Green Berets root out terrorists

“And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you -- ask what you can do for your country.
My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man."

In 1961 our 35th President’s cast a spell upon the world. Within a few years, even in Bombay’s slums, his picture adorned walls alongside those of Gandhi and Hindi Gods.
Charisma alone didn’t captivate the world. Admiration came from creative actions backing his words.
If the Pentagon’s map is more urgent, the Peace Corp’s is, perhaps, in the long run the most important..... What happens in India, Africa, and South America -- whether the nations where the Peace Corps works succeed or not -- may well determine the balance of peace.
Spoken by the Corps first Director and Kennedy-in-law, Sargent Shriver, Kennedy created his army to combat the world’s terror ‘Isms’. To Kennedy the Corps was the brightest, most cost effective, and most humane way to wage Pax Americana.
Its first Deputy Director, former U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania and former Director of Americorps, Harris Wofford said Kennedy told him he:
“…wanted the Peace Corps to reach 100,000 a year. He said it would then be considered serious. In one decade, it would reach 1 million volunteers."

In 1963, while Viet Nam was the Special Forces war Kennedy accepted and not a massively deadly war, and before his calls for a million member Corps were ignored, Kennedy was able to say, the Peace Corps:
“… constitute one third of all qualified secondary teachers in Sierra Leone, Ethiopia and Nyssaland; they have saved a three-quarter million dollar rice crop in Pakistan; they have vaccinated over 25,000 Bolivians; they are teaching in 400 Philippine schools; they have created a thriving poultry industry in the state of Punjab in India; they are teaching in every rural secondary school in British Honduras; they have contributed to the creation of a system of farm to market roads in Tanganyika. But these are only isolated examples.”

Note Kennedy’s words, when only 7,000 PCVs (Peace Corps Volunteers) were serving in 44 countries:

“…they have saved a three-quarter million dollar rice crop in Pakistan…”

Kennedy knew that any terrifying “ism”, would limp away against his book laden, shovel-carrying, sandal-wearing, language-speaking Special Forces. Kennedy knew the diversity and dexterity of a million American characters working in slums, needy schools, meager fields, training natives for the future Americans were already living, would overcome any radical ‘isms’. Even when our other governmental policies went wrong, he knew, the Corps straight shooting Americans would win hearts and minds.

What happened? Visionary leaders were assassinated, millions of tons of our bombs rained on thousands of browns, blacks and whites, and JFK’s visionary Peace Army building a concern for “rights and duties” and “the welfare of all” was buried in an Asian quagmire.
From 1965-74, 2,075 times more was spent on the Pentagon’s Vietnam map than on the Peace Corps. Each soldier in Vietnam cost taxpayers $149,661. Each PCV cost $8,709. Instead of 2,582,304 soldiers in Nam, we could have rolled the Viet Cong and the world with 23,240,736 book-armed teachers, pitch-forked ag experts, needle-wielding health workers, etc. That army could have hand-built a Mekong River Valley Power Authority that dwarfed our Tennessee Valley Authority.

Since 1961, 171,000 PCVs have served, a long way from the million-person Peace Army Kennedy envisioned deployed by the 70’s.
The last time a PCV worked in Pakistan was 1967. From 1961-67, 462 worked in agriculture, health and rural development in both East (now Bangladesh) and West Pakistan.
The last time a PCV worked in Afghanistan was 1979. From 1962-1979, 1,739 worked in education and health.
The last time a PCV worked in Iran was 1976. From 1962-1976, 1,863 worked in agriculture, education and engineering.
A PCV has never served in spheres of “evil”, such as Iraq, North Korea or Cuba.
Today’s Corps has only 7,533 serving in 71 countries.
Had Kennedy’s visionary Corps been toiling over the decades, today’s terrorist war would not be. Thousands more schools, damns, roads, harvests would.
About 3 billion people subsist on $2.00 a day. They’re available as terrorist fodder. Smart bombs won’t deplete their ranks. Two forces Kennedy favored will. Green Berets who worked, taught and befriended natives. A million person Peace Corps that works the same in-close, green way.

Why build these cities beautiful,
If man unbuilded goes.
In vain we build the world,
Unless the builder also grows…

Was one of Kennedy’s favorite Edwin Markham poems. It formed his vision of “what together we can do for the freedom of man” and how America must nation-build against terrorism.