I, too, was in the military during the Vietnam War. Luckily for me, I was in a reserve outfit that was assigned to the 101st Airborne but we were never activated. I am thankful to this day I never had to go.
But the reaction to vets back in the day was significantly different then that today. I remember trying to catch a flight out of Atlanta to Detroit. There was a Delta flight crew (2-stews and a pilot) walking through the terminal and the one stew said “I have something for you, hold out your hand” Being young and stupid, I did. She proceeded to deposit a cigarette butt in my outstretched hand and the three of them laughed as they walked away.
I never flew Delta again and haven’t to this day.
I am grateful the young men and women of today’s military never have been subjected to abuse. They are the best of the best and deserve our respect. We weren’t as fortunate.
“...the one stew said “I have something for you, hold out your hand” Being young and stupid, I did. She proceeded to deposit a cigarette butt in my outstretched hand and the three of them laughed as they walked away.”
I was lucky, I guess. Came back in August 1972, landed in Travis AFB & took a bus to SF Intl. No incidents. But I never will understand why people hated us even though we weren’t volunteers except that Jane Fonda called us war criminals & babykillers. Bitch just turned 82, proving that some people are alive only because it is illegal to kill them.
As for the stews who insulted you, if it’s fifty years ago for us, it’s d@mn sure fifty years later for those b*tches. Imagine what they must look like now. Probably in assisted living.
Anyway, thank you being there in case you were needed. The 101st came home in December 1971 except for helicopter pilots who had less than six months in country; they came to our unit to serve out their full year. FWIW.