This snapshot was gathered in conjunction with the Museum on Main Street program at the Smithsonian Institution and its "Stories from Main Street" initiative. The project is intended to capture Americans' impressions and stories about their small-town and rural neighborhoods, waterways, personal memories, cultural traditions, work histories, and thoughts about American democracy. This story is from a group of narratives inspired by the Smithsonian traveling exhibition, "Voices and Votes: Democracy in America."
Gary Clark (00:00): My dad was World War II. If you go back into the '50s, the draft existed and all those sort of things. But it was expected of my brother and I that we would go into service. In fact, my grandfather asked me as I was, I think a junior in high school. He said, "After service, what are you going to do?" It was expected. And so I'd do it all again if I could. I loved every day of it, some days better than others. And it wasn't without some fear and trepidation at times as well. War's not a fun thing to be in.
(00:44): But the thing that you always felt in the military that I always felt, and if somebody didn't feel this, that's when they usually looked at it for other options. Either you were part of a team doing something significant, and secondly you as part of that team, you were recognized as an important cog in it. So you were significant. What you were doing was significant. You were significant. If you didn't feel you were significant or what you were doing was significant, that's when people went someplace else. So that's the important thing here.
(01:24): I retired from the military and I went to work for the City of Lakeland, worked for the City of Lakeland as department head. And I try to apply those same things to the employees, that idea. Wh,at you're doing is significant. If it's not significant, we'll find you something more significant to do. Or maybe it's time for you to look for something else if we can't satisfy you here. But the thing in working with veterans, and the thing I was looking to do here is, there comes a point with some groups ... I don't care whether it's homeless, or whether it's the disabled or whatever, there comes a time when a lot of people exhibit sympathies toward these folks. Veterans don't want sympathy. That's not the way to view veterans.
(02:24): My approach to this whole thing, one is, if there's things that you need that can be provided to assist you, and you're otherwise entitled to that or you've earned that help, then fine. Well, we should help. But the other side of that is you have an obligation too. You have an obligation to give back. Just because you wore the uniform for 2, 3, 5, 15, 20, 35 years doesn't mean that you are owed something. You still have an ability to serve. And now you're in the community, you owe the community some of the benefits of your experiences in giving back. And that's kind of what I try to do here in working with others, is provide a forum, an opportunity, an open door if you will, for how they can become involved in the community and make contributions to the community.
(03:26): Again, this goes back to part of the issue you talked about before, where you ask before about civic responsibilities, duties, responsibilities, things like that. You're an example. When you look at the young people today that are serving in the military, this hasn't always been true, but it's more true than false. That is 70 to 72% of the young people out there can't qualify for military service, either because they can't pass the test, they're overweight, they've got a drug problem or otherwise an issue, or for various other reasons. 70 to 72% can't qualify for military service.
Asset ID: 2022.37.11.d
Find a complete transcript at www.museumonmainstreet.org
