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From: linda@inuxd.UUCP (Linda Pearlstein)
Newsgroups: net.consumers,net.politics
Subject: Re: Re: ID (really Switzerland)
Message-ID: <604@inuxd.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 17-Aug-84 09:11:56 EDT
Article-I.D.: inuxd.604
Posted: Fri Aug 17 09:11:56 1984
Date-Received: Sun, 19-Aug-84 14:02:48 EDT
References: <151@whuxl.UUCP>, <1249@sdcrdcf.UUCP>, <3987@brl-tgr.ARPA>
Organization: AT&T Consumer Products Div., Indianapolis
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An ad for John McPhee's book on Switzerland just appeared in
The New Yorker as "Place de la Concorde Suisse," published
by Farrar et al.  Having just spent five weeks in
Switzerland this summer, and being a great fan of McPhee's,
I can't wait to read it.  Our Swiss hosts told of their
sons' grueling experiences in the Swiss version of basic
training.  It sounds as though everyone goes through the
U.S. equivalent of the Marine's Paris Island -- several
deaths occur periodically from pushing soldiers beyond their limits.
The soldiers do indeed retain their weapons in their homes.
Our host also pointed out unmarked military facilities at
the faces of some of Switzerland's many mountains -- these
facilities go for miles into the heart of mountains and are
used to store military equipment of all sorts.  It's a
remarkable system.