Anyone who followed a moral compass is a hero. Those who went to be good citizens of the US, those who didn't to be good citizens of a larger world. The leaders who created the situations were cowards, immoral. Gore was a hero, he went. Conroy was a hero, he didn't. Johnson was a coward, Nixon too. In it for ego. Bush was/is a coward twice, going AWOL back then and sending others now to salvage his ego, "bring 'em on!"

Conroy is a great writer. I couldn't finish "Prince of Tides" when I tried to read it, years ago. It was just too close to home, too real. For a while I walked around the bookcase in which it resided until I gave it away.

I have an peripheral, remote connection with "The Great Santini". I had a next-door neighbor who was over here one day, wearing a T-shirt which said "The Great Santini" on the front, with "Coming Soon From BCP" on the back. I asked about it.

At first she said that the BCP was her father, Big Chuck Pratt, and he produced the movie. I laughed, and she told me the true story. Her father was, indeed, Chuck Pratt, and head of Bing Crosby Productions. He had read the book, thought it was absolutely his story, bought the rights, hired a couple of screenwriters, and then produced the movie.

Her brother was a writer for "Dallas" or something, went on to produce a few of the "mega-" daytime TV series.

And that's all I know.

Arf