He Went in Bill's Place

Two boys grew up in Hope, Arkansas in the 1950s and 1960s. One became a hero in the service of his country and the other used every means available to him to evade his duty to his country. During the early nineties there was a popular bumper sticker that read, “Why is it that a veteran sleeps in a cardboard box while a draft dodger sleeps in the White House?” Every time that Bill Clinton evaded military service during the Vietnam War, someone else was sent in his place. This book parallels the lives of Bill Clinton, the draft dodger, the war protester, the skilled liar, with a fictitious person representing the man who was drafted in his place. For those who would sanction “draft dodging” during an “unpopular war” I would point out that for every coward who evaded service, some other mother’s son was sent in his place. Placing more value on one man’s life over another is unjustifiable.