Max Cleland

I can’t find it for this post, but somewhere in the attic archives I have a note from Senator Max Cleland‘s chief of staff telling me that my requests were no longer welcome for legislation to bar Americans who mix fine spirits with sweetened, carbonated soft drinks from ever holding a passport. I started sending these to my congressmen as a teenager in the mid-70s, including Max when he was a state senator.

Flown twice: once over the US Capitol, once over the house on Bugg Road in 2001

I also received the only American flag I’ve ever owned from Senator Cleland in the 90’s (that’s it in the photo). It flew, briefly, over the Capitol (a couple of Marines are assigned to hoisting these up, saluting, then bringing them back down for this very purpose almost every day of the year…if you are an American, contact your Senators or Representative for one, the cost barely covers shipping).

Max lost his seat to a draft dodging sack of shit (Sackofshitsby Chambliss) who won by impugning Max’s patriotism. Max lost an arm and both legs to a grenade as he hit the ground at Khe Sanh. That’s the world he leaves behind. RIP.