>
Famous Veteran: George Carlin
>
> He received a General Discharge, not an Honorable one. His military record was very bad.
He dropped out of high school without graduating. He was a drug addict.
And was one of the funniest comedians of all time. Yeah, he had issues with authority. But none of the charges were serious.
Carlin won every accolade and recognition that was ever given to comedians. His "7 Words" routine was at the center of a US Supreme Court Ruling. He started out doing impressions in the 1950s, and ended up filling huge halls with sellout crowds for years.
His gift with the English language is without comparison in comedy. He was edgy and funny for over 50 years. He started when he was too young to get into comedy clubs legally, and kept doing it, better and better, for his entire life. (in his early years, he was arrested for being underage in a bar, he was handcuffed to a comedian who was arrested for obscenity - Lenny Bruce)
His books hit the top of the best seller list. His albums went gold and even won a Grammy. He was the first host of Saturday Night Live. And he did odd little roles in movies and on tv for years, including children's tv.
His intellect was huge, and he was fearless. Yeah, he used a lot of drugs over the years, but he managed to put them all down. Not an addict, but certainly a user.
Considering the contributions he made, the decades he entertained, and the truths he showed us, if all you have to say about him is that he dropped out of high school and had a General Discharge, you have missed the point.