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14 Feb 66
Dear Mom,
I feel different now after seeing some horrible things and I’ll never forget them. To kill somebody, turn your head and walk away isn’t hard, it’s watching him die that’s hard, and even harder when it’s one of your own men….
Love, George
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George J. Robinson PFC George Jay Robinson was assigned to the Recon Platoon, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion, 28th Infantry, 1st Infantry Division, based at Di An. He was wounded in action on 11 June 1966. Asked to update his biography, he wrote the following:
“As much as has been permitted me by the inexorable – if erratic – evolution of maturity and my increasingly focused powers of reflection, my activities since returning twice wounded from Vietnam at age 19 have been guided by a belief that it is the duty of each human being to know and improve himself, to develop and use his experience, knowledge, and skills to benefit his family, his community, and the greater Human Family.
“At times I have struggled against despair, physical deterioration, and the temptations of self-indulgence, inertia and self-pity. I am proud of the fact that I am setting a solid example for my three children, and happy that at this late stage of life, a wonderful woman, my wife, Mary, has chosen me to be her husband and the father of her child.
“Vietnam piqued my interest in non-Western cultures, which led to travels with my family to more than 30 countries, at least half in Africa, Asia and the Near East. And Vietnam taught me a great deal about the universality of human nature, and the stupidity of prejudice. Since returning, I studied the politics of that conflict, and learned much about the strengths and limits of my own country’s political system, in the process earning a bachelor’s degree (cum laude) in political science, and a master’s degree in American history.
“Although retired after a 26-year career as an American history teacher, and since 1996 being unable to work due to disability, I founded NURTUREart Non-Profit, Inc., a charitable organization run by unpaid volunteers that is devoted to promoting the careers of visual artists creating fine art in all expressions. I have chosen to live and raise my son Evan in New York City, the greatest city and cultural center in the world.”
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