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upaloopa

(11,417 posts)
49. Sorry to be extending this out but I always wanted to say this. I seems real funny to me that
Wed May 30, 2012, 02:40 PM
May 2012

those who call us liars say we are trying to discredit the anti war movement. I always felt that I was a part of the anti war movement. I after six months in country it was clear to my superiors that I did not support the war. I was assigned a permanent duty building a barbed wire fence around Long Binh. Basically they left me alone.

When I got to SFO I saw a guy and girl coming toward me. I remember telling myself that I was just like them and was only wearing this uniform so I could fly stand-by.

So when the guy came up to my face and spat on me I was really confused. I had no idea what to expect and was only interested in going home to Ohio. I did not react because of being told that we were subject to the UCMJ for 72 hours. This was in March of 1968. What I felt bad about was not because I was spat on, it was because they did see me as one of their own. I felt no animosity toward them.

I never told anyone about that incident because I forgot about it. I was only reminded when I heard the author of the book saying spitting was myth on KPFK. That was over 30 years after it happened. I had no idea that others were saying it happened to them. I never heard anyone (not even Rambo, I hated those movies) talk about it. I could not have made up a story like that because it would never have occurred to me. I would have to be very original to think up something like that. And most of all I saw myself a part of the anti war movement when I got home. I had nothing against the hippies! To this day I wished I had stayed in San Francisco in 1968.

So even though they call me a liar, none of their supporting reasons really apply to me. I never talked about being spit on because I forgot about it. I didn't know others were talking about it until 30 years later. I had nothing against the anti war movement. When I got my draft notice I had lots of friends telling me I should go to Canada. I spent some time thinking about what I should do. I decided to put in my two years and hoped that I would survive to live in the USA and not in Canada as a alien.

Look for a Teahadist to claim zbdent May 2012 #1
He is right but that war was still wrong.n/t hrmjustin May 2012 #2
it's not up to those that serve to decide that DrDan May 2012 #3
Those that returned individually were often targeted at airports by groups that past judgment may3rd May 2012 #11
Coming through SFO in 69 SGMRTDARMY May 2012 #14
I call bullshit on both of you.... Bigmack May 2012 #19
You are wrong. That book doesn't prove it didn't happen and the author said so to me on the upaloopa May 2012 #22
Call bullshit all you want SGMRTDARMY May 2012 #27
I had always thought the stories of returning soliders being maligned (called names or coalition_unwilling May 2012 #34
I really don't think it happened that often SGMRTDARMY May 2012 #38
How did the WW-II vets treat you? ieoeja May 2012 #50
They treated us decently. SGMRTDARMY May 2012 #56
It's still happening Nuclear Unicorn May 2012 #37
I hereby challenge you to provide one link to a post at DU that coalition_unwilling May 2012 #39
Only ONE post? Nuclear Unicorn May 2012 #42
You know something? Citing your own flame-bait OP and responses to it coalition_unwilling May 2012 #44
So, I provide the proof yet an OP meant to honor the troops is "flamebait" Nuclear Unicorn May 2012 #48
Absolutely right! AnotherMcIntosh May 2012 #29
Absolutely wrong SGMRTDARMY May 2012 #31
Why do you want me or anyone else to believe you? AnotherMcIntosh May 2012 #32
You misunderstand me SGMRTDARMY May 2012 #36
1969, huh? Art_from_Ark May 2012 #75
Wow, I hadn't thought of that SGMRTDARMY May 2012 #76
Excuse me, but the "spitting on" or "spitting at" did happen to many. And I think it humblebum May 2012 #46
So, I take it you were following both of those two DU posters around in real life to be able to say apocalypsehow May 2012 #52
I sincerely thank you SGMRTDARMY May 2012 #57
I appreciate. Bullshit like what that poster is peddling needs to be called out, and I have done so apocalypsehow May 2012 #60
Read the book... Bigmack May 2012 #58
I have read it sport, and it's mostly bullshit. For starters, GI's coming straight from combat zones apocalypsehow May 2012 #59
Amazing ain't it SGMRTDARMY May 2012 #63
I put it in quotes... and I earned the fucking right to call bullshit. nt Bigmack May 2012 #65
So putting it in quotes makes it fact? SGMRTDARMY May 2012 #68
Putting it in quotes makes it not plagiarism. And...Yup... I earned that right! nt Bigmack May 2012 #69
Even there he's not being honest: he did not cite his quote, and spent 2/3rd's of his reply typing apocalypsehow May 2012 #71
I ain't reading no book SGMRTDARMY May 2012 #62
"I ain't reading no book"... says a lot. .... Bigmack May 2012 #66
How did I respond SGMRTDARMY May 2012 #67
"Why would I take shit from a civillian? Because he's not calling Vets. liars" ieoeja May 2012 #70
Once again SGMRTDARMY May 2012 #74
Don't bother with the book - it's largely a mass of opinons, and not much substantiation. I believe apocalypsehow May 2012 #72
This Kid RobinA May 2012 #61
I don't think it was a widespread problem SGMRTDARMY May 2012 #64
This message was self-deleted by its author humblebum May 2012 #41
I think you replied to the wrong post. SGMRTDARMY May 2012 #43
My apologies.nt humblebum May 2012 #45
No problem.nt SGMRTDARMY May 2012 #47
you missed my point DrDan May 2012 #20
Honour them... Brooklyn Dame May 2012 #4
More than lip service needed LiveNudePolitics May 2012 #5
As a Vietnam vet I say thats nice but I really don't care about a lost reception decades ago. HereSince1628 May 2012 #6
From an AP story today (just posted it), this fact jumped out - "230,000 new claims from Vietnam sad sally May 2012 #16
my brother in law is in his last few months of his life madrchsod May 2012 #18
denigrated most by leaders who sent them off to die in the first place Alamuti Lotus May 2012 #7
+1. bemildred May 2012 #8
Sly Stalone, a Rambo pretend vet who pretended to have been spat upon so he could be a victim AnotherMcIntosh May 2012 #9
Thanks for your story, it needs to be heard. freshwest May 2012 #10
many people dodged the draft in various ways may3rd May 2012 #12
I don't mind draft-dogers. But draft-dodging chicken-hawks gets to me. AnotherMcIntosh May 2012 #13
The controversy about Bush is the '72 and '73 period when he was in Alabama. former9thward May 2012 #15
"McCain did not crash five planes"? Another good story ruined by the facts. AnotherMcIntosh May 2012 #17
Yup. The Admiral's son only lost 3 jets. The other two don't qualify. ieoeja May 2012 #51
He's probably the only one who crashed a plane in flight school and still be allowed to fly. AnotherMcIntosh May 2012 #55
There weren't that many actual "draft dodgers." In the sense of being drafted and then finding a yellowcanine May 2012 #73
I wonder when you came home and where. I was treated like shit when I came home in 1968. upaloopa May 2012 #23
Others have had experiences similar to both of ours. AnotherMcIntosh May 2012 #24
Well the people who wrote the books weren't there. upaloopa May 2012 #26
For claification, the similar experience = some say that it happened while others not only say AnotherMcIntosh May 2012 #30
Well I am not trying to convince you of anything or make you say anything you don't want to upaloopa May 2012 #33
Thank You SGMRTDARMY May 2012 #40
Sorry to be extending this out but I always wanted to say this. I seems real funny to me that upaloopa May 2012 #49
Bartender told great stories about his service in Vietnam and as a Chicago cop. ieoeja May 2012 #53
There's so many fakers. Some are better than others. AnotherMcIntosh May 2012 #54
I came through SFO in 69 from my first tour when a bunch SGMRTDARMY May 2012 #28
I think all Vietnam vets (except maybe Westmoreland and Abrams) were victims of the coalition_unwilling May 2012 #35
rewriting history. GeorgeGist May 2012 #21
K&R mollerjay May 2012 #25
When I returned in 68 The Wizard May 2012 #77
Well said SGMRTDARMY May 2012 #78
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