[cinFLA]

"Local entrepreneurs long ago jumped on the war memorabilia bandwagon. Saigon street artists started the craze by crafting toy tanks and planes from scraps of Budweiser and Coca Cola cans. Dog tags and jewelry made from bullet shells soon followed. For years, one of Vietnam's major exports must have been fake Zippo lighters, copies of those carried by American GIs, inscribed with lewd or lonely messages of desperation. Put all the tourists with "authentic" army-issue Zippo lighters in a line and it would easily surpass one comprised of the mass of people claiming genuine chunks of the Berlin Wall."

[Jen]

Some may be fakes, but some may be authentic. (She states in her story that she realizes that. And so do I.)

I think Stacey's story is a wonderful testament to the fact that one person can do something to try to make a difference in the lives of others. And I applaud her for her efforts to honor those who served during the Vietnam War.