Being a Conscientious Objector During the Vietnam War

My niece Rachel Sanders asked me this question:

4.  What was your role as a conscientious objector? What prompted you to become one? What was the process like?

I was issued Conscientious Objector (CO) status sometime in the summer or fall of 1970. The process of attaining this status was incredible and complex.

During the spring of 1970 my draft board in Cleveland was actively pursuing me. They knew that I would be graduating from college in June of that year and my student deferment would be up. They told me to go to Chicago to get a physical (that must have been in March or April of 1970) and I mailed back to them that I was unable to do that. OK, they responded, then you will have to get your physical in Cleveland in June. Meanwhile, I was planning to apply for CO status and trying to figure out how that was done. At this point I was convinced that the war was immoral. It was clear in my mind that I was not going to participate. I felt like I had 3 choices: I could be granted CO status and do "alternate service"; I could go to jail; or I could go underground or try to emigrate to Canada. What I was not going to do was be part of the military in this terrible war. I realized that this could alienate me from my Dad and many others in my family (gee, even my brother Denny, who might have been in the Navy by this time).

I had my physical during the summer of 1970. I had just started working a part-time job at "Terminal Parking," in Downtown Cleveland. My pay was $2.50 per hour. Believe it or not, I enjoyed working with the Killeen family, who owned the parking lot. I had a good time at this job. My draft physical took place in the basement of the Erieview Tower on East 9th Street. It was a circus! Dozens, maybe hundreds of boys standing around for hours in their underpants. I recognized one fellow, my grade school classmate Tony Severino. Tony had been a terrific high school and college athlete, baseball and football. He looked like Mr. America. But Tony had some sort of cyst on his back--and a note from his doctor. Tony failed his physical, but I passed it. 

In the weeks that followed I submitted my request for CO status to my draft board. It was a long, detailed essay, based mostly on my religious views, and backed up with letters of support from a priest, Fr. Maurie Amen, CSC, from a friend, Chris Cotter, and from another friend who was a soldier, Steve Shields (Steve died in Vietnam two years later). The draft board considered my materials and had a hearing for me in Downtown Cleveland. Apparently it went well, because some time later I was granted CO status. 

I kept working at the parking lot until January of 1971, and then moved to Cincinnati upon the urging of my friend Chris Cotter. When I got to Cincinnati, I did all sorts of odd jobs, all the while looking for an "alternate service" job that I would do instead of military service. I finally found that job in August of 1971--working in the Health Education Department of the 12th Street Clinic, in Cincinnati's Over-the-Rhine neighborhood. I did that job for about a year and a half. By that time, the draft process had fallen apart and I felt I could safely change jobs or go back to school.

Baseball in Euclid in the 1950s and 1960s

Though I was born in Willoughby, I grew up in Euclid, Ohio--from age 3 until I left home and moved to Cincinnati at age 22. Euclid was a sports-crazed town--at least that was my perspective on it. And I was baseball crazy. Beginning around 1957 I spent my summer days playing baseball at the local playground, which everyone called "Mudville"--later to be officially called "Willow Playground." Mudville was down Farringdon Avenue at E.272nd Street, about a quarter mile away. I always ran to and from my house to Mudville, passing the homes of many playmates and fellow ballplayers. Moving down Farringdon, there were the homes of Buster and Kenny Zylowski, Chuckie Lintern, Bernard and Paul Dembek, Clay Lutsch, Frankie Andrulis, Mike Sikora, and Pat Mueller.

Mike Sikora became a well-known realtor in Mentor. Buster moved out to the state of Washington, Kenny to Florida, and I don't know about the rest. Mike Sikora was older than us, maybe 4 years I would guess. I have one hilarious memory of him getting bopped on the head by a high fly ball. The ball hit him square on the top of his head and bounced straight up, higher than the telephone wires. I also remember Mike playing in the local softball league--a ferociously competitive league usually dominated by the guys from Gary Avenue.

While watching the baseball playoffs these past few weeks I thought of Bernard Dembek. Bernard was also a few years older than us, but I did play ball with him. He had a straight overhand pitch and he could throw very hard. Bernard did not give up many hits. His arm motion was unique and scared hitters half to death. His brother Paul didn't pitch as often, as I remember, and didn't have that straight overhand motion (but, if I remember correctly, Big Paul could hit the ball a mile).

One of the greatest players on Farringdon was Clay Lutsch. He usually played shortstop and was a tremendous fielder and hitter. He had a buddy who lived on Shirley Avenue, David Kaprosy, who also was a terrific baseball player--good hands, strong arm, good hitter. Dave Kaprosy had hands twice as big as my own. I believe he is now a lawyer somewhere around Moreland Hills. So many successful people came out of this humble Euclid neighborhood!

Frankie Andrulis lived across the street from Clay. He was a couple years younger than us, but also a good ballplayer. He was tall and thin, and had an older brother even taller. Even his sister was tall; they were all good athletes.

At the very end of Farringdon lived Patrick Mueller. Talk about tall--I think Pat ended up being the drum major for Ohio State's band. I played baseball with Pat for many years and went to high school with him. I believe his father was a Cleveland detective. No idea where Pat is today.

These were some of the ballplayers that lived on Farringdon. Each street had a gang of ballplayers--Zeman Ave., Shirley Ave., Drakefield, Gary, Biardale. Many names come to mind: Jay Niedermeyer, Jim Allsip, Gary Czyzynski, Dale Kovatch, my brother Denny, Frank Calabro, John George and his brothers, the Lynch boys, Tony Severino (maybe the greatest athlete of all of them), Gary King. Wish all the names would come to me!

More on Tony Severino, Former Euclid Resident, Athlete, Football Coach

I was able to locate a photo of Tony Severino, and he looks much like he did when he played baseball 50 years ago at Willow Playground/Mudville. Tony grew up on Briardale Avenue, just off E. 266 Street in Euclid, Ohio. I think his family might have emigrated from Italy. He had an older sister, who seemed a very traditional Italian, and a father who came to all his baseball games. Tony, his sister, and his brother Tom attended St. William's Grade School. He was a great baseball player on the sandlots of Euclid. After St. William's, Tony played football for Cathedral Latin High School in Cleveland. Then he won a football scholarship to Kansas State University. Since 1983 he has been the football coach for Rockhurst High School, a Jesuit school in Kansas City, Missouri (similar, I would guess, to St. Ignatius in Cleveland or St. Xavier in Cincinnati). His high school teams have won more than 200 games and 7 state championships during his career. He must be one of the greatest high school football coaches in Missouri history.

Mudville/Willow Playground --Euclid, Ohio (2)

I'll never remember all the guys who played ball--for hours a day, almost every day of the summer-- at Mudville/Willow Playground. I remember running down there early in the morning. Running home for lunch, then back to Mudville to play more ball. A short supper break, then back to Mudville to play baseball until dark. As I think about it, it doesn't seem possible. But what is certainly true is that we spent an incredible number of hours playing ball at Willow Playground. We became very at ease around baseballs, gloves, bats. Very skilled, very adept, very natural players.

More Players.

One of the greatest hitters I remember was Tony Severino, from Briardale Avenue. He once hit a ball over the fence, across Willow Drive, and on to the roof of one of the F&S homes. Tony could hit like this from a very young age. I thought sure he would become a great major league player. He did make a career in sports. After Cathedral Latin High School, Tony played football for Kansas State University. I believe he became a great football coach for a Jesuit Catholic high school in the Kansas City area. [I've found out some things about Tony: he is a teacher and football coach at Rockhurst High School, a Jesuit prep school in Kansas City, Mo. Tony has held that position since 1983 and is the winningest coach in school history. His teams have won many state championships (7, I think). As of 2007, his winning percentage was around 80%. He is in the Missouri Coaches Hall of Fame. In 2000 Tony was named USA Today's coach of the year. Pretty good career for a Euclid boy!].

There was another group of guys from Briardale Avenue: John George, Fred George, Frank Calabro Jr. (and his Dad at times), the Lynch brothers (Danny, Pat, John, et al.), and so many more.

Of course my brother Denny ("Little Cogs") was always part of the scene, as was Buster Zylowski and Kenny Zylowski. There were the Andrulis boys, the Paul and Bernard Bednar, even Mike Sikora at times (Mike was a bit older than we were). This neighborhood was a paradise for kids!

Joy in Mudville (Willow Playground in Euclid, Ohio)

"There is no joy in Mudville, Might Casey has struck out." So goes the famous poem "Casey at the Bat." But I am here to tell you that there was plenty of joy in Mudville when I was a kid. "Mudville" is what we called our playground, a small undeveloped area, perhaps 15 acres, bounded on the west by E. 272nd Street, and on all other sides by the semi-circular Willow Drive. To the west was the ticky-tacky bungalow homes built by Marvin Helf (homes that cost $11,900 in 1951 when my family moved in); and to the east, north, and south, by brick ranches, the "F & S Homes." The only thing I can figure is that they couldn't decide out how to develop this little semi-circle of land, and thought they would be "magnanimous" and donate it to the city of Euclid. We never ever heard any official name for this piece of land, and so we (and everyone!) called it Mudville--for the astonishing quantities of mud that covered part of the area.

I would guess that from about 1955, when I was 7 years old, until my mid teens, I spent most of my life at Mudville playing baseball. Much of the time the baseball involved pick-up games, and for 3 years I played organized Midget League baseball. Later, I played softball with the Farringdon Avenue men's team--an incredible spirited kind of ball.

I played with some great players in Mudville and learned to play a very high quality, very competitive (and at times ferocious) brand of baseball. Some of the great athletes I remember include the following: Tony Severino (for 25 years the head football coach at Rockhurst High School, the Jesuit Prep School in Kansas City; Rockhurst was state champs in football last year). Tony was the best young hitter I had ever seen. As a 12 year old, he could hit the ball over the fence--sometimes hitting the roofs of homes on Willow Drive. Tony was a dark-skinned, tall Italian. I'm pretty sure that Italian was spoken at his home on Briardale Avenue. Tony went to Cathedral Latin High School from St. William's and starred in many sports. He eventually got a football scholarship to Kansas State University, and afterwards made a career as a high school teacher and coach. I remember Tony vividly, admired his athletic skill tremendously.
[more coming very soon]