Since I chose the name NamVet71MP and include the VVA image link I should talk a bit about Vietnam. First I should say I did not finish my tour in Vietnam. Early fully-honorable discharge... but, only three months in country. No Purple Hearts. No Bronze Stars. Which is my first point. John F. Kerry. From November 1971 until the 2004 Presidential race I never brought up Vietnam. If someone else mentioned Vietnam AND that they had served... we talked. All the other people with "just nosey" questions I avoided. Enter John F. Kerry. Sure I knew who he was, sort of. Really didn't know any of the "details". Know what I figured out after 3 months in county? How to find the latrine and the mess hall. Kerry; Silver Star. Bronze Star. Purple Heart (3) REALLY?!?! Anyway. That lit me up.


Today, more than 40 years later, I wish I could have finished my tour. I will wear a VVA hat on occasion. Like the 9/12 Washington, DC Tea Party Rally or Beck's 8-28 Rally. Had some great conversations with other vets at those events. Happy to share my story then. Beyond that I do what I can to help.

Oh! Every second homeless guy sign in NYC that says, "Vietnam Vet. needs help", also lights me up.

I really don't understand people who think that life sucks and America needs fixing. It’s not faith-based for me. Being raised Roman Catholic is part of it. of course... but, I am not now [nor will I be] “practicing”. It’s just that I never see the point in complaining or demanding change. Though dropping out of high school, going to Vietnam, caming home to dad declaring bankruptcy because of medical bills, mom placed in a nursing home, younger brothers and sisters scattered to the four corners, and personally spending two years homeless living on the streets of north Philadelphia, then 7 years of busting ass just to get an under-grad degree... could have been a little less painful.

I've been proud and happy to be an American for a VERY long time! Though the phrase; "You can all go to hell... I'm going to Texas" does come to mind a lot lately.

Libtards! We. We. We. We need affordable housing. We need to do something about gas prices. We. We. We. "Yes We Can." I am a chemical engineer. If I could develop a refinery that could reduce the cost of petrochemical production I would! Know why? Because I would make a lot of money. Thirty years ago when I got out of school and could not afford to buy a house I built one with my own hands on land that I bought. Years later when I sold it "WE" split the profit! I know! There was a book on this subject 60 years ago. Read it. It makes all this even more unreal.