posted on August 1, 2006 08:41:59 AM
Spent 1966-9 in and around Vietnam. Came back with a army plane load of solders. At SeaTac we were booed and ignored. I have never forgot or forgiven this or what Jane Fonda did as well. The Sixties were not good for me at all. David
For COKE & PEPSI & KFC & MARRIOTTS in HO CHI MINH CITY, now?
When I arrived at SYRACUSE in the FALL of 1966, I was a right old cold warrior...all ready to go kill a commie for...
Joined ROTC...At that time, one had to wear one's uniform on drill days, and my POLY-SCI professor deduced that I was PRO the war...
He asked me to make a presentation expressing my rational for supporting the war, so I had to do a whole bucnh of research...and ended-up SICK TO MY STOMACH with sadness and anger about our involvement in SE ASIA: WTF were we doing?
By the end of the semester, I had quit ROTC; grew my hair down to my; and for the next 4 years did all I could to HELP GET US OUT OF THAT AWFUL MESS...
Upon graduation, I did FOUR YEARS ACTIVE DUTY (+2 YRS INACTIVE CG RESERVE + 2 YEARS USN ACTIVE RESERVE + 2 YEARS ACTIVE NH AIR NAT GUARD) in the USCG...
I was proud of my MILITARY SERVICE...BUT...
I'm ALSO PROUD of all the PROTEST WORK I did AGAINST that WAR...
The ability to do BOTH the above is what truly makes this country the GREATEST nation in history, bar NONE!
posted on August 1, 2006 01:43:50 PM
Hear, hear, Tom! Amen to all that. It is perfectly possible to be against a war and to be for our troops. I know it's hard for some to believe.
I think it's a shame that some people mistreated our returning vets in the 70s. They didn't represent all the war protesters, by any means.
posted on August 1, 2006 08:19:23 PM
dacreson
I want to belatedly thank you for your service. I was opposed to Vietnam and actively worked to stop it... but I had friends who served there and 2 that died... In a town of 5000,with 128 in my class thats a lot of grief for a small town. I have been a pacifist since my early teens.I really do believe that we were given voices,ears and brains for a reason. We can speak and we can listen.... therefore we can work it out. As I honor you for your past service I also honor and pray for my dear nephew who is a Sargent in the Marines in Iraq. I tried to take him to Canada in Feb. before he left... he laughed at me and said... I am doing my job Aunt Bonnie but thank you for loving me. Tom thank you as well....
[ edited by bjboswell on Aug 2, 2006 06:05 AM ]
posted on August 2, 2006 07:30:17 AM
Back on topic. I guess now I am an OLD FART!!! as I just hit 55 last month. I now can use a Senior discount at some of the expensive movie theaters. Whoopee!!!
mama
posted on August 3, 2006 11:17:13 AM
Most of you are just kids. I was married in 1950 at age 22. I will be 78 in November. Served 4 yrs in the USN during the Korean War most of it as a Corpsman with the Marines, part of it in Korea. It was officialy called a conflict, but to those who were there, it was WAR!! My oldest son will be 55 next week.
Life Is Too Short To Drink Bad Wine
[ edited by sanmar on Aug 3, 2006 11:18 AM ]
[ edited by sanmar on Aug 3, 2006 11:21 AM ]
