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BEDFORD, N.Y-- In honor of Veterans Day on Friday, The Daily Bedford is profiling a member of the community who served in the military and gave his or her time and best efforts to support the United States of America.
Resident Paul Cantor served in the infantry during the Vietnam War from 1965 through 1967, but it was against his wishes. Cantor was drawn into the fight by the draft and, once brought in, he resisted.
I tried to be one of the worst soldiers they ever had. I didnt particularly want to shoot anyone, he explained. I didnt want to use my gun. I didnt like firing my weapon."
The war was getting out of hand during his time there, he said, as there were just 50,000 soldiers when he first arrived and more than 500,000 soldiers when he left.
Once he returned to the States, he read up on the reasons for the war and quickly realized he was heavily against it.
I learned I was against the war and verbally came out in marches and so on, showing my distain for it," he recalled. "Nothing can be solved by violently acting on the other.
Powerful words from a man who was once given a gun with specific orders to use it. But his time spent overseas led him to realize not only how important life is, but also how necessary it is to help and save others. After retiring from working in the insurance business, Cantor has volunteered his time to be a member of the Katonah-Bedford Hills Ambulance Corps.
When I retired, I had goals of what I wanted to do, and one of those goals was to volunteer, and thats how I got involved with the ambulance corps," he said. "We all have one goal, and that is to save lives by helping others. And thats universal.
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