I had assumed that if I got to Vietnam as an intelligence officer with the ability to speak and write Vietnamese, I would be assigned some peaceful work at the army headquarters in Saigon, a city still reflecting the Indochinese culture, the residual French colonial influence, the colorful and attractive Vietnamese civilians, women in áo dàis floating by on bicycles, favoring me with a smile.
I thought that the language and the rank would afford me far more interesting jobs than I would have had in the infantry. I had smoothly escaped its vile operations.
With the Senate primary only days away, I'm reminded of a topic that's important to Vermonters, a topic that doesn't always make the headlines: animal welfare. Let's not forget to ask our candidates before the Aug. 26 primary what their views are on improving our animal welfare laws. Vermont...