When the world closes in!

[DaveToo]

When I returned from Vietnam, the urge to purge my memory of all I envisioned while over there, as a search and rescue specialist, began to overwhelm me. I sought closure to a part of my life I no longer wanted to remember. I had married a short time before my deployment, and it was an entire lifetime before I returned to her. Yet, I know I never fully returned. I met up with a high school friend that survived the chaos as well, and the words he gave me have saved my life. "If the gooks couldn't kill ya, and the damn Agent Orange doesn't kill ya, then why would you give either of them the satisfaction of doing what they couldn't do?"

By the way, it wasn't until a couple of years ago that people started thanking me for my service. They thank me now not knowing I wasn't there to kill people but to save lives. Back in the day, no one thanked me. We were spat on and called baby killers.

[GoodGuyBreakingBad]

Thank you for sharing your MyTake well appreciated and thank you for your duty in Vietnam, My Great Grand Dad was in World War I and my Great Uncle was in World War II both of them were father & son... But sadly they didn't live long life's my Uncle loved his booze but he was not abusive and he provided for my Aunt and Cousin now all of them loved smoking Kent Cigarettes including the sister (my Great Aunt )

[GoodGuyBreakingBad]

Thanks For MHO :)

[Lliam]

I'm sure glad I didn't have to participate in that imperialist mass murder. I feel sorry for those who did. I know people who never returned and I know people who did return but were mentally scarred.
The draft ended the year that I became eligible.

[Anonymous]

Vets were not spat on or called baby killers. That is a myth, which makes me question whether you served at all or are using the internet to borrow glory.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Spitting_Image

As a vet and a member of the anti-war movement, Jerry Lembcke did a huge amount of research into that pervasive myth. Not a single verifiable case could be found. Not one. It was just another way to silence dissent and make the hippy peace movement look like the bad guys.

[DaveToo]

I see you made this comment as anonymous as if what you are saying isn't worth repeating under your real name. That is a coward's preferred method of communicating their thoughts. Your comment is bullshit. I experienced this when I departed the plane at SF Airport. But thank you for putting in your two cents worth.

[Opinion Owner]

When you can't attack the facts, attack the man. I expected nothing less.

[scholastic_vibez]

“People say time goes by. Time says people do.” - Vietnamese proverb

[Goatmeal]

I mean, that war was pretty devastating to the people of Vietnam. Who were you there to rescue?

[Daniel-Lingl]

American troops

[DaveToo]

Mostly Marines since I was there under the authority of the Navy. But if there were men that needed to be evacuated, regardless of what branch they served under, I was called on when it was a particularly rough rescue.

[stuntbrain]

The world is in for a big surprise

[msc545]

Beautiful and tragic video - thanks!