On Sept. 30, 1962, my dad was serving as a company commander in the 101st Airborne Division (the Screaming Eagles). Soldiers, wives and children were both nervous and proud that the 101st had been designated as highly mobile, combat ready and intended to deploy first in the event of trouble.

On Oct. 1, 1962, President John F. Kennedy ordered its first deployment. Sadly, it was to Oxford, Mississippi, where rioters — protesting the admittance of African American James Meredith to the University of Mississippi — overwhelmed local marshals and the Mississippi National Guard, employing bricks, acid and guns to prevent Meredith’s entrance. 

As we watched on TV my mom explained that our dad and the 101st were there to protect the public and secure justice for Meredith.

Fast forward to July 13, 2026, Biddeford, Maine, where a man’s vehicle was intentionally struck by an unmarked SUV driven by agents of that same government. Agents surrounded the vehicle with guns drawn and fired multiple shots. The unarmed driver was killed.

I wonder if the families of these agents, as they watched the events on TV, felt that their partners/parents/siblings were attempting to protect the public and secure justice for Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero? I think not. 

Donald Trump is no JFK, the 101st is not coming, and my dad is buried at Arlington Cemetery. It is left to us to reject this party, this government and the corrupted racists at its head. Like Allen Ginsberg said, “I am putting my shoulder to the wheel.” I’m confident I won’t be alone.

Michael Boyson
Portland