Michael Last was working and going to night school when the Army informed him that it had other plans for his future. During basic training, Michael discovered that nonconformity in any form was not an option, even on his day off. Here he is at the Lyman Museum in Hilo talking to Cole Johnston.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Michael Last: Hi, good afternoon. My name is Michael L. Last. I'm 75 years old.
Cole Johnston: My name is Cole Johnston. I am 24 years old. Michael, just to get us started, bring me back to the beginning of your military service. When were you drafted or when did you enlist and what led up to that moment?
ML: I was drafted in August 22, 1966, way back when. I was in school at the time, but I guess they didn't think I was serious because I was going at night — working full time, school at night. And they figured, “We want you” and I went for a pre-induction physicals. On that date, I had to report to Whitehall Street in Lower Manhattan. And 730 days to the day I was discharged.
You went into the military for one of three reasons. One, you enlisted; two, you were drafted; and three, the judge gave you a choice: jail, or military. But whoever went in the military, they made the wrong mistake, they realized, because after 30 days, if they were in prison, they would have been out.
CJ: So you get to basic training and you're surrounded by all these different people. Was it grueling? Was it challenging? What was the typical day like?
ML: Oh, gosh, we got up early in the morning, I remember that. It was eight weeks. And it was really very taxing then. Now I look back, well, that wasn't so bad.
One of the things I do remember about basic training, even though it was only eight weeks…you know, my religion is atheist. I was surprised that the entire military service didn't treat atheists equally. What I mean is that I wasn't looking for any special favor but you know, Sunday, we had a day off. They expected people to go to church or temple wherever they wanted to go, which I thought was good, but I wanted to sleep. When they found out I was missing this, they said “We don't care what you believe, but you gotta go to one of these organizations.” And I said, “Well, that's kind of stupid.” I mean, because I don't want to go. “Well then you're going for guard duty.” To me it was pretty severe. You know, you can't sleep, you gotta go to here or pull guard duty. And I said, “Okay, I'll pull guard duty,” reluctantly.
The full interview will be preserved in the Library of Congress. Access the full interview between Michael and Cole at the StoryCorps Archive.
See more local stories from the Military Voices Initiative at hawaiipublicradio.org/storycorps
In June 2022, HPR teamed up with StoryCorps to gather audio conversations from Hawai‘i residents about their military experiences. The Military Voices Initiative provides a platform for veterans, service members, and military families to share their stories. In doing so, we honor their voices, amplify their experiences, and let them know that we — as a nation — are listening. These interviews were facilitated by Hazel Diaz, Isabella Gonzalez, Cole Johnston and Franchesca Peña.
The audio segments were produced for Morning Edition and All Things Considered by John Kalani Zak. He shares his perspective on working with the Military Voices Initiative segments in his producer's notes. HPR and StoryCorps encourage our community to tell their own stories using the StoryCorps app. Learn more at StoryCorps.org.
Local support for this series comes from Hawai‘i Pacific University.
