kit Loc: BARABOO WI

I am proud you were a marine in VN. I would buy you lunch if we could meet. I live in Kerrville Tx. I am proud to have served in VN. I do not thint that it was a necessary war but people did serve and die. I think I saw somewhere that the majority of troops were enlistee's but I may be wrong . Anyway thanks for your service. Kit Meitinger

nikonnut Loc: Las Vegas

In the '60's I wasn't in grade school I was in the 82nd Airborne Division doing recon in Vietnam. When I returned I reentered the US through Oakland Army Terminal in Calif. I wanted a few days leave and when I walked out of the small base in Oakland I had garbage thrown at me by protesting hippies. I can not begin to tell you how that made me feel. How it made me wonder of the 7 in our company that did not come back. What was our effort for? I did it so this bunch of low life's could holler and scream at me and desecrate the uniform that I wore.

sundancer2004 Loc: oak island, nc

They threw containers of blood on us at Seattle-Tacoma

Spectre Loc: Bothell, Washington

There's no such thing as getting over it! The pain of the wound may be gone but the scare will always be there.
We lost 29 fellow airman while I served in SEA.

shadows creation Loc: san antonio

Yes, kerville is just up ih 10 . Thank you and thank you for also remembering those that did not return home. And yes, garbage and name call was a big part of us who returned fromveitnam. But like I said, we took the abuse and moved on. To all who served in all our wars, I thank you.

nikonnut Loc: Las Vegas

I don't disagree but I was successful at putting it behind me. My children were in their 30's before they ever knew I was in the Army. My daughter married a young E-9 from Nellis and it was with conversations with him that they found out. Now the VA handles my health care so I do have that to thank them for. They underwrote the mortgage on my first home and payed me $237 per month while I went to college. That was a lot of money back then and my wife and I were glad to get it. We had 3 little ones running around in our house.

Spectre Loc: Bothell, Washington

Thanks for your service nikonnut!

Bill Houghton Loc: New York area

I think it was Nam where I lost all respect for Politicians. As far as I'm concerned the only good Politician is one serving Twenty to Life. There you can keep an Eye on them so to say.

nikonnut Loc: Las Vegas

Thank YOU for the acknowledgement.

stonecherub Loc: Tucson, AZ

I'm a draft dodger. Had I been drafted, I might have gotten in to the first parts of Viet Nam, maybe not. I first heard the epithet "Draft dodger!" yelled at me and the other members of our NROTC drill team during a half-time performance at a basketball game. Many of my class-mates in flight school were eager for a "little banana war" where they could get some medals. We got it in spades.

I was ultimately sent off to be a cold warrior looking for Russian submarines and other interesting things out of a P2V. I loved that airplane. Despite the rhetoric of Shakespeare, I do not regret having missed that God forsaken conflict. This was written for the guys who did go:

We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;
For he to-day that sheds his blood with me
Shall be my brother; be he ne'er so vile,
This day shall gentle his condition:
And gentlemen in England now a-bed
Shall think themselves accursed they were not here,
And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks
That fought with us upon Saint Crispin's day.

Pepper Loc: Planet Earth Country USA

If you weren't there all you know is what you heard, read or saw on TV and that's not enough.

sundancer2004 Loc: oak island, nc

I compartmentalize it, put it away in a locked room within my mind, and carry on. Hence I got over it.

windshoppe Loc: Arizona

Regrettably, many people have never been able to make a distinction between support for our troops and support for a conflict in which our country is involved. I supported our troops throughout the Viet Nam war while firmly believing that the conflict was misguided and a terrible waste of human life. I was appalled at the reception many of those vets received upon returning home. The name calling, etc. was done by idiots who could not separate what they believed was an unjust war from the brave men and women who fought it.

In my view G W Bush's personal adventure in Iraq was even more misguided than Viet Nam. Once again, my wife and I fully supported the troops involved in that conflict in every way we could. We travel all over the world and, whether here in the U.S. or in a foreign country, my wife never fails to approach any serviceman we encounter and thank him for his service.

To all of you who have served in the military, we thank you for your selfless service.

Please understand that it is possible to oppose a political decision by egotistical, misguided politicians and still fully support those who, unfortunately, must bear the brunt of those decisions through countless personal and family sacrifices.

Bultaco Loc: Aiken, SC

Thank You

tlbuljac Loc: Oklahoma

There were so many of us that did not choose to serve by choice. We were drafted and some of us felt obligated, felt proud, honored to serve our country. There were many others that felt there was no way out and went with the flow. None of us said "wow, this is great, it's going to be fun, we get a chance to get shot at and maybe if we're really lucky, we will get to kill somebody to". Senseless yes, stupid definitely. When I was called in 65, my parents and 4 siblings where horrified and scared. To tell the truth so was I, but they had faith in God that I would return safe and in one piece. So many of my comrades died in that war, I was one of the fortunate ones to return and I thank Him everyday for sparing me. In my mind the war was senseless. It was a politicians game. They played, but did not serve. Today, I stand with my brothers, a very proud US soldier that did not want that evil war, but I'm glad to have been able to serve my country so that all Americans can live in freedom....I am a Marine and damn proud of it. Semper Fe