..........???...........Updating The Viet Nam Memorial.........???............

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I was on the phone, calling San Diego from Washington D.C.
I was paging through  a directory.
"B-A-Y-E-S, Thomas," he said.
"I found him, Ray, I said,
"I'll send you the photograph as soon as I can."

  

When I visited the VietNam Memorial Wall in 2004,

there were obvious reasons Ray Peterssen's name

was not listed: he was alive and well,

living in La Jolla.

When he played guitar, all I could think of

was manna from heaven.

He started playing guitar when he was eight years old.

Five years later–1963–we became friends

and would remain so until his death

on February 19, 2012.

That was the same day the GODFATHER OF MATH was born.

Ray looks great in this 2008 portrait he had done

to promote his recording studio, Raining Notes.

But, two years later, Ray's stomach looked as if

it had swallowed that guitar.

It distended obscenely as a result of something

that sounds as if it could have been a candy bar:

AGENT ORANGE.

It was actually a delayed reaction 

to our biochemical warfare in VietNam.

Raymond Peterssen was a VietNam casualty.

The war ended officially in 1975.

But Agent Orange, which the United States 

sprayed "millions of gallons" all over VietNam, 
can take a long, long time

to do its final damage.

Ray's life ended officially in 2012.

In no way was my best friend unique 

in being a belated war casualty.

However, I asked a VietNam veteran, 

if anyone kept a record

of these slow death casualties.

"Of course there is a record of such deaths."

"Where is it?"

"It's in the Veteran's Administration."

Of course that means the public is kept oblivious 

of the reason there needs to be an extension 

of the VietNam wall.

Unless you want to believe the news media 

that praises itself for courageous investigations 

is capable of exposing the true 

and lasting value of Agent Orange.

Maybe if  Dow Chemical,  its manufacturer,

hadn't made a billion dollars profit from Agent Orange,

a journalist would be willing to come forward

and enlighten America.*

Dow Chemical also manufactures napalm.

We cursed (and then bombed) Saddam Hussein 

for using deadly chemicals on his own people

but it was the United States that had been doing

the same damn thing.

The difference being that USA is much better at it.

Our government never sprayed Agent Orange
within the geographical boundaries of 
the United States.

Also, the profit margin on Agent Orange–
and all the descendents of World War I's mustard gas–
is such a delight for chemical manufacturers
and their stockholders.

*But  someone  may be proving me wrong. 

A photograph of Raymond Peterssen
appears at the absolute bottom
of every GoFather of Math page.

Lo and behold, 
Mrs. CarPeo found a second–
and much more visible–essay
on this subject.

Thank you,  Christopher Hutchins.

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