Zinn talks about taking the famous photograph and his relationship with Dwyer that continued after Dwyer returned Stateside. He also talks candidly about PTSD and the near-hostility the American people have over the issue - a shameful lack of compassion and understanding of the dynamics of military service.
For me, however, the most powerful and indicting point of the interview is the final paragraph:
"Nobody is buying war bonds, planting victory gardens," he said. "I don't know why. The VA hospitals should be best hospitals in world, should be better than anything else. I have been to very few. But from what I see, it's not what is happening. They are overrun by thousands coming back."
Why is that? Why isn't civilian involvement being courted for this war, as it was for WWII? Shouldn't we be making some minimal sacrifices in order to unite ourselves with our soldiers who are fighting to keep us safe? We haven't even been asked to conserve gasoline - with prices over $4 a gallon, and people screaming about how this war is only about Bush's greed for oil, and no one has been asked to curtail driving habits, reduce miles, or make any sorts of sacrifices whatsoever.
Should we take up the call and voluntarily do something? What?
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