Vietnam and German Doctors
Post date: Aug 13, 2014 3:44:44 PM
24 March 1966
Yesterday I thought I’d write an epistle about this nonsense in Vietnam: about how Walter Lippmann says we can’t possibly win (and there is not much sense in losing) and how anyone who had been through Sargent Shriver’s brainwash course could not possibly fight in an army, especially if he had been to Germany and seen the still-gutted Petrikirche in Lübeck or the cracked and bullet-pocked apartment houses in Berlin or the wall or had talked with countless Germans who had lost a leg or eye or father or son or brothers or whose family still lives on “the other side” because the winners had divided the spoils with barbed-wire fences and machine pistols—but decided not to write about that because you probably feel the same. What you may not know is that I think it is suicide for the soldier and the country. A guy doesn’t make friends by blowing up the entire, sole material possessions of a peasant whose annual earning is about $50. I hope the draft board feels this way, too, and doesn’t bother sending me a “notice to report for physical exam” because my response will not be positive. Besides, in 2 1/2 weeks I’ll be too old.
For the last two days I’ve been flat on my back with what the doctor called flu, but had heavy elements of bronchitis. Much better today. See the doc again tomorrow. All that came from walking in the cold clear sea air of Lübeck. Great little city.
30 March 1966
Tomorrow I go back to work after a week and a half recovering from bronchitis and day after tomorrow the postal rates go up here - so I better write!
The doctors here have it pretty tough. First of all they are not paid exceptionally well under the socialized system, and second, there just aren’t enough doctors to go around. When I went to the ophthalmologist for new glasses, I waited an hour and a half, in that time he saw 15 patients (average 6 minutes each). It wasn’t much better by the G.P. last week. They just don’t have the time to take a history or make a good diagnosis. One thing, tho, the paperwork for the medical insurance is a bare minimum for the MD—the employer does most of the nonsense paperwork. The insurance companies (there are four large ones in Bielefeld) pay for doctor, medicine, etc, and “sick pay”. The insurance is paid like social security and employers are required to insure their workers. Private people must choose.
We’ve had the funniest weather—four or five days of snow squalls—with sunshine in between. One day we had four thunderstorms. Strange thing—it almost never really rains here. The weather bureau makes headlines if it rains a half-inch in 24 hours, which means at most a light drizzle (and the Germans call that “pouring”).
I can’t say that I’ve really accomplished a lot while I’ve been sick—mostly slept. Built a few more model houses. I’ve built just about all the interesting model houses on the market now. The rest are all bad modern style and uninteresting small bungalows.
Our organ is finished except for the case and console. Because of the unfinished parts, we are not moving to Neuss until after Easter, which means we’ll be terribly rushed and have to work nights. Stupid system, because we’re twiddling our thumbs now, as more than two people can’t work on the console at one time. Anyway the organ is too big to fit in one moving van. We could send down what we have and install the mechanical parts, then bring the console and case when they are ready.