Page 4 March 26, 2008 CAMPUS American History professor offers unique

perspective of Vietnam War

UPEI Professor was an American citizen until moving to PEI. with his wife two years ago

By Krista MacLean The Cadre

Each one of us carries a little piece of history. For many, it is the her- itage and ancestry that accompanies their surname. For others, it is the memory of an experience that made an impact on their life and the world. For Bruce Craig, it is a tattered piece of newspaper he keeps neatly folded and tucked away in his wallet.

Craig, a professor of American History at UPEI, called the United States home until two years ago when he and his wife moved to the Island. During the 1960s he experi- enced an important part of American

history, an experience he shares with —

students when he talks about the Vietnam War.

“The 60s were a very turbulent —

time in the U.S.,” recalls Craig in his sparsely decorated office.

“The Vietnam War was such a divi- sive experience for Americans. A lot of people were scarred as a result of ae

Although Craig admits he “was basically not affected” by the war, the way in which he and his brothers dealt with the draft highlights what it must have been like to have your fate in someone else's hand.

“My eldest brother joined the International Guard and _ basically avoided going to Vietnam by being a reservist. My middle brother was in school and he stayed in school in order to avoid the draft, the avoid- ance of the draft being his main objective,” he said.

Craig, the youngest brother, was least affected because of his age.

However, during the final years of the war he was old enough to be eli- gible for the draft, a significant day in his life represented by the yel- lowed square of newsprint he has kept for so many years.

“T was in the very last draft pool,” he explains as he unfolds the small piece of paper. “This was the

“The Vietnam War was such a divisive experience for Americans. A lot of

people were scarred as

a result of it.”

announcement in the newspaper, the draft pool.”

Columns of dates and numbers line the paper. Each date is accompanied by a number, and the number con- nected to your birth date would become your draft number, said Craig.

“If you were 1-80 you were defi- nitely drafted.”

Craig was 355.

“T knew I was safe.”

Unlike his brothers, avoiding the draft had never weighed heavily on Craig's mind.

“If I had a low number I would have had to figure my options,” he said.

“J didn't contemplate what I'd be doing had that been the case. By the time I was in the draft pool the war

was practically over and it was decided that Nixon was going to end the war and end the draft. Everyone knew that Nixon was looking for an exit strategy.”

Although Craig considers the mili- tary to be a good career for many people, the draft system during Vietnam was “unfair,” he said.

“Vietnam became a poor persons war. If you look at the pictures there were a large number of black and Hispanic soldiers. If you were able to stay in school, you were exempt from the draft. My brother stayed in school after he had received his mas- ters for that reason, but many people wouldn't have had that option.”

Nowadays, Vietnam is not some- thing Craig thinks about often. He and his wife are settling into life in rural Prince Edward Island and are busy running a bed and breakfast in

UPEI Cadre

North Lake, a property they bought five years ago. Craig, an accom- plished author who has. written over 100 articles and a number of books, plans to devote more time to writing and is currently working on a biog- raphy of alleged Soviet spy Alger Hiss.

Many of Craig's courses are quick- ly becoming popular as he gains a reputation as a knowledgeable and captivating professor, an expert in the Cold War and the history of espi- onage.

And for his part, Craig is finding his classes at UPEI equally as enjoy- able.

“UPEI is unique and gratifying because the student doesn't get lost in the shuffle. There is a desire and dedication to teaching here that is frankly quite refreshing.”

Source: Wikipedia

The toll of the Vietnam War

Casualties:

Vietnam: 250,000 dead; 1,170,000 wounded U.S.A: 58,209 dead; 2,000 missing; 305,000 wounded South Korea: 4,900 dead; 11,000 wounded Australia: 520 dead; 2,400 wounded New Zealand: 37 dead; 187 wounded North Vietnam and NLF: 560,000 dead/missing; 600,000 wounded P.R. China: 1,446 dead; 4,200 wounded

Vietnamese civilian dead: 2,000,000 Cambodian civilian dead: 700,000 Laotian civilian dead: 50,000

* all are approximations