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Greetings and Welcome to The 405 Coffee Break with O.K. Solberg
New episodes tend to air over the local KMMR radio station @ 5 minutes past 4PM each M-F. And have been doing so, nearly every week since Sept 2018.
I'm D.J. Rasmussen, O.K.s friend since junior high, possibly your neighbor & this websites maintainer, whom strives to get each episode's show notes written, the transcript proofed and the audio posted to the internet within a few hours of that days KMMR air time. NOTE: recently been publishing most new releases by 4:30PM.
Thanks for visiting and I hope you enjoy the time we can spend together.
I wanna again welcome you to The 405 Coffee Break. Guys, get your cup of coffee, glass iced tea, bottled water, sit down, let's see what's happening.
OK Solberg:Spring wheat, Hallelujah, $6 on the nose. That ain't very high priced, but at least it made it $6 on the nose. Now a canner bull in Billings weighing 2,190lbs, a bit over a ton, sold for $2.07 a pound. That equates out to one Canner Bull bringing $4,533, for a Canner Bull? Are you kidding? Butcher hog in Iowa 70¢ a pound. A 100lb fat lamb Billings over the $3 mark, $3.06 a pound. But, guys, there's more, much more.
OK Solberg:I don't care if it rains or snows. I got a lot of honey on my nice clean nose. That's something Winnie the Pooh could have said. But I chose it because I like the beginning. I don't care if. I don't care if the world doesn't talk much about the war in Vietnam.
OK Solberg:I'm gonna do it. 1st off, my hat is off to all veterans. All veterans. Thank you. But at the top of the list is our Vietnam vets. What a deal. What an ordeal they went through. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
OK Solberg:So all of this came up because of a conversation just the other day. I'll tell you about that, after we find an appropriate bible verse. Listen now from the book of Ecclesiastes. Ecclesiastes 3:8 A time to love and a time to hate, a time of war, and a time of peace. Ecclesiastes 3:8
OK Solberg:Now if that verse sounds familiar, it's because it's quoted in a song by The Birds and the song is titled Turn Turn Turn, and that song was popular during the time of the Vietnam conflict. That song came out in 1965, and The US involvement was just starting to increase. In 1965, the Vietnam War escalated dramatically from an advisory role to direct US offensive combat marked by the March 8 landing of marines in Da Nang and the start of the sustained bombing campaign operation rolling thunder. Now please remember that many of our boys that went to Vietnam were sons of men that had fought in World War II.
OK Solberg:So dad taught your boy. What do you do? We support. We honor our country, and we fight for it. Then to get over there and hear the horror stories.
OK Solberg:God have mercy. But what if you were one of the boys that got your orders to go. Right? Right or wrong, good or bad, you simply went where you were sent by your uncle Sam. Now the reason this subject came up in my mind is because of a discussion at a table right here in Malta, Montana.
OK Solberg:You ever been there? There were 6 men sitting at the table. One of those 6 was me. Now if an outsider came in, guys, and was introduced to all 6 men, they would have thought we were all about the same age. And that is true.
OK Solberg:About. Yet four of those men graduated Malta High School in the year 1971. And the other two, including me, graduated Malta High School in 1975. So understand approximately 4 years difference in age. Yet to an outsider, just a person walking in off the street from Havre, Great Falls, Billings, just a group of men about the same age.
OK Solberg:Yes. A group of old men about the same age and telling the same stories. But listen, three of those men at the table could remember their draft number off the top of their head. Just like you don't forget your birthday, you don't forget your draft number. If you check back starting on 12/01/1969, your birthday was assigned a number.
OK Solberg:A low number meant a high chance of being drafted. The numbers from one to a 150, well, that meant you had a pretty good chance you were going over and you were gonna get drafted. Now if your number was 305, you might have felt a little bit safer. Remember, there are only 366 numbers, 1 for every day of the year. Now another thing, the lottery was televised turning the event into a tense game of chance that defined the fate of young men across America.
OK Solberg:So there are 6 men sitting at the table where in Malta, Montana. 3 of those men remember their draft number without batting an eye. But here is the curious thing. Here is the historical thing. Me and the other graduate from 1975 who were sitting at that table, we never even had to go to the post office and register for the draft.
OK Solberg:It's true. There was such a bad taste in America's mouth that they totally did away with signing up for selective service for a few years, and I fell into that category. The last day anyone was drafted was 03/31/1975. On April 1, the next day, 1975, they did away with the draft and they did away with signing up for the selective service. 04/01/1975, well, I turned 18 on June 12 in 1975.
OK Solberg:Sometimes fate smiles in your favor. Sometimes it doesn't. This episode is dedicated to all the Vietnam vets and all the men that had a draft number back then. Thank you.
OK Solberg:Thank you to the Vietnam veterans and all the men of that era who faced the uncertainty and duty of the draft with courage, sacrifice, and a deep sense of service to their country. We can't take away any of the stress that it caused, but we can show our appreciation for your plight. Our hats are off to you.
OK Solberg:So until next time, as you go out there, remember now, don't be bitter.