DS wrote:
J. Clarke wrote:
DS wrote:
If snopes is to be believed, the Red Cross only charged American
servicemen overseas. My father and stepmother both witnessed this
happening here in the US; returning vets being charged for coffee
and
donuts by the red cross here on American soil. One at a red cross
sponsored dance in New York, the other at an airport in
California.
I wasn't there, but they were, and I believe them. They both hold
a
grudge against the red cross for this.

One would expect a dance in the US to be a fund-raiser, where
everyone in attendance is expected to do their part.

Tom Bunetta wrote:
Interesting reading indeed.
It's amazing how urban legends and myths come to have lives of
their
own. Mis-information must be self propagating.
Tom

Perhaps, but if you're raising funds to comfort the troops, then the
money should come from ... the troops??? No. Not in my estimation.

If you're raising the money for the troops stuck in some hellhole
overseas then I don't see anything wrong with raising some of it off
the troops who are safe and warm in New York or California.

By your reasoning they'd give the troops war bonds for free.

My stepmother as a young woman was asked to volunteer at this dance
in
order to "do something nice for the troops". She was assigned to
SELL
them drinks and snacks. It didn't seem to her that she was doing
anything FOR them.

Why would they need anything done FOR them?

My father, at a west coast airport, watched as the red cross sold
coffee and donuts to soldiers - to GIs both returning and leaving
for
pacific areas.

Oh, yeah, those guys were in real danger sitting in an airport.

Like I said, I wasn't there. I'm relying on their experience, and
that
there really doesn't seem to be a "rest of the story" here. At least
not one that justifies the behavior.

I have a friend (a Korea vet) that is spending his retirement as a
red
cross volunteer. I know that he does good and necessary things with
that organization.
My point wasn't that I think the red cross is evil... Just that I
know
two people that can personally discredit the snopes account of the
era.

The purpose of the red cross is not to distribute free coffee and
donuts to people in airports. I just don't understand that attitude
that expects everything they do to be free. If you're going to sleep
in a warm bed tonight and not be shot at tomorrow morning and you
don't have any holes in you or parts missing and you got your pay last
week and you're going to get it next week and your mail is going to
catch up with you and you had an Army breakfast and you're going to
get an Army dinner and they're going to pay you a travel allowance for
your lunch (which they do when you're travelling on orders but not
when you're travelling on leave) then you don't have any need for free
services from the Red Cross.

If they were profiteering over guys bleeding in the field that would
be something to get upset about but you're complaining because they
don't give people safe in rear areas freebies.

--
--
--John
to email, dial "usenet" and validate
(was jclarke at eye bee em dot net)