The next correspondence I received from the Selective Service was a questionnaire form. It asked me what kind of alternative service I would like to do. I was given three choices. For my first choice, I wrote down “Some kind of conservation work,” because I was very much concerned with the degradation of the environment, and enjoyed working outdoors. My second choice: “Teaching school in an Indian reserve”, I was a qualified elementary teacher, and I wanted to working with people in need.”
Finally, for my third choice I wrote down, “Goodwill store”, because I knew that most CO’s ended up carrying bedpans in hospitals. Being in a hospital was not something that I would have liked to do, considering how easily I fainted, so I certainly didn’t want to work in a hospital. I had heard that sometimes CO’s served their Alternative Service in Goodwill Stores, and to me, that seemed like that would be a more attractive job than working in a hospital. I hoped that putting down “Goodwill Store” as my third choice, might give the Draft Board an idea they probably wouldn’t have considered.
In my next communication from the SS, I was informed that I was to report to the Indianapolis Goodwill Store to begin two years of alternative service. The draft board always made sure that the Alternative Service done by a CO was located hours away from his home, so that his life would be disrupted, but I didn’t mind that, those drafted into the military had to leave their homes, and I was certainly willing my serve my time in Indianapolis, if that is what the Draft Board wanted.
I have already blogged about what working in the Goodwill Store was like. If you haven’t read it and are interested, you can go back to my July 4th blog entry and begin there.
View my paintings: davidmarchant2.ca
No comments:
Post a Comment