When we left, Americans loved America, the Catholic Mass was in Latin and Julie Andrews was popping up chimneys.
When we came back, men with hair like women were burning our flag, nuns were wearing mini-skirts and Janis Joplin was shooting up heroin.
My Dad had been morale officer in our compounds in Tainan and Taichung. We had the best Halloweens and 4th of Julys. (We taught the Taiwanese softball and they returned the favor by beating our a$$ in little league championships for decades). We were small town America, with bomb shelters in the back yard, due to our proximity to Red China.
Sometimes my husband has a hard time understanding why I love my country so much. He puts it down to jingoism. I pity his cynicism. He has never understood our "shining city on a hill." Our military does. God Bless Them.