Why do people study history?
Actually, you want to find out what’s—what people have been up to and what’s happened, and so forth. Why do people pound off from here and go down to the Congo and study the savages down there? It’s always something to do, something to do.
Other people may have other reasons why they come into this area. This area—at one time, somebody had considerable hopes for this area and then. . . There are sporadic efforts to suddenly boost it up and give it some electronics and fix it up one way or the other and We’re all going to do this now.” And then they kind of forget about it and go off and do something else. It’s not a well-concerted plan at all.
You mentioned several times these invader forces, the various invader forces.1 You’re not going to find too many of these around. But I would like to put a note on this (I think we’ve still got a machine running so it’ll be on tape here, just on questions): If you turn up anybody, Fifth Invader Force, Third Battalion, would you please ask them to write to me. I’m serious about that. Fifth Invader Force, Third Battalion, please write to me.
Male voice: Have you run across the Second Battalion?
The what?
Male voice: Have you run across the First and Second Battalion already?
Ha-ha. Big joke. Only interested in the Third.
Female voice: Is that yours?
Male voice: Don’t guess.
Oh, well. This planet, things get pretty well messed up. People every once in a while go through that damn Martian screen, you lose them.
Yes.
[…]
Well, I’d better cut this off. It’s 6 o’clock here and I’ve been shooting my face off.
Now, I wasn’t joking. I wasn’t joking about any of these lines, but particularly wasn’t joking about the Third Battalion. If any of you find any of those people, please ask them to write me.
Thank you.
Notes
- Definition: Invader Forces ↩