I was in Vietnam in ‘68/’69. I was 19 & 20 years old at the time. I am a combat-disabled vet. The symbol offended me a lot immediately after I got back. I equated it with cowardice. Today, I’m a little more tolerant.
The older I got, the more mellow (and hopefully wiser) I got. After reading all the history of “McNamara’s War” (including his), I just got mad. 58K American young men and women killed for nought. Countless thousands of others injured or maimed beyond repair. My friends...gone.
The politico’s and DOD wouldn’t let us win. Our only choice was to lose and leave. If I had met McNamara any time during the 80’s or 90’s, I’d have offed the bastard myself.
I consider the first Gulf War and the liberation of Iraq to be righteous conflicts. While noble, we’ll never win in Afghanistan. Nobody else has. We should pack up and leave them to the tribal wars they have been fighting for centuries.
I am now 60 years old and don’t want to see any more young men and women killed for nothing.
Thank you for your sacrifice. You and all of your fellow servicemen deserved so much better than what you got. May we never do to our current heroes what was done to you.
I have a friend who was in the gulf war who agrees with you... And I too would like to thank you for your service. My dad and uncle voluntarily joined the air force and navy during the 60's right before I was born..but were not in combat.