I'm a '55er too, and with you 1000%. I am planning an open letter to VietNam Vets to apologize and admit my stupidity at the time.
Thank you for that post. That took courage, although not nearly as much as turning your life around. I think you are a fine example of one reason Jesus wanted us to show compassion even for those we vehemently disagree with -- not just for ourselves, but because maybe, just maybe, through that compassion that person will see another, better way. As your story shows, an unfocused pathology of violence and anger only alienates others to your views -- something the Left this week in NYC will likely fail to appreciate.
That statement really brought tears. This is the first time I think anyone has stated what for me was the true pain coming home. Speaking only for myself, I was never insulted or spit on when I returned, but what ate away at me was the total indifference, and the presumption I must be damaged from the experience. I never thought about being thanked, but a "Welcome Home" would have been very healing.
Thank you for the wonderful words and the sentiment behind it. God bless you.
A very moving piece. Thanks for posting.
Well written.
There is more joy in heaven over the one lost "sheep" who was found than over the 99 sheep who were never lost. Great wounds can be healed after forgiveness is applied.
Amazing - change the dates and details a little and this could be my family and my life.
While in Virginia on vacation in 2002, my family stayed in a hotel that housed a lot of *overflow* Pentagon soldiers (from other regions of the country).
Every morning during the contintental breakfast, I made it my mission to approach a different soldier and make sure they knew when they went to work that one American family was grateful for their service. Most looked at me in shock and then the smiling began . . . I met some wonderful people and healed a little of my past.
Thanks for your heart felt confession. It brought tears to my eyes. I am of the same vintage, but was always conservative leaning in my politics (family influence, I suppose). The picture I remember most from that era is the one of the teenage girl in the short plaid skirt and platform shoes running as fast as she can into the arms of her returning Dad. That's the kind of welcome ALL veterans, no matter what the war, deserve.
I hope we've all learned a lesson. Confessions like yours will go a LONG way in healing long time buried wounds.
Everyone is sorry for everything, these days. It's the 'hip' thing to do, I suppose.
To the Freeper who wrote this. You're soul searching is so well written it made me cry. Oh that so many others of your generation could come to understand half as much as you have. God bless.
When the Vietnam Vets returned home to a less-than honorable reception, I was working for a large corporation in Memphis, TN, and a returning Vet occupied the desk next to me. All along, I had been silent on the "war" issue, but I was watching and listening. When I saw the hurt and bitterness in the eyes of my coworker, somehow I was able to "get it" -- to understand the injustice to our county caused by the anti-war movement.
My only regret was that I didn't articulate my thanks to my coworker. I don't recall his last name, but his first name was Walter. If you are reading this, "Thank you for your service, Walter."
Welcome home, you're with friends now.
Though I am 4 years younger, being born 1959, this reads very much like my own experience. Though I am male and my father was not abusive.
I too embraced the hippy/druggy lifestyle till my son was born in 1986. Thats when I dropped the drugs but it took 9/11 to wake me up politically.
We came of age in the 70's - I was 15 when the war ended. We saw the 60's as some magical golden age where Jimi played Purple Haze and everyone did acid, smoked weed and got laid. That was our vision and thats basically what we did too. We showed our middle finger to our parents and the "pigs". The war protesters of the 60's and early 70's seemed noble, brave and wise.
It took 30 years for me to realize what a crock that was.
So here's another apology, for what it's worth...
Welcome home...
I was in the Air Force and turned 21 in 'Nam, and the realization that I was unwelcome when I came home affected me a great deal. I tended to be anti-social and avoided being around others not in my (career) military circles.
The deeply ingrained sentiment (courtesy of Hanoi Jane and John and their contemporaries) of the public at large was brought home to me in the late '90's when I particpated in an HR sponsored management sensitivity training class conducted by a large corporation where I was employed. We were there to improve our ability to relate to minorities and other oft oppressed types that exist in our culture, specifically in the workplace.
Various stereotypes were the focus of the exercise and different categories of people were written on large sheets of paper taped to the walls. Each participant had to make a stereotypical comment under each heading. One of the headings was "Viet Nam Veteran". My entry under that one was hated.
After the session the instructor came to me privately, and apologized for even including that category. She explained that had she known there was actually a Viet Nam Vet in the group, she wouldn't have included it because of how I might react and for the safety of the group at large.
I was stunned by the (false) impression so deeply ingrained in her comments and I reassured her I was long past any negative reaction to being a member of that group and that the comments others wrote didn't bother me.
Point of this story being: time passes and you either move beyond unpleasant situations in your life or you withdraw completely from participation in society (like many actually did). I felt sorry for my instructor and those who share(d) her view of a group of people who are finally getting a chance to clear the record via the activities of the Swiftees.
Welcome home! If you have any lost friends, neighbors, buddies, talk to them, enlighten them, bring them to vote for real Commander - W and not for sKerry commie jerk.
Thanks for the post. I hope the person who wrote it reads everything posted here and realizes what a good thing this post has been.
I've said it before and I'm happy to say it again: Thank you to all the Vets and may God Bless our troops, past and present, for keeping us safe and free.
With LBJ's landslide election in 1964 the Mainstream Media were in the commanding heights. Anyone who joined the military in 1965 would have taken for granted that veterans who served the wonderful Kennedy/Johnson Administration had a guarantee of WWII-style PR support.Who betrayed the Vietnam vets? Big Journalism.
Yes, Jane Fonda, and yes, John Kerry - but without the support of Big Journalism those were just a couple of pretty faces. It took the collusion of Big Journalism to produce the PR catastrophe which afflicted the veterans of Vietnam.
Great Post "stockpirate". Pass on my thanks to "Freeper". It and the many "replies" brought tears to this old guy.
You were liberal when you were young, but then you grew up! You matured. God Bless you, and Your family, and God Bless your Son who is Serving his country!
Being from the same generation, I remember what hard times those were. "BIG HUG"!