Perhaps this was covered in another thread: can anyone point out a Poem (I believe he may of coverered in in Ham on Rye- but it's been a while since i've read it) in which he referred to this episode of this life?
He often told them he was '4F', which was the truth.His view of WW2, as dicussed a few times on this forum, was certainly unconventional even for the likes of Bukowski. Draft evasion in WW2 was something you wouldn't brag about in a working man's bar. He must have been asked by people though, quite alot I'd think, "why aren't you in the military?" etc
It has just occurred to me that the final part of the poem WW2 re-echoed in Bukowski's masterpiece The Life of a Bum. In the story the soldiers not only cursed him (Harry), but they'd also thrown fruits at him, fruits that he gratefully picked up and ate with relish. That's what struck me most: Harry's stoicism and serenity. People hate him, but he doesn't care and makes the best of it.enjoyed WW2 & Moyamensing Prison. I found a short story: The Life of a Bum ( Septuagenarian Stew) in which he describes Harry being jeered at by some soldiers in 1943
When you take an unpopular stance on something that's the only choice you have.People hate him, but he doesn't care and makes the best of it.
That may be, but there were plenty of old Germans in Minnesota when I was growing up, and all of those guys fought in WWII. Everyone in their generation did.many German Americans were hesitant to fight against the country they came from.
[... But the truth is, many German Americans were hesitant to fight against the country they came from. This may not be the reason Buk wanted no part of it, but it wasn't such an "unpopular" stance among that segment of society.