Posted on 08/29/2004 4:44:09 AM PDT by stockpirate
To: stockpirate I am not sure this is the proper place to put this...but here goes... To All The Vets of Viet Nam,
I was born in 1955, a baby boomer...into an alcoholic and abusive family. I was 14 years old when Woodstock rocked this nation. I remember standing in front of a 12" black and white set watching it unfold on the 6 o'clock news. I also remember my father using the term..".long haired hippie pukes" and being totally disgusted with the whole mess. Being 14 with a father who like to use his fists..I naturally rejected anything he said as any kind of truth. He had lost my affection and my trust many years ago. My father also told the story of being wounded in the Korean war...he even had a scar to prove it. I later found out when I got older, that he had spent the entire war in England..so much for his credibilty.
My mother thought it would be good to alert me at that tender age of 14 about the drug scene that was waiting to prey upon me. She handed me a bunch of Life magazines with an expose of the underground culture of drugs. Living in a small town in Central NY..this was definitely a foreign concept. I was mesmerized by the pictures of hippies and the freedom they appeared to have. Oh how I longed to have a place in this world where I could breathe without fear of being hit. I was ripe for the picking.Within 6 months I found myself hobknobbing with drug dealers and the like.
The next couple of years I was entrenched in the drug scene..my friends were of like thinking..we had all bought into the Love, Peace, Free Sex and drugs doctrine being perpetuated on the youth of this nation. I became a sympathizer of the likes of Abby Hoffman and Jerry Rubin. Their books became gospel for me....I devoured the book.."Soul on Ice" by Eldredge Cleaver. I hated the Viet Nam war...not because of it's political significance...but the idea of war and chaos in general. I had seen too much of that as I was growing up...I longed for peace in my soul. I drank and drugged to relieve some of the inner pain.
I bought into anything that my father hated....and hated anything he bought into. My father was a veteran and stood by the President..even though he was a democrat.....He stood by his brothers in arms. So it was natural for me to take the opposing view. I hated war. Our little town had 3 casualties in the Viet Nam war..two of whom rode on my school bus....they were older than me but each had made a distinct impression on me as I rode the bus....I remember Joe who used to make the sound of a cricket as he ran his fingers along the roof of the bus...he was so tall!!..and Ron was the cute older brther of my sister's friend. Both gone, both dead and for what purpose? My teenaged brain couldn't comprehend the whole idea of death and war.
In 1975, I was 20 years old...a survivor of years of self abuse through my reckless lifestyle..and now a mother of two children. I sat in front of another TV and watched as they were airlifting people out of Saigon. A plane full of refugees were taking off when the plane, carrying children, crashed on takeoff. I sat in front of the TV set and cried...sobs coming from somewhere so deep inside of me....I realised as I was sitting there...that this was the first time I had ever cried for anyone else but myself. My heart was starting to unthaw from years of guarding it.
When the war ended I didn't abuse the vets who had served bravely for my country, no my attitude was worse than any abuse bestowed on them...mine was one of indifference, one of apathy, a "so what and who cares attitude." I never spoke a word that brought shame to a vet, but my heart was full of hatred for anyone who would willingly go and make war.
On Memorial Day, my father would put on his legion uniform and march in the parade and shoot his gun off at the village green in remembrance of those fallen. I watched with a mocking spirit within me. It was a big deal to him (dad) when he became post commander..all I could see was another opportunity for him to drink. I saw him as a hypocrit..a man who espoused peace and freedom ...who oppressed his family with violence and bondage.
But something happened to me over the years...an ideological change, a paradigm shift of thought. I woke up in the mid 1990's and I found myself with the same ideals my father had about his country. I fell in love with where I live and what it stands for. Maybe it was watching my children growing up and wanting better for them or Maybe it was watching CNN during the first Gulf war knowing my brother was in a tank somewhere inside Iraq... or maybe it was the day I sent my youngest son off to the Marines for safe keeping. Maybe it was coming to have faith in Christ. But something definitely changed within me. Maybe it was turning off the TV for a moment and allowing God to speak to me without all the static.
I joined Free Republic over a year ago at the request of a friend. And today I watched a video clip of the VVAW throwing their medals. I must have watched it 6 times. It was this clip that prompted me to write this piece. After so many years I wonder if it would really make any difference to the men and women who served our country by going to Viet nam, if I were to say.. from the bottom of my heart...that I AM SO SORRY for not giving you the Honor you so richly deserve. I am sorry for the indifference I showed you when you returned...of turning my eyes and closing my ears.. when I heard a derogatory remark aimed at you. Would it make a difference if I told you that I am proud of the service you gave to us on behalf of our freedom..that I appreciate your sacrifices and the blood shed for the freedom we all share today. It is 30 years late but I couldn't let another day pass with writing these thoughts down.Please Forgive Me.....
Well I am sorry you can't keep up. I guess.
If you can't speak English, please quit posting to me. You're wasting my time.
I don't have a clue...
===
You said it yourself - BykrBayb - LOL! Man, you are too easy! LOL!!!!!!!!!!
Are you incapable of reading the entire post? Or are you just deliberately misrepresenting what was written? Let me be very clear what I'm saying. You are either illiterate, dishonest, or both.
WAAAA!
Man,you're a hoot!
LOL!
JLO, do not post to BykrBayb.
I have never ever beaten around the bush.
---
What about you - here???
What you said:
-- 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.
Ok I won't. Can you please explain why? Fair question.
OK - Thanks a bunch.
Got it.
Time to turn up the heat on Kerry's anti war protests!
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1202515/posts
Maybe??? - How could she fail to realize that the central issue with all leftists, and America-haters is their rejection of the Gospel of Jesus Christ?
This is the very essence of the war that every one of is fighting every day, whether it is presidential politics, property rights, or the cannard of 'free trade,' the real attack is against the Gospel.
Thank you for sharing this.. may God bless you.
I too went through a change several years ago after having something really horrible happen to me. My life was filled so much hatred and simply not caring. I don't even think I could explain in words. I woke up thanks to finding my husband and God and my whole outlook on life has changed.
Dear Editor-surveyor,
I am the author of the post you have commented on and I want to clarify something with you....there was a turning point in my life that began in 1975 when I watched that plane full of kids crash...I had spent the first 20 years building walls of protection that I found it difficult to express any kind of positive emotions..rage and anger came easily but compassion for my fellow man was at zero level....
I am glad you had a good upbringing with stablility...I did not..my life was a constant what if...what if dad's in a bad mood...what if something went wrong at work....questions a little kid shouldn't have to worry about...but with an alcoholic the questions were faced on a daily basis...I learned to mistrust everyone. Dad could be smiling.. when something would trigger him and you got the end of his hand.
1975 was a turning point for me...I had two children who I swore would never feel the wrath that I felt..I loved them and hugged them as a mom ought to and they, in themselves, started the breaking of my tough exterior.
There were many cascading events in my life after that...I came to know Jesus during the first Gulf war...not because of the war...but during that time frame....I remember being at work and the reality of war hit me for the very first time...back during Viet Nam....my young mind didn't have that same sense of reality.
My posting showed that there were many things that have brought me to where I am today..the use of "maybe" in anyone of the references was poetic license on my part to get my point across...it was not meant to demean my faith or Jesus Christ..but put in the context of all things that have happened.
Jesus became my Lord and Savior when I came to realise that I was heading to hell without Him....He has taken me from a frightened little girl into the person I am today..a blood bought child of the Living God...he has taken my fears away and has placed me in the position of Worship Leader in my church....my husband and I have taken our guitars to the streets and into the nursing homes to further the gospel..we were cell group leaders for many years...the Lord is first and foremost in my life...
He has had His hand in my entire life..through all the drugs and partying back in the 70's, his hand of protection was upon me...a lot of my friends ended up in jail or are dead..but I am a survivor of my own misdeed..a prodigal daughter, if you will.....He has given me a new life.
I do know that the media is out to crush Christianity..I am well aware of satan's plot to bring about the demise of our faith...I am also aware of the dreadful things to come, as spoken of in the Revelation...but I am also aware of the victory promised....Jesus is a great God..He cares about me and about you....and I also know that there is nothing that surprises Him and that He has everything in control...His will is being done on earth as it is in heaven..the things we see happening in our world today are all going to culminate in the coming of Jesus Christ to take His rightful place as King and Lord of this earth.
I do not worry that the media is playing its part...because I know that with each bit of garbage they spew...it only means the return of Jesus is all that much more closer.
I have been brought to this place in my life for a purpose and a reason..I believe that I am fulfilling that purpose as I do the things He has called me to....and when He shows me new things to do, I step in with full confidence that He will enable me to accomplish it..a far cry from the little girl who hid under her bed when she heard the car pull in the driveway. God's grace has been abundantly poured out on me.
I hope this email clarifies things for you...and that you will pull back on your judgment of me.
Kathleen
Well as to the drugs, guilty as charged. Why because they're fun...for a while at least, until you wake up in a friends garage with about $1.50 in your pocket and a tenuous grasp on reality.
As to being anti-war, again guilty as charged.
And a lot of us were, we belived we we not trying to win(ie the brass)
So you did order the code red?
So if you want to say "sorry", it is okay. But if you really want to show geniune sorrow, say "here's a long overdue welcome home". I can't write anymore as this is too emotional for me now.
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