The Peace Corps is a sort of Howard Johnson's on the main drag into maturity.
When I was in the Peace Corps I never made a phone call. I was in Central Africa; I didn't make a phone call for two years. I was in Uganda for another four years and I didn't make a phone call. So for six years I didn't make a phone call, but I wrote letters, I wrote short stories, I wrote books.
My record was so bad that I was first rejected by the Peace Corps as a poor risk and possible troublemaker and was accepted as a volunteer only after a great deal of explaining and arguing.
I wanted the Peace Corps to be something very vague and unorganized, and to a large extent it was. It did not run smoothly. The consequence was that we were left alone.
My parents were in the Peace Corps.
To me, that's what the Peace Corps is all about - the impact that simple acts of service can have across borders, generations, and time. It's a lesson I carry with me every day.
The time for me in the Peace Corps was easily the most formative experience I've had in my life.
We are in a time when the Peace Corps mission is more vital than ever, and the organization is at a 30-year high in the number of volunteers in the field. The Peace Corps is currently in 69 posts and serving 75 countries across the globe.
I wish the Peace Corps and its volunteers continued success and perseverance. We are grateful for their contributions to society and dedication to providing assistance where it is needed. May the Peace Corps continue its legacy of service, both at home and abroad.
I am proud to represent these men and women who empower people in developing nations and promote the Peace Corps mission of peace and friendship. These volunteers are making major strides to improve the lives of people and communities around the world.
There's a tradition of public service in my family. I'm one of three boys that joined the military. My father was in the Peace Corps.
For a long time, I really struggled with the idea of being an actor because I really felt that I should be in the Peace Corps.
I'm a conservative because I believe in peace - real peace, not just the peace of mind. I'm a conservative because we understand that real peace comes from the Marine Corps, not the Peace Corps.
While working in advertising, I channelled my creative energy into elaborate escape fantasies: cake making, dog breeding, the Peace Corps.
Any idealist who tries to join the Peace Corps must realize he is not going to change the world overnight.
I don't have to run the Peace Corps. I could live without seeing my picture in the newspapers and without being interviewed.
My father told me about American democracy. And he said you have to be actively engaged in the political process to make our democracy work. So I've been doing that my entire life. Civil rights movement. The peace movement during the Vietnam conflict. The movement to get an apology and redress for Japanese-Americans.
The peace movement is a great force for peace. Some of the world's most quarrelsome people act out their aggressions through the peace movement.
The thing that started the peace movement in Ireland was anger - my anger. It wasn't anger; it was fury.
I was very active in the peace movement, still am.
