Vietnam veterans--the greatest generation of vets.

[starreloader]

Thanks Recluse... Most of us did get ourselves together and went on to be very productive, starting families and moving on with our lives.

My return home was slightly different then most of the Viet Nam Vets.. I came home in '68 to a country that I didn't know.. 28 days after I got back from across "the pond" I was on the streets of Washington, DC in full combat gear with a fully loaded weapon.. I came home to a war in this country.. I will never forget marching up Constitution Avenue at 10 o'clock at night and hearing all the sirens and other things going on.... My squad was positioned at Dupont Circle for 5 days and nights with orders to not let anyone pass through unless they were police or other military personell... This was America then, and it sure wasn't what I remembered....

[shdwlkr]

Recluse
i was one of those that it never happened to the rotten food, the spitting and general mistreatment of anyone in uniform. I also remember being called a baby killer.
Yep never happened as you said in your article My a********* I watched as friends also got the same treatment and we went to a bar that has long since been torn down where one of the guys dad worked we had no money and just sat there talking when this old guy came in and saw us there and could smell us to so you have an idea of what was thrown our way and put some money on the bar and said when that was gone to keep giving us what we wanted and he would settle up with our friend's dad who was the bar tender.
We asked who the guy was and all our friend's dad would tell us was that we had done well by not doing anything but walking away when the people treated us so badly.
Now the rest of the story my friend's dad was a vet he worked on the b-52's as a crew chief they didn't fly without his permission and many an officer learned the hard way when he said no it meant no.
This guy who came in and put the money down was a very respected WWII vet that no one in the area that knew him argued with him. We were young didn't know many of the old guys but we saw this guy and many a time we paid for his meal, drink and what ever and disappeared before he knew so we thought. the last time I ever saw him he walked in and sat down next to me asked if I was free or tied and I told him I was still tied. He asked if anyone would ever know what I really did for my country and I told him no I had taken care of that and he just sat there with tears running down his face and said what have we done that our soldiers would rather have no one know but God what they endured.
I can babble all I want and you can neither prove me right or wrong unless our paths crossed and you know by what name I was known when. Why because what I did was good for some and bad for many was it right I don't know as I did what my country asked of me nothing more or less. I walked away after 7 years and was up for First Sargent so you be the judge as if you were enlisted and served you know they did not give that rank out to just anybody.
Later my friends and fellow brothers and sisters who know the smell of gunsmoke and smell of napalm and burning flesh. The screaming of those hurt and dying and most of the stupidity of it all

[twotrees]

R.C.Brown
SSgt USAF 1965-1973

After that there was no point.

[1Shirt]

Like Rocky's posts! Even if he was an officer!
1Shirt!

[another gsxr 1k]

As has been said by others.
Thank You, Thank You, to each and every one of you that raised your right hand and took the Oath, and for all you've endured.
Maybe it means something a little bit different to me. Coming from someone that is one generation removed from the Viet Nam era, and also as the first natural born U.S. citizen in my family.
I'm also proud to be able to call myself a veteran.

Thank you, each and every one of you.


Ryan

U.S. Coast Guard 1988-1994