Kennedy. The last time I glanced at the mirror, I appeared to be more down to earth than someone who went to Harvard. Or was that Bobby?"
"I'm pretty sure it was Bobby but either way, at least we all know who's who."
The laughter became a roar and the attendees were applauding at the creativity by the two actors who were not professional comedians in any way.
"Now before we begin, we would like to begin with a prayer to remember those who paid the ultimate sacrifice in the name of Freedom and recognition of friends, family, men we have all looked up to and passed on while serving as an American soldier, sailor, airman, or Marine."
"Remove covers!"
The American servicemen immediately took off their hats and bowed to observe the prayer which was led by John Wayne.
"Oh Almighty Father who is in heaven, gathered before you here today are men in uniform who took the step to enlist or were called up in the service of their country during her urgent hour and today is a day where they, our guardians, and we, the American people, recognize and remember the sacrifices of not only the ones currently standing against those who tread on the liberties granted to us by you, Oh Lord, but also those of the generations past and those of the future generations in addition to ones present here before you and at other fronts of this conflict, one where it is not on Earth but across the stars. We are hoping that this war that has gone on for so long and we only recently got involved in due to circumstances will cease. Amen."
"Amen!"
"God bless you, gentlemen. Now first up is Pat Boone."
Wayne gave way and shook Boone's hand before he took over the microphone.
"Hello, fellas. I'm sure that you've enjoyed listening to this tune and wished certain friends of yours didn't neglect their contribution when they conveniently claimed to be following their conscience after being called upon by Uncle Sam." The folk guitarist smiled, earning chuckles. "Yes, I'll be starting off with 'Wish You Were Here, Buddy' as everyone should be pulling their weight and we don't need slackers."
Well, hi there, buddy
Thought I'd drop you a line
I haven't seen you
For a hundred years
When you get time
Will you let me know
If it's true what a fella hears
Heard you been leading
Those campus demonstrations
You're as busy as you can be
If the sit downs, walk outs
And others aggravate you
Bet you hardly ever think of me
Well, I'm on a little
Vacation in South Vietnam
And expense paid trip for one
I got my own little rifle
And a great uniform
And a job that must be done
Well, we're sleeping in the jungle
And ducking real bullets
And man, it's a lot of fun
Wish you were here
(Wish you were here)
Wish you were here
(Wish you were here)
I heard you let your hair grow
Til it's hanging on your shoulders
And you hardly have time to shave
Bet the girls all flip
Cause you look so fine like
Something crawled out of a cave
Heard Uncle Sam
Nearly scared you to death
But you fooled him just in time
Just stuck a little match
To your old draft card
And you burned up
A future like mine
Well, I'm on a little
Vacation in South Vietnam
And expense paid trip for one
I got my own little rifle
And a great uniform
And a job that must be done
Well, we're sleeping in the jungle
And ducking real bullets
And man, it's a lot of fun
Wish you were here
(Wish you were here)
Wish you were here
(Wish you were here)
Oh, I know you're not scared
You're a real brave guy
You're a regular Cassius Clay
And I know woulda fought
When the country was young
But the world's just different today
Well, you just stay home
And leave the fighting to us
And when the whole
Darn mess is through
I'll put away my rifle
And the old uniform
And I'll come looking for you
Well, we're sleeping in the jungle
And ducking real bullets
And man, it's a lot of fun
Wish you were here
(Wish you were here)
Wish you were here
(Wish you were here)
Wish you were here, old pal
(Wish you were here)
Wish you were here
(Wish you were here)
Wish you were here, little buddy
(Wish you were here)
I wanna introduce
You to them Comms
(Wish you were here)
Come on over and we'll just
Hold em til you get here, okay
Wish you were here
United Service Organizations concert - Fort Duqua Dar, Quadrant G-19, Coruscant, Coruscant System, Core Worlds, Republic Space, "The Galaxy"
03:15:16 ATC / March 15th, 1969 - 19:45 / 7:45 PM
Cas watched Mel Tillis come out onto the stage and without missing a beat after an introduction, began playing 'Stateside'.
Well, the Japany's moon is bright tonight and Tokyo is full of life
Busy people everywhere but busy people just don't care
I wanna go stateside, oh Lord, I wanna go stateside
He was having something known as a 'Surf-n-Turf' which apparently had both a 'New York Strip' steak and Lobster for the main part of the dish with mashed potatoes and gravy as well as fried mushrooms on the side plus for him tomato soup instead of French Onion or the Potato and Cheese with Bacon. The root beer wasn't particularly appetizing and he didn't know why plopping scoops of Ice Cream into the drink was popular but now he regretted not getting a cream soda instead.
Kira, on the other hand, while having the same main course as her husband, had the French Onion soup and a Cherry Coke as her chosen beverage, which apparently meant Coca-Cola that had flavored syrup mixed in, not off-the-counter and already included like the similar tasting zherry-flavored sodas in the Galaxy.
"Good thing we didn't get the cheesecake." Kira mentioned offhandedly. "That's one particular addiction we don't need."
"I don't know what it is or what ingredients cause it but I have to say that Earth has a significantly valuable export which caused them to make an exception for rationing."
In and out the honky tonks but nothing's there I really want
Sat a while and look around get up and leave and walk the town
I wanna go stateside, oh Lord, I wanna go stateside
"No wonder pirates have been intercepting shipments lately in the Moddell Sector." Kira snorted. "There's actually rumors circulating that the Pepsi-Cola Company is considering forming a Navy of their own and hiring mercenaries to hunt down the pirates given how the Republic is overstretched dealing with the Imps."
"Where did you hear that?"
"Some trade official posted a holo-tweet claiming that he overheard the CEO thinking about it at a conference in New York City." The redhead revealed.
"Well, while there's no way to prove the validity, needless to say there has to be something about the process that causes it." Cas wasn't sure what it could be however as the other sugary desserts or soft drinks didn't produce the effect and neither did s'mores which discounted Graham crackers, leaving only cream cheese but could it be that somehow in conjunction it caused the effect? 'Maybe I'm thinking about it too hard. As far as we know, it's harmless, relatively speaking, it just results in cravings for the dessert.'
"Well, it might be one of those mysteries that may never be answered and forever remain unexplained." Kira reasoned. "It's not like we're mentioning spice here and calling it ab addiction may be the inaccurate way to describe it, more like intermittent cravings."
"Still, it's certainly something I'm not going to try."
"Me neither." Kira deadpanned. "Are you enjoying the show by the way?"
"It's...Interesting to say the least." Cas analyzed, not sure what to make of it quite yet.
The giashy girls don't understand the lonely life of a service man
When his heart is far away to a girl in the USA
I wanna go stateside, oh Lord, I wanna go stateside
I've heard say a man don't cry but I can't keep my blue eyes dry
I've been away about two years I know I've cried a million tears
I wanna go stateside, oh Lord, I wanna go stateside, oh Lord, I wanna go stateside...
Lance Corporal Jacob Gregory "Jake" Meyer - Fireteam Alpha, Second Squad, First Platoon, C/Charlie Company, Second Raider Battalion "Carlson's Raiders", Second Raider Regiment, Second Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, United States Marine Corps
United Service Organizations concert - Fort Duqua Dar, Quadrant G-19, Coruscant, Coruscant System, Core Worlds, Republic Space, "The Galaxy"
03:15:16 ATC / March 15th, 1969 - 22:00 / 10:00 PM
We don't smoke marijuana in Muskogee;
We don't take our trips on LSD
We don't burn no draft cards down on Main Street;
We like livin' right, and bein' free.
Yes, sir
We don't make a party out of lovin';
We like holdin' hands and pitchin' woo;
We don't let our hair grow long and nasty and dirty,
Like the hippies out in San Francisco do.
"Everyone sing one time!"
I'm proud to be an Okie from Muskogee,
A place where even squares can have a ball.
Yes, sir
We still wave Old Glory down at the courthouse,
And white lightning's still the biggest thrill of all.
"Oh I'm proud to be an Okie from Muskogee." Jake with his beer can in the air and the other Americans in attendance sang along to 'Okie From Muskogee' by none other country singer Merle Haggard himself after performing 'The Fightin' Side of Me'. "A place where even squares can have a ball, yes sir! We still wave Old Glory down at the courthouse! And white lightning's still the biggest thrill of all!"
Leather boots are still in style for manly footwear;
Beads and Roman sandals won't be seen.
And football's still the roughest thing on campus,
And the kids, they still respect the college dean.
"Leather boots are still in style for manly footwear! Beads and Roman sandals won't be seen! And football's still the roughest thing on campus! And the kids, they still respect the college dean!"
And I'm proud to be an Okie from Muskogee,
A place where even squares can have a ball.
And we still wave Old Glory down at the courthouse,
And white lightning's still the biggest thrill of all.
"And I'm proud to be an Okie from Muskogee! A place where even squares can have a ball, yes sir! We still wave Old Glory down at the courthouse! And white lightning's still the biggest thrill of all!"
We still wave Old Glory down at the courthouse,
In Muskogee, Oklahoma, USA.
"We still wave Old Glory down at the courthouse,
In Muskogee, Oklahoma, USA!"
"Well, that unfortunately concludes tonight's show, folks." Merle apologized. "There will be an showing tomorrow-"
Yet the bombastic crowd however demanded more, enjoying the show by the country musicians and the servicemen were gravely disappointed that it was ending for the evening.
"Encore, encore!"
"Come on, Merle, let's hear 'Some of Us Never Learn'!"
"Jimmy Sweeny's 'What'cha Gonna Do About Me'!"
"No, we want 'Eastbound and Down' by Jerry! Strum up those chords, Jerry!"
"'Country Boy', Johnny! From the man in black, Johnny Cash!"
"Alright, well, I suppose we could do one more show and one more show wouldn't hurt." The Duke determined as it became rather boisterous among the unsatisfied and disappointed audience. "We'll have our musicians draw straws and determine the finale among themselves, make it a surprise to you all."
United Service Organizations concert - Fort Duqua Dar, Quadrant G-19, Coruscant, Coruscant System, Core Worlds, Republic Space, "The Galaxy"
03:15:16 ATC / March 15th, 1969 - 22:15 / 10:15 PM
"Well, what we could do instead is have all of us sing one song." Jerry Reed proposed.
"Hmmm… That might resolve how we could placate the entire crowd by having all of us finish concurrently but the question is which one?" Johnny Cash wondered.
The lineup would combine the voices and chords of Johnny Cash and his brother Tommy who took leave from the Army to participate in the show, Jimmy Sweeny, Jerry Reed, Glen Campbell, Buck Owens, Freddie Hart, Mel Tillis, and Merle Haggard.
"Since Jerry suggested it, how about… 'Fightin for the U.S.A.'?" The African-American singer who was unknown to many was both influential and a mentor to a certain Elvis Presley, Jimmy Sweeney threw out.
The eight country musicians grinned as they reached a concurrence.
United Service Organizations concert - Fort Duqua Dar, Quadrant G-19, Coruscant, Coruscant System, Core Worlds, Republic Space, "The Galaxy"
03:15:16 ATC / March 15th, 1969 - 23:00 / 11:00 PM
Jerry was the first to reappear on stage "We have decided to finish off with 'Fightin' For The U.S.A.' but with a twist. All of us will be taking turns singing the lyrics three times." Reed revealed to the audience. "Enjoy the show." Jerry strummed up the chord and began.
When Uncle Sam found that I wasn't married
He sent a letter saying son don't tarry
And make it down to your boat for induction
when you arrive you'll get further instruction
They said ya training outta do it so they put me right to it
And they sent me on an aeroplane
My destination Da Nang, Vietnam
Next were the two Cash brothers Johnny and Tommy.
Now I'm a fightin for the USA
Oh Glory and the USA
If you don't like it cause I'm over here in Vietnam
Well you can take your complaints to my Uncle Sam
I'm just a shooting my rifle like he taught me to do
Doing exactly what he wants me to
Well I'm U.S Soldier fighting for the USA
Then came Glen Campbell and Buck Owens.
I go crawling through the swamp and the marshes
Steppin on vegetables and squashes
Duckin bullets comin at me from the trees
Jumpin round knockin holes in my knees
Bullets flying right and left got my scared half to death
But I know the job has got to be done
and that's why they sent me over here to Vietnam
And on cue was Freddie Hart and Mel Tellis.
I got captured by the Viet Cong
And for a while I thought I was gonna get hung
But they just beat me on the nose
Kinda mashed all my toes
All the time a-yellin' 'Yankee Go Home'
Well they stretched me and squashed me
And tried to brainwash me
But I stuck up and snuck away
Then I popped up a fightin again for the USA
Followed by the one and only Jimmy Sweeney.
Now I'm a fightin for the USA
The Red White and Blue American Way
If you don't like it cause I'm over here in Vietnam
Well you can take your complaints to my Uncle Sam
I'm just a shooting this rifle like he taught me to do
And doing exactly what he wants me to
Cause I'm U.S Soldier fighting for the USA
Oh Glory in the USA
Oh Glory in the USA
Finally it was Merle Haggard who finished it off.
Would you believe I'm a Marine ha ha ha
Oh Glory in the USA
The Red White and Blue American Way
Oh Glory in the USA
Hmmmmmm
United Service Organizations concert - Fort Duqua Dar, Quadrant G-19, Coruscant, Coruscant System, Core Worlds, Republic Space, "The Galaxy"
03:15:16 ATC / March 15th, 1969 - 23:15 / 11:15 PM
"Well, gentlemen, that concludes tonight's show!" Wayne declared from the microphone on the temporary stage. "Have a safe night, everyone!"
"Wow, that was awesome!" Jake laughed as the crowd began to disperse. "It's a shame it's over tonight though, even if I got autographs from and a picture with John Wayne and Steve McQueen."
"But there's tomorrow." Marv beamed. "God bless America."
"Say, Chris, have you ever thought about trying out a career as a musician?" Jake wondered. "You have a knack for it."
"Once or twice." The Wyomingite confirmed. "But this war needs to end first before I get into it or get back in the saddle and wrangle cattle. I was going to become a professional rodeo rider when war was declared."
"I still need to see a rodeo sometime."
"Well, tell you what, if we pull through, I'll be sure to make arrangements to have you witness an authentic one in Wyoming."
"Now that sounds like an offer I can agree to, but now I just need to figure out how to return the favor." Jake chuckled only to spot someone unexpected.
"Umm...Hello, Jake." Cas greeted awkwardly. "It sure was an...interesting night."
"Well, only less than a quarter of the songs played tonight were derisive against Hippies if that's what you mean by interesting."
"I know songs such as Mel Tillis's 'Your Kind of Living', Pat Boone's 'Speedy Gonzalez', Merle Haggard's 'Mama Tried', and Jerry Reed's 'Soldier Joy'." The Jedi listed off just some of the songs which were performed for the spectators this evening.
"I don't mind some Tennessee Ernie Ford myself but 'The Fightin' Side of Me' is a favorite of mine." Jake smirked as he quoted a line with a sing-song intonation. "They love our milk and honey, but they preach about some other way of livin', when they're runnin' down my country, hoss, they're walkin' on the fightin' side of me."
"We know that you seriously don't like Hippies." Kira deadpanned. "I hope you have a nice night, Jake."
"You too, Cas, Kira."
"Well, it sure was an experience, Cas, with all of the beer floating around and whatnot."
"It certainly was and it was rather rancorous as well."
That's right, it isn't just George Lucas and Gene Roddenberry but John Wayne and Steve McQueen alongside a few others are present as part of the United Service Organizations and will be touring for a time!
Per the information straight from the lore it seems that Corellians are protective of their bloodstripes which is a prestigious decoration in the fictional civilization and to quote directly from the article on Wookieepedia here:
Some sources say that a Corellian was entitled to kill—without repercussions—any other Corellian or non-Corellian caught wearing them that hadn't earned them.
So it isn't unreasonable in the slightest to portray a cultural misunderstanding and coincidence to result in blows between United States Marines and Corellians.
Needless to say, for good and ill, there are plenty of 'coincidences' to choose from.
John Lennon, formerly of the Beatles, is no longer present on Earth and he's not in the British Military but a refugee due to not wanting to be conscripted and handed a rifle anywhere on Earth.
As a matter of fact, the Counterculture was squashed to extinction and that was why John Lennon was forced to flee unless he wanted to be handed a uniform, even a Soviet, Chinese, or North Korean uniform.
Guess that means Hippies won't be having their wild parties and causing chaos no more on Earth.
Oh well.
And now before anyone posts any reviews on it, I would like to state for the record that John Wayne was not a Draft Dodger at all.
Wayne was exempted from being drafted due to his age (He was 34 Years Old at the time of Pearl Harbor) and family status (classified as 3-A – family deferment). Wayne repeatedly wrote to the famed director who brought the Duke to stardom John Ford saying he wanted to enlist, on one occasion inquiring whether he could get into John Ford's military unit.
Wayne did not attempt to prevent his reclassification as 1-A (draft eligible), but Republic Studios was emphatically resistant to losing him since he was their only A-list actor under contract. Herbert J. Yates, the President of Republic Studios, threatened Wayne with a lawsuit if he walked away from his contract, and Republic Pictures interfered in the Selective Service process, requesting Wayne's further deferment.
The U.S. National Archives records indicate that Wayne, in fact, did make an application to serve in the Office of Strategic Services (OSS), the literal precursor to the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), and had been accepted within the U.S. Army's allotted billet to the OSS.
William J. Donovan, Commander of the OSS, wrote Wayne a letter informing him of his acceptance into the Field Photographic Unit, but the letter went to his estranged wife Josephine's home and she never told him about it.
Wayne toured U.S. bases and hospitals in the South Pacific for three months in 1943 and 1944 with the USO.
During this very trip, he carried out a request from Donovan to assess whether General Douglas MacArthur, commander of the South West Pacific Area, or his staff were hindering the work of the OSS. Donovan later issued Wayne an OSS Certificate of Service to memorialize Wayne's contribution to the OSS mission.
So the claims on him being a Draft Dodger that has been popping up on the internet for the past few years are withholding the reasons behind it and not telling you the full story at all.
Wayne was so guilt ridden even though it was no fault of his own circumstantially that he worked harder to be a public champion of patriotism in order to compensate and you should blame Republic Studios and a wrong address for Wayne not serving in uniform during World War Two when he was more than willing to do his part.
I encourage you to read the biographies on Wayne to get the full story since as the saying goes: Don't believe everything on the internet.
And that portrayal there is correct, the First Battalion of the Third United States Infantry are not purely ceremonial guards who watch over Arlington National Cemetery and other similar functions such as being an honor guard when foreign dignitaries visit.
They are a multipurpose unit who can be deployed outside the United States or respond to an emergency situation in the District of Columbia including but not limited to conducting riot control as illustrated in the Insurrection Act of 1807, which if enacted is one of the few exceptions to the Posse Comitatus Act.
Although The Old Guard primarily functions in a ceremonial role, it is an infantry unit and thus required to meet standards for certification in its combat role. The unit also trains for its support role to civil authorities in a wide range of scenarios and for deployments in support of overseas contingency operations. In order, it conducts defense in support of civil authorities in the National Capital Region and deploys elements in support of overseas contingency operations.
And you might not believe it with the above in mind but as much as I sincerely didn't want to change Scooby-Doo here as Shaggy and the Mystery Machine are part of the heart - even the soul - that made the franchise great, in all fairness as a repercussion due to a failed Hippie Movement - even though Shaggy is technically a Beatnik that was more 1950s than a 1960s Hippie and yes I know it's confusing - it's very likely that it would be seen as problematic.
And I'm still sure you weren't expecting John Wayne, Steve McQueen, and both famous and obscure country musicians to appear or to have an ending that was inspired directly from an actual occurrence as uploaded in this video available on YouTube:
Glen Campbell, Johnny Cash, Buck Owens, Mel Tillis, Merle Haggard, Jerry Reed & Freddie Hart
/ watch ? v = dJ8QRjXochI
I can confirm that Glen Campbell, Johnny Cash, Buck Owens, Mel Tillis, Merle Haggard, Jerry Reed, and Freddie Hart were all awesome beyond belief when they sang together!
They are all legends in their own right but all lineup together?
It was a dream come true and to be honest, I thought I was drunk when I saw the title and watched it but it turned out I wasn't! :D
And while Jimmy Sweeney has faded into obscurity even though he did advise Elvis Presley, believe it or not there are some significant similarities between them as part of this despite being two different singers.
Case in point: Check out Jimmy Sweeney's song 'Sick, Sick, Sick' which as of the time of publication is available on YouTube uploaded by BenBop1965 and you can see, well more like hear what I mean. 'Boogie Woogie Jockey' and 'What'cha Gonna Do About Me?' are pretty catchy tunes as well :)
Sweeney in my opinion deserves more recognition than being an influence to Presley so hopefully you enjoy his inclusion and appearance alongside some more famous country musicians.
Admittedly I might have gone overboard with the lyrics here and I perfectly understand but at the sametime I think the oversaturation is justifiable given the setting and circumstances. Even so, this will be an outlier and none of the other chapters will be overlaid with it.
Anyway, I sincerely apologize for the delay but at least there's two new chapters available and while I cannot give a timeframe for the next one, just be aware that I am still resolved and committed to seeing this tale through no matter what.
P.S. Did anyone notice that the legendary rodeo star and country singer Chris Ledoux made his appearance?
Of course he wasn't the first as Arnold Schwarzenegger has appeared in this tale nor will they be the last.
And I've already hinted at a certain someone appearing down the line not to mention the fate of Sylvester Stallone even though it's only a mention so far regarding the latter.