I never for a moment bought in to the myth of the "baby-killing, dishonorable Viet Nam Vet".
I served with these men during my '75-'80 stint in the Navy.
Former PBR and Swift Boat crewmen, Hospital Corpsmen, NGFS spotters, SeaBees, Naval Aviators, Marines, former Army troops who had crossed over to the Navy, and those whose ships stood offshore in the Tonkin Gulf to support them.
Honorable and dedicated men, all.
As an R.N. at our local V.A hospital, I've treated the sequelae of their wounds, both physical and psychological.
They did not ask to go to war, they went because their country called upon them to do their duty. They didn't burn their draft cards or run away to Canada, and they sure as hell didn't serve an abbreviated tour, only to come back to their homes and straight away start trashing the comrades they left behind for doing their duty.
Today, I count these same men as some of my best and most loyal friends.
John Kerry, you would have to stand on your mother's shoulders just to kiss the ass of these fine fellows.
When Kerry loses this election...you will see more smiles in the V.A. Hospitals of this Nation...than have ever been seen before.
redrock