 | Frank Bergquist graduated from Eddyville, IA, high school in 1958. After graduation, he entered the Army, serving 20 years in Missouri, Maryland, New Mexico, Germany, Iowa, Turkey, Kansas, S.E. Asia, and finally retiring in 1978 in Louisiana. Before retiring, Frank was assigned as an ROTC instructor at WSU and Kemper Military School until 1974. In 1978 he served as the Non-Commissioned officer in charge of operations at Fort Polk, LA. He has served as the Veterans Counselor (DVOP) with the Kansas Job Service Center National Service Office, with the Disabled American Veterans at the VA Regional Office in Wichita; Veterans Employment and Training Coordinator with the US Dept. of Labor at Ft. Riley, KS; Service Coordinator with Cerebral Palsy Research Foundation; Dept Adjutant-Treasurer and the Dept. Executive Director Dept. of Kansas Disabled American Veterans; and past President of the Wichita Civil War Round Table. Currently he is doing graduate work as an instructor in Genealogy and Military History at Wichita State and Kansas State Universities, and is the CEO for the Disabled American Veterans Thrift Stores in Wichita, KS. Bergquist has an AA from Kemper Military School and College from Boonville, MO. and a BGS from Wichita State University. He can be reached by telephone at 316-262-6501. He is located at 926 N. Mosley Wichita 67214. |
Veteran Affairs
2007-07-01 16:13:00
Wars: why are we involved?
Why are we involved with war?
The last column may have been a little heavy on military history but that is my background since graduating from high school in May of 1958. I looked for a job until August, realized that probably was not going to happen and decided that I had better join a branch of the Armed Services or I would have to sponge off of my relatives for the rest of my life. I was sent to basic training at Fort Leonard Wood, MO. I was probably the only Recruit who knew the history of General Leonard Wood.
After graduating from basic, I was sent to Aberdeen Proving Grounds, Maryland for advanced military training. I was originally sent to be trained as a black smith mechanic. But at that time you had to have perfect vision for this training, due to the bright lights of welding. This wasn’t to bad, I had enlisted for the Army Security Agency. But since they found out I had relatives in Sweden (My father came from Sweden at age 19.) I might possibly be a security risk. So the Army made me a Guided Missile Propellant and Explosives Specialist. I became proficient in various things that I’m not certain I’m allowed to talk about. But that was yesterday, this is now.
A lot of our fellow Americans have talked about the war in Iran and Afghanistan. They are either for or against it. That is nothing new. During the Revolutionary War, some States wanted to and fought to stay with the “Old Country” or England. In the late 1700’s we had a Whiskey Rebellion in the middle Eastern States. They didn’t like the Federal Government taxing whiskey. Whiskey was easier to transport than bulk corn, and whiskey sold better than corn. During the various other wars, to include the Indian Wars, there were always some for or some against. The Civil War was known by various names depending on where you lived, If you lived in Virginia, it was the war either to defend the South, or the war to defend Virginia. There is some proof to both allegations. If we back up to the first preceding war, we find the Mexican War. Most of the Officers in the Civil War got their experience in the Mexican War. These were officers on both sides. A lot of their comments bordered on something like this: Why are we here?. The Indian Wars, were a little different. We had a clash of cultures. One culture won, and is still trying to make amend. But it is not all one sided. If you look into the truth of our Indian wars in Kansas, you will find massacres on both sides. The further you were from civilization the worse the massacres.
The truth goes on from side to side. This is not to say that there weren’t bad acts on either side. Don’t blame the individual soldier, sailor, marine, airman or whoever for what their country makes them do. Praise them for what they do. They are defending their country, so you don’t have too.
