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Dr. Charles Carr to read from, sign, book Two One Pony: An American Soldier's Year in Vietnam, 1969,' Feb. 15

02/13/2012

Dr. Charles R. Carr, professor of Philosophy at Arkansas State University, will offer a book talk, reading, and signing of his new book, “Two One Pony:  An American Soldier's Year in Vietnam, 1969,” on Wednesday, Feb. 15, at 3 p.m., at the Dean B. Ellis Library, 322 University Loop West Circle, Jonesboro. The presentation will be held in the library’s 3rd floor exhibition area. Admission is free, and the public is welcome.

Dr. Carr’s book is a memoir of his own experiences as a reluctant soldier in Vietnam.  The author served as a mechanized infantryman with the 9th Infantry Division.  The book is more than his own personal story as he portrays life in war-torn Vietnam.  Carr's writing reflects the challenges in balancing ideas of blind support for patriotism vs. the protests from the counter-culture of the 1960s.

A passage from the book characterizes the approach Carr takes in describing his experiences in-country--"When we were new guys wearing new jungle fatigues and new jungle boots we would ask the old ones what is it like, never getting an answer.  When we were the ones whose dirty, salt-stained fatigues and worn combat boots told those with new fatigues and polished boots that surely we must be wise, they would ask us "What it it like?"  We were quiet."

Charles R. Carr graduated from Colorado State University with an honors B.A. in philosophy and a minor in psychology – “the ideal skill set for infantry,” he remarked.  He continued, “When I left the army (in December, 1970), south seemed a reasonable way to head, and I ended up in Tucson at the University of Arizona. I came to Arkansas State University in 1975 with a three-week-old Ph.D. in philosophy and a minor in linguistics. I was named interim chair in August, 1979, and remained chair for 30 years.

Dr. Carr’s scholarly interests as ASU include philosophy of law and philosophy of language. 

He has been a member of the American Philosophical Association, Philosophy of Law group, and he has served as past president of the Arkansas Philosophical Association. He is married to Rebecca (Becky) Carr, instructor in Accounting at ASU.

For more information, call the Department of English and Philosophy, (870) 972-3043.