Posted on 08/29/2004 4:44:09 AM PDT by stockpirate
Luis, thanks you. A couple of the emails/posts I recieved were not to nice. So I wanted to protect her. But thank you again. I could not have said it any better.
Do you or anyone you know understand the term "American eletronic battlefield in Vietnam."? And would this information be classified and at what level?
I have no idea.
"I, too, was born in 1962.
Strange how the few I knew personally were so well adjusted, but the many I barely knew were so screwed up. I'm just now figuring out they were imposters."
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BykrBayb, well, I was born in 1951, so mind your elders, would ya? LOL.
I personally - in my daily life - know a whole lot of VN veterans. While I'm sure many ARE well adjusted...I sure don't personally a one. (Except for ones around Freerepublic, that is!!)
It wasn't what our government made them DO! Most served most honorably!
I've heard more than a few personal stories from them.
--Some were religious and were taught "thou shall not kill." And they had to in self defense. And now feel damned in eternity.
--Some saw things that scarred them for life. Mostly enemy atrocities done to THEIR brethern.
--Some made a mistake and CAN'T forgive themselves.
And I'm sure the list goes on.
They fought bravely for the USA and deserve our nation's gratitude.
This will be my last post on this thread. For those who bought (and may, perhaps, still buy) into Kerry's lies about the Vietnam veterans and the "atrocities" we allegedly committed, stop and think about it for a moment.
There was Mike, or Tom, the gangly kid who sat behind you in English class. And, Jeff, the athlete who lived down the street; and Dave, the guy who liked to work on cars, and Terry who played tuba in the band. And Howard, Ralph, Joe, Larry and Carl; part of the gang you used to hang out with at McDonald's. There was Nicky, who sat with you at lunch and Don who wanted to work for NASA and send people to the moon. There was Albert, Al, who liked to draw, and Terry who planned to work at his dad's company. And, Phil, who wanted to be a preacher.
Did you ever stop to think that these are the guys that Kerry was calling murderers, torturers, baby rapists? Or, did you let him sidetrack you into thinking that a bunch of nameless, faceless guys were out there doing those things?
When we were in 'Nam, the only things we thought about were staying alive and how great it would be when we got to go home; back to "the world". We counted the days down, getting "short". For some, "short" was as close as they got; they never made it to "gone", the day we all looked forward to. THat was the day we went home.
And, look what we returned to - a reception so hostile it made 'Nam look more inviting. After all the dreams, the fantasies of what life would be like, we came back to the world that John Kerry had created for us. We weren't the heroes retuning from the battlefield, we were pariahs and outcasts. Even our own families weren't too thrilled with us.
Many couldn't deal with it and became those stereotyped 'crazed' Vietnam veterans that TV loved to exploit. Some just committed suicide. Most of us suppressed everything and tried to get through from one day to the next in the belief that things had to get better. We thought we had served honorably, doing what our country wanted us to do.
And, while we were "fighting and dying for our country", our elected officials treated Vietnam as their own personal playground and political agenda. Congress would get mad at the President and turn off the money for the war. No money to buy gas to fly B-52s. No money to buy bombs, bullets or artillery shells. But the VC and the NVN didn't stop killing Americans just because Congress and the President were in a pi$$ing contest; no, the war continued on its merry little way. And the next month, when they patched up their feud, the money would be turned back on until the next spat; which usually occurred after another month or two. Then the money would be turned off again, etc., etc.
And, all during this time, John Kerry was telling you that Mike, and Tom, and, Jeff, and Dave, and Terry, and Howard, and Ralph, and Joe, and Larry and Carl, and Nicky, and Albert, and, Phil were out committing atrocities every single day. And you believed it. Without a shred of proof offered to support the lies.
Never try to tell me that one person, one voice, won't/can't make a difference. John Kerry was one person and look at the difference he made on an entire generation.
Thank you, she is reading the thread and she is very moved.
Thank you all for the kind words expressed to me for the post I wrote. It came from my heart.... I love Free Republic..it is one of the few sites I go to everyday. I have learned so much here. I am still learning....To all of you who have written and posted articles...I thank you for opening my eyes to the lies that I once took for granted, as truth. I sometimes feel as if my head is being unzippered and truth is pouring in. Amazing. As for those who wanted me to bring it to the next level...I can honestly say that I have won over my middle daughter...a staunch conservative...the other day she was in my office and I said to her..jokingly of course..that I was thinking about voting for Kerry..she swung around in her chair so fast and started in on me!!"Don't you know he's a liar!!!!etc etc...it was a sight to see!!!...LOL I did not write the letter to try and rationalise my position back that but to give insight as to where I was coming from...and how things happened. To all the vets again I say thank you!!!.....I can even say thanks to my dad..even after all the years of pain he put us through....He may not have had fathering down to a fine art....but he did and still does love his country and all that it stands for...I can never fault him for that... May God bless you all....leenie
There are a lot of people on here that cannot read what you posted! Amazing!
I remember the late 60's and the demonstrations well -- I went to work for the AF and never regretted that for one moment. When our POW's came back to the Wright-Patt Medical Center I got even madder at the Antioch goon squad of demonstrators that appeared around the base all the time. Our military were not to wear their uniforms off the base for fear of reprisal by the lowlifes.
Still don't understand why parents continued to pay their children's college education when they didn't go to class and preferred to be out demonstrating. My Dad, who was in WWII, wouldn't have put up with that for one minute but then I grew up in a conservative, proud to be an American household for which I am grateful!
Thanks for posting this from someone who has seen the light.
I may be late to the party but do wish to express my thanks to your friend for writing this letter. Please tell her that, as for me, she is forgiven.
In my view, her greatest contribution can be the education of her children and those with whom she shared her former feelings. Personal testimony is powerful.
Thank you.
"Thank you." I was at an age when I'd get my mouth washed out with soap for saying "Jeez," so you can imagine the effect of being told "Shut your fat little sh** hole of a mouth! Were you there? What the f*** could you possibly know about it? I ought to bite your ear off and shove it down your throat." At the time, I was naive enough to believe they were real vets. I'd heard a "real Viet Nam Vet" on tv, saying that's what Vets were like. Do you know any real vets who would react that way to a little girl thanking them for their service? I didn't always get that reaction. Sometimes the guy would just get embarrassed and change the subject. Looking back on it, those were the real vets. For many years I quit thanking them, or even acknowledging their service, because I expected them to either be abusive or embarrassed. I never stopped being grateful to them for their service, but for many years I quit telling them. Telling them often caused problems. So I kept it to myself. If I'd only known then, what I know now, I'd have continued to thank every one of them.
251 posted on 08/29/2004 8:15:37 PM CDT by BykrBayb (5 minutes of prayer for Terri, every day at 11 am EDT, until she's safe. http://www.terrisfight.org)
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Well guess, maybe so.
Still ain't buying it.
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Still ain't buying what? I think I can guess what you're hinting at, but rather than me putting words in your mouth, how about you come right out and say it?
"I ought to bite your ear off and shove it down your throat"
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That's what I don't buy.
You know what? I didn't buy it either. I think that guy was just trying to be melodramatic. I'm sure he had no intention of actually carrying out the threat. So I agree with you on that point. Unless you're still beating around the bush, and refraining from saying what you really mean.
Just are you again?
Excellently written.
MAY THE HEALING BEGIN!
Bless you all
Am I supposed to guess what that means too? It's really hard to respond to your posts when I don't have a clue what you're trying to say.
Read post 224. I heard this on Rush's show and was looking for a copy. It's a great read.
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