***To this day hardly any JW understands this issue as it was presented to me in my congregation.***
I am so sorry Terry. I do understand. My Father, the Congregation Overseer of the time gave that same speach to my boyfriend of the time. I knew then, the organization was wrong! Just common sense to me as a young teenager. I was so torn and heartbroken. I really wanted to be acceptable to the whole jw thing so tried to stand behind their decisions. I did go and see my boyfriend in prison, his blood brother was imprisoned at the same time as well, they were somewhere in Arizona. I traveled in the back of one of their family members stationwagon, from southern ca and got terribly sick with food poisoning. So the memory is still clear. No other visits were arranged to go see them.
I felt so, so, sad and that it was so wrong for them to be there. You know,that stigma of being an ex-con stuck with them and affected their ability to get any kind of decent employment. There was no appreciation nor acknowledgement shown by the congregation when they did return.
I cry now for them and you and all the others who have experienced that time and place. It's one of those cases where the ones in charge really have no feeling for, nor comprehension of what they are dictating behavior should be is truely haveing on their followers.
Sorry I sound a little disconnected, but this is a very emotional issue for me.
Hope
PRISON
by uninformed 46 Replies latest forum suggestions
-
hopelesslystained
-
uninformed
Hopelessly stained--
Just a note, I was in prison first at the FYC (federal youth camp) on Mt. Lemon, Tucson, Arizona. Is that where you went?
Who did you go see?
Anyway in January of 1967 the gov't shut down the Mt. Lemon camp and sent half of us to Springfield, MO, via, La Tuna, Texas and El Reno, Oklahoma. We were about two weeks in transit.
The other half were sent to Safford, Arizona, to the youth camp there (prison) to be available to fight forest fires.
Do you remember if you went there or Mt. Lemon.
I knew all of the guys transferred, a whole bunch of guys from California.
Uninformed
-
uninformed
All---
Just a short note and sad story,
While in the maximum security prison in Springfield, Missouri, one of the guys got sick. His name was Russell Peters, and I remember him being from West Virginia.
Anyway, upon examination, he had terminal cancer (20-21 years old). He was given "immediate release" and got to go home. 6 months later he was dead.
God, remember him please.
U
-
hopelesslystained
I really can't remember where it was in Arizona. His name was Ron Hilliard. Hope
-
HappyDad
To those of you who went to prison for being believing JW's and those who are veterans...................
I appreciate, respect, and honor all of you.. What you faced as individuals is unique and sometimes hearbreaking.
My mother became a JW in 1961 and bombarded me with JW crap. I fell for most of it.......but in my mind.........I wasn't strong enough to bear all the responsibility of being a JW. I kept to my own way of life but felt constantly guilty for not getting "dunked" and being a full fledged door knocker.
In 1966 I got drafted and tried claiming the conscience objector stand. It didn't work!
So I went to basic training at Fort Benning, Georgia (Harmony Church) and from there went to Fort Belvoir, Va to the 91st Combat Engineer Battalion. On arriving in Fort Belvoir, I had to go to an interview. At that interview........the officer questioned me about the consciencious objector stand I wanted to take. I went into a lot of detail about how I felt about war and killing and how I thought the Bible view was. But I never would claim a JW stand. That was never mentioned and no one ever knew.
The officer was really understanding about how I viewed things and said they wanted to put me in the medical corps.........but there was no opening there. Then he thought the motor pool might be a good place for me.
Somewhere in this interview/conversation I said to him that I would like to have the entire consciensious objector stand taken out of my record since I really didn't understand it fully and I was confused. He said that in his opinion and his experience, he thought I might have been influenced by someone or something. (if he only knew).
Well........it was stricken from my record and before I left the interview (I don't remember how long it was) he said I was recommended to the ADM Company. He went on to explain that ADM stood for Atomic Demolition Munitions and that I would be investigated to get a Secret Security Clearance.
It took two months for this to happen and during this period I was on permanant barracks duty. (military term for janitor) Then I went to school for about another 2 months to learn how to set up and detonate ADM's. (sure glad I never had to do the real one during the Tet Offensive)
My two years in the Army.......as I now look back............were a good two years for me. The only part that haunts me is all the time trying to hide my true feelings and still wanting to fit in with the men I relied on and they on me........despite all the JW brain washing I was getting from my mother. Guess I can blame my late mother for most of this but even so..........I believed but was not strong enough (as JW's say... to take my stand for Jehovah and the Truth) (I now know that is pure "horse hockey"........as Colonel Potter from MASH 4077 used to say) My way of thinking then ....reminds me of the Airforce pilot about 8-9 years ago who flew his jet into the mountains and killed himself. His mother was a JW and her constantly bombarding his mind with JW think affected him beyond what is normal.
The most memorable experiences that I chose to remember are being assigned to the peace march in Washington, DC in 1968 (or was it 1967) and making the comment that I would rather be with the hippies who were demonstrating against the war (man...did I get flack over that statement)(my company's assignment was to protect the Pentagon's power plant......we were on the roof and had a fantastic advantage point to see all that was happening) and again in Washington, DC for the riots following Martin Luther Kings assassination. Other things I chose not to remember but they rear their ugly head from time to time.........I salute and pray for the guys who didn't come back or who were severly wounded. (I'll say a little more further down this post)
One thing I have not done but hope to do before I die is go to the Wall in DC. Guess I am afraid of all the emotion that no doubt will surface when I do.
Now for the clincher. After I got out of the Army in June, 1968, I partied....smoked a little weed.......popped some acid and pills......went back to hanging with my motorcycle club with the name of "The Loser's" and fornicated for awhile. I was my old self! But then I allowed the JW brainwashing to take hold. (I had never been in a KH until this time) I allowed the pressure from my mother (I was still living at home) to convince me that I should study with brother M.....h and go to meetings. Like a complete idiot.....I did!
That's when I met the wonderful girl that was to become my wife. I sometimes wonder if I only became a JW to have her for the rest of my life!
In 1983 I was showing the infamous signs of post traumatic stress syndrome. So many memories from my Army time were giving me nightmares. I was waking up crying and calling the names of my buddies. I cried and wailed because they were gone.........their families didn't have them anymore........and here I was.......safe and sound without so much as a scratch. One of my friends in high school upon arriving in Nam was killed on his second day there. As many of you know from other types of stress............you......as I......was told to rely more on Jehovah.........do MORE ministry. What a fu@kin& crock of bull shite encouragement that was! I think that was the beginning of my future alchoholism. My Dr. who also was a "dub".....gave me Zanax. If you don't know......booze and Zanax isn't the best combination for a mixed drink! But somehow I got through it all. I know it was the love of my wife that got me through the worst of it. But we also used to say that Jehovah was behind me overcoming all of it. Once again......I say.......BULL SHITE. Now I'm not blaspheming the name of God from the OT......but I'm not stupid either. (at least not anymore)
Sorry to have gotten off track........but my emotions have been strong reading this thread.
To uninformed, Terry and others here.........I honor the stand you took with the understanding you had at that time in your life. Please don't consider that time to have been time in vain. When all of that was happening in your life.........it was what you believed or was told to believe. You guys were victims and you did what had to be done.
Now you are free and can talk freely about these experiences.
All of us love you for who you are. You don't have to show us any numbers at the end of the month to gain our approval........and in turn you are here for us!
To the younger ones on JWD. Please take note of what these people went through. Respect them and learn from their experiences.
You too have to put up with a different generation of crap.........but in the end......no matter how much you shine JW shite..................it is still shite.
Endure..........overcome..........be happy............LIVE
HappyDad
-
bem
I found this really interesting reading, I knew 2 men here in Oklahoma, ones first name was Veachel last intial M. lived in the same areas as you Undecided close in age too.
-
ringo5
Very touching thread.... ((((Happy Dad))))