[stockpirate]

How many of us were in that place oh so many years ago?

[stockpirate]

ping

[Peach]

Welcome back to the fold. You have freepmail.

[R. Scott]

But something happened to me over the years...an ideological change, a paradigm shift of thought.

In other words, you grew up and matured.

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.

To me it makes a difference, and I thank you for the heartfelt apology.

[Retired AF Warrior]

As a veteran of Vietnam, Desert Storm and many conflicts in between your post brought tears to my eyes this morning. Thank you...

[beyond the sea]

Excellent sentiments. So well written. I was an ASA guy in the late 60's early 70's. When I came home to my city there was the wafting stench from some of the citizens of hatred and disrespect for veterans of service. I saw it, and you speak of it so well.

Kerry on the other hand, lived off the tumult, prospered from it, and grew it.

Your writing is wonderful and you are well into a good life now. Kerry, on the other hand, must live in a lifelong ugly dread for his self-promoting misdeeds.

Damn him, and God bless you.

[A. Morgan]

Welcome home.

[BillyCrockett]

I was. A well written report. Thanks for writing it. The Nam vets are definately getting their "thanks" now...it's just too bad it's taken so long for so many of us to "grow up". It's also too bad that there are so many baby boomers who still don't get it.

[G.Mason]

Tell your Freeper friend that I said thank you for sharing that.

As a proud parent it is very rewarding when the child matures and understands.

[Conservativegreatgrandma]

Beautifully written.

[SeeRushToldU_So]

Bttt

[mfulstone]

Freeper: You are forgiven. Your words help continue my long overdue healing - thank you.

[RobFromGa]

I was born in 1962 and I used to believe that the TV News told us the truth. Until recently I believed that the Media was now full of liars, but that during my formative years they were more honest.

Now, I am sure that the Media was full of liars all along, and I hate them for it. Everything I used to believe was true is now suspect. I am having to relearn much of what I thought I already knew.

I suspect that many Americans are in the same boat. I applaud the SwiftVets for telling the truth, I hope they find inner peace.

[Gorzaloon]

This letter was written by a much bigger person than a Massachusetts Politician.

[uncbob]

How many of us were in that place oh so many years ago?

Not me

It was the long haired hippy pukes and commie sympathizers that woke me up in 65-68 and got me interested in politics.
Until then I was a knee jerk non informed democrat who had voted for JFK and LBJ and bought into the liberal BS about Goldwater

I disassociated myself from my college alma mater ( in a long letter ) when they let the SDS take over the campus and forced it to boot the ROTC off campus etc .
I quit watching the MSM during that period and haven't since then

It was a shocking revelation to me that so much pro commie anti American people lived in this country let alone in postions of power in the media and academia

Changed my whole life around politically

[rhombus]

As a fellow Baby Boomer (born in 1956) I realize that so many of us have very similar stories including many 2nd, 3rd and 4th thoughts about Vietnam. We were the first generation to grow up ENTIRELY on television. Mickey Mouse Club, Honeymooners., Gilligan's Island, Gunsmoke... television was always with us. Main stream media domination of Vietnam news could not help but impact us all - long before anyone was studying media bias. As a male, I grew up watching daily body counts with a draft card growing ever closer in my future. Years passed, casualties mounted. Horrible images morphed from grainy black and white to moving color images of hell. And then, there were other images: protest was somehow marketed. We heard a lot about Gandhi and civil disobedience. We were all asked to read Thoreau in school and learned how he opposed the Mexican war while living on someone else's land. It became "romantic" and even "patriotic" to oppose the war... at least we saw lots of people who felt that way on our televisions and those were fun, exciting people from the new "counterculture". They played guitars, they were famous, they must know something... why else would they be on TV? And then as those last helicopters pulled out of Vietnam, the counterculture patted itself on the back and declared victory - even the WWII two-fingered Victory sign was now a victorious "peace sign". Yes, we ignored those Vets coming home - we turned to Disco and danced, danced, danced away the contradictions of those years. Over the years I have learned that too many people use Vietnam and vets for their own reasons. I also learned that the power of the media can not be underestimated and their selection of "facts" can not be trusted. I am grateful to ALL vets from ALL wars, police actions, nation-building exercises or whatever we will call these actions in the future. Without you we would not be free.

[McGavin999]

This is why I am so grateful to the SwiftBoat Vets. It's time for this nation to step forward and say "We're so sorry". I used to have a friend who was into the protests. I asked her if she realized what happened as a result of those protests, if she understood the number of people who died because we pulled out, if she knew of the lives that were ruined by good men and women who came home to hatred or indifference. She did't care. That's why I say I HAD a friend.

[SouthernFreebird]

I know this is meant for the vets, but as a daughter of a vet this means alot to me and perhaps other children of Vietnam Vets.
I ended up crying after reading this. I feel hopeful that maybe finally our vets will get the honor, respect and gratitude they so deserve.

[joesbucks]

I was born the same year as you. And although I didn't have an abusive alcoholic father, my parents were strict. I never fought the concept of the Viet Nam war. I never gave into the drug culture. Matter of fact, I never even smoked weed.

That being said, I now know that what started as a concept to contain communism ended as a political exercice. Endless lives were lost for a political experience and exercise. I don't fault those who fought honestly, and I never did, and most of those in command leadership.

That being said, we know that some of the things Kerry testified to took place. How much and how often will never be known. Same for the war we are currently engaged. Had those photos never been released, we would have happily gone on our way believing that "Amrerican values" were being used at every level and in every case. We would have gone on believing that the troop levels were adequate for the resistance that was experienced.

Since I never served in the military, I will probably never understand the "code" that these people experience. But even that "code" often extends too far. Just as within police forces, many horrible wrongs are never brought to the light of day because of the "code". Many political wrongs are never brought to the light of day because of the "code". Even during the Clinton administration, the "code" kept many of his misdeeds from being seen until legal actions were taken.

My feeling is even if Kerry's testimony was spot on in '71, the Swift Boat folks would have come forward to slay him, because of the "code". Frankly, I don't know if how close to being accurate or far from being the truth it was.

A tip of my hat goes out to those Viet vets who truly served honorably. Same for the men and women now engaged in trying to contain a horrible situation in Iraq. And to all who have served, thank you.

But don't let the "code" be the be all, do all.

[grace522]

Thanks!! You have friends here.

[Jmouse007]

Thank you for your kind words, Vietnam Vets are grateful... I can not speak for other Vietnam Vets, but I can speak for myself, your forgiven.