Sunday, October 5, 2008

COMBAT!


Combat was a war show with a conscience. The characters thought about their lot in life and at times regretted. We played Combat as kids and always I was Vic Morrow, or Sgt. Saunders.

It made us think of war and it implications. It wasn't overly attractive to any of us. It was our duty and we felt it was necessary for us to go into the military. In my neighborhood, almost all my friends went in and most of them served in Vietnam. All of us returned, some worse for the wear, but all in one piece. In my neighborhood, we were heroes and were treated well when we came back. The adults had a party everytime one of us came home. We wore our uniforms, ribbons, and medals, and all of the little kids looked up to us. It's a great memory and I think about it often, especially since all of our dads our dying off. They too, went to war when it was their turn. It was what was done in my neighborhood. I am proud to have grown up that way. Flyover country, my ass.

4 comments:

Obob said...

I remember that show as well. Mostly Rat Patrol.

Pasadena Closet Conservative said...

Loved that show! It had an intergenerational audience. I was a teenager and watched with my parents. It was good stuff. It was also a different time. There doesn't seem to be anything on TV these days where the good guys win over the bad guys and the entire nation roots for them.

Grandpa-Old Soldier said...

That was one of the best shows on back in the day. I to am a retired USAF Security Policeman. Hung it up in 1987

Law and Order Teacher said...

obob, pasadena, grandpa,
Thanks for the visits. Those kind of shows can't be on TV anymore, something about glorifying war. BS. I get the comment about the bad guy-good guy thing. I loved westerns as a kid, still do. Good guys win, bad guys lose. Grandpa, Welcome home, brother. 824th SPS, Kadena AB, 1971-73. 366th SPS, (TDY) Da Nang, 1972. 3415th SPS, Lowry, Colo., 1973-75. Then out to civilian PD.