A Minnesota PBS Initiative
Protest Messages on Bombs
David Cooley enlisted in the Navy as a jet engine mechanic and found himself having a direct role in supplying bombs for aircraft carriers. He was in country in 1972, one year after the release of the Pentagon Papers, and was conflicted about his role in the war. Though he wrote protest messages on bombs, David feels that he didn't do enough.
I wrote things like "Let this one be the last bomb you drop." Over and over and over, thousands and thousands of bombs.
David's story was captured with the help of TPT's Minnesota Remembers Vietnam team.
Biographical Details
Submitted From: St. Paul, MN
Primary Location During Vietnam: Da Nang, Vietnam 
Story Subject: Military Service
Military Branch: U.S. Navy
Dates of Service: 1969 - 1973
Veteran Organization: Veterans for Peace
Unit: Det 2, Squadron HC-3
Specialty: ADJ2
Story Themes: Bombs, Da Nang, Daniel Ellsberg, David Cooley, Dissent, Enlisting, Guilt, Ken Burns Screener TPT, News Coverage, Pentagon Papers, Protest, PTSD, Reflection, Squadron HC-3, The VA, Veterans for Peace, Watch
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