JOSEPH MICHAEL MISHLER
Vietnam Veteran, Army, 25th Division- 1967
Educator- Researcher- Guest Speaker
Playright- Author
My wife, SUE ANN CONNOLLY,
passed away on January 16th, 2001. Sue was mother, grandmother, wife, lover, friend, artist, author, playwright, war protester, activist, and much more. She will be greatly missed. Many thanks to all who helped during our crisis.
The Sue Ann Connolly Theatre Scholarship at Holly High School has been established in her name.
Our thoughts go with those who lost their lives in the cowardly massacres in New York, Pennsylvania, and Washington, D.C. America is a free country, and we will not sacrifice our freedom for a few fanatics. We should give them no quarter and give them no rest. They gave us none. I am proud to be an American. Our thoughts are with our service people who are headed in harm's way or are about to be in harm's way. They will do us proud!
My work is about Vietnam. I explore the topic from every conceivable perspective. Veterans must tell their own story so that people will not forget the devastation and horror of war.
58,226 & 1,886 --- YOU ARE NOT FORGOTTEN! We will not let that happen!!
My work is based on interviews and research about Vietnam and the impact of war. If you have something you think might be helpful, contact me.
IF YOU ARE A VETERAN, WELCOME HOME!
FIREFIGHT: 1992, Produced at Buckham Alley Theatre, Flint, MI. FIREFIGHT is about a group of friends who return to their 25th high school class reunion to restablish their friendships. Some went to Vietnam, some avoided Vietnam. War affected all. Length 2 hours, script available.
CAGE: 1993, Produced at Buckham Alley Theatre, Flint, MI. CAGE deals with the Prisoner Of War/Missing In Action issue from the perspective of a woman married to a pilot missing for 25 years. Length 2 hours, script available. Suitable for middle school, high school, college and all.
WALL: 1994, Produced At Buckham Alley Theatre, Flint, MI. WALL is about the experience of a couple that goes to the Vietnam Veterans memorial. A soldier they both knew steps out of the Wall and the experience begins. Length 2 hours, script available. Suitable to middle school, high school, college, all. WALL was also produced at Holly High School, Holly MI in April 1998 using high school students.
BRONZE: New play. A group of soldiers from a wide range of conflicts and service to America join together to bring a fellow soldier home who has been missing in action. The play is set in a national cemetery. BRONZE was produced for the 1st time November 4,5,6, 1999 at Holly High School.
Play by SUE ANN CONNOLLY.
"DOWN IN THE HOLE"-- a full length play about the 1936 Sitdown Strike in Flint, MI. Her father was one of the leaders of the Sitdown Strike. The play is about how the women saved the strike. The play is suitable for middle school, high school and college level-- and of course, adults. Script is 2 hours and is available. Play was produced at Buckham Alley Theatre in Flint and at Holly High School.
I have compiled a 20 page bibliography on Vietnam-- about 900 entries including books, major journals/magazine articles, movies, collections. If you would like a copy, e-mail me. I am continuously updating as I read or view programs. This is on hold until I get it retyped. I lost some files and that was one of them.
"Deserter" is one of my writings that many have praised.
DESERTER
Joseph Michael Mishler
Praise the Lord and pass the ammo
Lord of the realm, High Priest McNamara has spoken.
Pass the word, Whiz Kid #1 has spoken.
Pass the word, the best and the brightest has stepped forward to set the record straight, and to cleanse his soul in retrospect.
Pass the word, he's been a deserter for twenty-seven years.
Took his brain and mouth and hid.
Pass the word, "just give me the facts" McNamara has spoken.
Said Vietnam was a terrible mistake.
Said he didn't ask questions.
Said he knew the questions that he didn't ask.
But he didn't ask them.
Pass the word, said he was pleased to be involved in the Vietnam War.
Said he knew it was wrong, but did it anyway.
Said he didn't have experts, but didn't go looking for any experts either.
Said he didn't understand the little yellow man, and didn't try to understand him either.
Pass the word, Lord of the Realm, High Priest McNamara has spoken.
Pass the word, he's been a cowardly deserter for twenty-seven years.
Pass the word, destroy the village to save it.
Said the bombing wasn't working, but bombed even more.
Said we couldn't win, but sent us anyway.
Said he didn't speak out because his opinion was of no value.
Pass the word, he was secretary of defense.
Praise the lord and pass the ammo,
Lord of the Realm, King of the Facts, High Priest McNamara looking for atonement.
Pass the word, dead Vietnamese say he's #10.
Pass the word, time for a war crimes trial.
Pass the word, he ate with the protestors, but not with the soldiers.
Praise the Lord and pass the ammo,
Time to teach the Whiz Kid what it was all about.
Pass the word, we are the best and brightest.
All 58,209 of us.
Retrospect this, a deserter has emerged from the slime.
Time to rid him of ignorance, arrogance and racism.
Time to hit that sucker with a blast of the real facts.
Time deal with a cold killer.
Pass the word, SADDLE UP!
This next bullet is a favorite of many and many have been touched by it.
#50
Joseph Michael Mishler
THE MOVING WALL -- VVA #175 -- Flint, MI -- July 1988.
The nine year old kid placed the figure down at the base of the panel. "It's Luke Sky Walker, grandpa. He saved his people from the enemy. He flew jet fighters, too."
He reached up and touched the letters. He traced his fingers over them.
"Saw a picture of this place in one of dad's magazines. Saw that people left things. So I decided to bring my best figure."
The kid kept one hand on the letters.
"We got a picture of you hanging in the living-room standing in front of your jet fighter. I wanna be a pilot when I grow up. They got computers now."
The kid put his other hand on the letters and stared into the granite.
"Are you in there, grandpa?" He moved closer to the granite. "Dad said sometimes you can see people. Is there, like a big room behind this stone? Is that where you live?"
His nose touched the stone. "It must have been cool flying those jets."
The kid was silent for a moment or so. His lips touched the granite. "Dad said you landed on Aircraft Carriers. You musta been real good. How fast could you go? Hundreds, thousands of miles an hour? Man, that is wild."
The kid pressed his slender body to the Wall. "We went to a museum. They got your uniform. Medals. Said you were a hero. Dad gave them some of the stuff. We went to the ceremony. They had a rifle team, bugler...somebody gave a speech. It was cool, grandpa. Wish you could have been there."
The kid pulled his body back from the Wall. Keeping his hands on the letters.
"Dad let me read your letters. Grandma told me all about you. They've been protesting about Prisoners of War. That's what dad says you are."
Somebody next to him laid a flower down next to the Star War figure. They touched the figure and then moved back. The kid knelt and placed the flower closer to the figure. Maybe they knew his grandpa.
"We are going to get you back", he whispered. "When I grow up I'm gonna come get you myself."
The kid traced his fingers over the engraving very slowly.
"Everyone misses you. We got a Christmas decoration we hang on the tree every year. Got your name on it. Last year I got to ride in a hot air balloon called Freedom Now. It was huge, black and white with the POW symbol. I did it for you."
The kid looked around, "Some day I'm gonna get a jet. I'm gonna come get you. Rescue you. Bring you home. Make ‘em pay." He opened his jacket. "Wore this shirt, grandpa--Says, ‘Bring ‘em home, or send us back'."
The kid stepped back from the Wall, "I'm comin', grandpa. Hang on."
***Vietnam Veterans Of America Chapter #175 will conductits Holiday food basket project in December. If you'd like to help, let us know. We take VG's receipts.
***Vietnam Veterans Of America Chapter 175's monthly meeting is Feb. 15th, 2002, Mar. 15th, 2002, April 19th,2001 -- 7pm, UAW 659 bulding at 122 Glenwood (Down In The Hole).
****VVA 175's Display at Courtland Mall on April 28 & 29 was a great success. we raised money, met a lot of people. Thanks to everyone who worked.
***FOR INFORMATION ABOUT VIETNAM VETERANS OF AMERICA CHAPTER 175, CALL 810-232-7773. WE HAVE A SERVICE OFFICER TO HELP ANY VETERANS WITH CLAIMS. Our new office and meeting place is at 1222 Glenwood (Down In the Hole. Phone number is the same.
***"Bronze" was produced Nov. 4, 5, 6, 2000 at Holly High School-- Many thanks to all of those who helped make this a successful production.
**** My play "WALL" was produced on March 2, 3, 4, 2000, at Holly High School as a joint fund raiser with Michigan's Own Inc., Military And Science Museum located in Frankenmuth, MI. Many thanks to all of those people who helped to make it a success.
****HOLLY HIGH SCHOOL Theatre Department PRODUCEd M*A*S*H ON SEPTEMBER 13TH, 14TH & 15TH, 2001. Many thanks to everyone for making it a great success. We were able to put a lot of money into the Sue Ann Connolly Theatre Scholarship Fund.
****Holly High School will present Shakespeare's Macbeth on March 21,22, 23, 2002, evening performances begin at 7:30pm. A Matinee will be held on March 23rd beginning at 2pm.
**** VVA 175 is in the process of scheduling The Moving Wall for 2003. Reflections III. If you'd like to join the committee, contact me.
**** National POW/MIA Recognition Day was September 21st, 2001. Over 1250 people attended the program this year. We honored POW's. We held our vigil. THEY ARE NOT FORGOTTEN! WE WILL NOT LET THAT HAPPEN! Many thanks to everyone. We also honored local fire, police and emergency personnel.
Hey, dad, thank you for serving our country during WWII. We owe ya!
Many thanks to Anton Hufford, 14, of Michigan for helping me create this page! Young people do wonderful, creative things.
Last update 2/7/2002
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