Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site inuxd.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!decvax!decwrl!amd!dual!zehntel!ihnp4!inuxc!inuxd!linda 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 Lines: 17 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.