About once a week I drive one of those red, white and blue DAV (Disabled American Veterans, www.dav.org) vans, hauling veterans to either the Wichita or Topeka VA hospital. Last Thursday, Valentine's Day, I was in Topeka. Once I arrive there isn't anything for me to do except sit around so this day I helped out some other volunteers in preparing Valentine's goody bags for the vets staying in the hospital. Among some of the goodies were some ball caps, gray with graphics on the bill and a stylized American flag on the forehead. Good looking hat I thought to myself as I noticed the label. Rather the absence of a label, it had been cut off.
I quipped to the retired USMC Gunnery Sergent from the Volunteer Services Office that was over seeing the project, "I see they have cut off the Made in Taiwan labels". She kinda of frowned and said, "they were made in Viet Nam". It really is a global economy isn't it? Sort of like those made in Japan American flags you used to see at the USS Arizona Memorial in Hawaii. Since a good number of the hospital residents are Viet Nam vets suffering from PTSD probably a good thing someone saw fit to cut off the labels.
Totally unrelated but part of my day, they asked me to run a large bag of stuffed animals to the animal shelter. I guess the folks at the shelter hand them out to kids or something. Upon arrival the only place to park the van was right in front of a row of cages holding a variety of dog, old, young, big, small, you get the picture. None barked, a few whined, but they all were on their back legs with their front paws on the cage door. Each had an expectant look on his face like they were saying take me, help me, here I am. Needless to say I almost bawled right on the spot. I like dogs, someone else's, don't like the mess, etc. but this bunch of guys really tugged at my heart especially when you consider that most were spending their last days alive. Damn people are idiots that don't take care of their pets.
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