Craig Badiali and Joan Fox

Craig Badiali and Joan Fox.

45 years ago this month, Craig and Joan committed suicide to protest hatred and war as they absorbed it in their short lives during the Vietnam War era.

I read a book about their joint suicides carried out in a field a few miles from and anti-war rally in Glassboro, New Jersey.   The book, Craig and Joan, was briefly popular in young adult markets in the early 70’s.   Since that time I have not heard anyone discuss their story or mention their names.    

I wanted to mentioned them in this anniversary year.   They pumped exhaust into a car to die from carbon monoxide poisoning, believing that they could steer the world to end war.

Craig Badiali and Joan Fox.

Scrolling down the page in this link produces a very brief story about their deaths.   It is all I have found so far online about them.   

http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1298&dat=19691017&id=XPRNAAAAIBAJ&sjid=sYoDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4650,5160511

I will not regret saying this:   Their deaths were meanless losses.   Their families did not discuss their death to share with the country the anxiety and anger and frustration of their children’s generation.   Suicide remains shameful to many families, so we cannot expect that to change soon.   Two teenagers did not change the world, and their sacrifice was not used by anyone to hasten an end to the Vietnam War.

I am glad that I was born when I was born.  Just before I was a teenager, the generation ahead of me -- very frustrated young adults -- were asking us to consider that war in another country was not necessarily our war to fight.  Sometimes it was.   Sometimes it wasn’t.   Our job, as citizens, was to know the difference between saving the world, and leaving a ruckus to others to solve.

Are we there yet?

Wonderful article/interview.   Everyone should read this.

http://www.historynet.com/interview-melinda-pash-why-is-korea-the-forgotten-war.htm