I was an anti-war protester. Now I honor those who served — especially on Memorial Day

I am a SLO High grad and I spent the bulk of my childhood in this city as a free-range kid.

Once I was old enough to have a bicycle, the boundaries fell away and I could range anywhere within 10 miles of home and no one worried about my safety nor, as far as a teenager could tell, even cared.

Many of the fathers of my friends served in the military during WWII, and a few never returned. We honored everyone who served and our mothers had detailed stories about their parts in the war, supporting “our men overseas.”

SLO County always seemed to me as a boy to be a very patriotic county and our veterans were a revered part of our community. Back then we held an annual La Fiesta parade and all the branches of our armed forces were on show. We were proud of them all and cheered and clapped our hearts out.

And there was Memorial Day. My parents never went to any of the ceremonies and looking back, I wish we had. I knew what it was, what it stood for, but my connection to the day, as a day of remembrance, was really nothing at all.

Then the Vietnam War started during my teen years and I embraced the anti-war movement. Oddly, with hindsight, I turned from a boy who revered those who served to an avid castigator of ‘the baby killers’ in my late teens.

I attended many a gathering of anti-Vietnam protesters at Mitchell Park and marched with fervid outrage down Higuera Street and back on Marsh to Mitchell Park where we shared our rage against the government, our men in uniform (oddly, never the few women who served) the military industrial complex, capitalism and the bosses. All were damned.

I was born in Canada, so when my draft number came up I was faced with a decision: Get drafted, go to jail or go north to the land of my birth. I took the coward’s way out and hightailed it to Vancouver, Canada, where I found many other like-minded draft dodgers.

However, there were two related differences there. Canada played no part in the war against communism in Vietnam, but roughly 30,000 Canadians joined the U.S. military as volunteers — roughly the same number of U.S. draft dodgers who escaped north.

Also, the anti-military sentiment never caught hold in our northern neighbor.

I still recall my first Nov. 11 in Vancouver. On the 11th month, 11th day at the 11th hour, Canada stops in homage to date and hour of the end of WWI. I was downtown when the sirens started, signaling the exact moment. Pedestrians and traffic just stopped in the middle of the street, wherever they stood, for one minute.

I can tell you, there were and are a lot of tears shed in that one minute, including mine. When you truly contemplate the sacrifice of the thousands of our fellow citizens who volunteer to place their lives between us and those who wish us harm, we owe them much and yet they ask so little.

Over time, I changed. My views of Vietnam shifted and, more importantly, my regard for those who served in our military transformed from one of derision and contempt to gratitude and honor.

I now go to every Memorial Day service for two purposes. One to share with all attending the privilege of demonstrating to those vets that we thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your sacrifice for us.

I also go for me. I go to remind myself that those who paid the full measure did it simply because they believed it was the right thing to do; a simple thing to say, yet a manifestation of a much deeper connection between us all. One that lies hidden until it is called for, until it is needed.

So I urge you to seek out a Memorial Day service near you. Go. Look around you and find the true heroes among us. For 364 days a year, they live as our neighbors, yet are hidden from view.

On this Memorial Day they will stand when asked and for that, I am grateful. I am given the opportunity to express my appreciation for their time and efforts.

I wish I had learned that understanding 50 years earlier.

Gordon Mullin is a SLO High grad and has a degree in economics from the University of British Columbia. Among the 40 or so jobs he’s held in his life, he claims taxi driver best fits his character.