I remember one fine morning in Vietnam in 1970.......

[DemoVet]

when my company commander ordered me to lead a 5-man patrol down a trail, after we had already found evidence of very recent NVA activity along the trail. Being a good soldier, I complied, even though I didn't think that staying on the trail was such a good idea at that point....
But, just imagine if instead...

Me: Uh, sir?
Captain K____: Yes, private?
Me: You know, I don't think I can stay and lead this patrol.
Captain K____: Why not?
Me: Well, I've been offered a job renting surfboards and playing water volleyball with beautiful topless models in Tahiti and I don't think I'll have time to do that AND lead this patrol. I've already talked to the division commander about it and he says it's okay. I know I should have asked you first, but you tend to expect me to do my job here and I knew you'd say no. Oh, did I mention that I'm the son of a congressman?
Captain K____: Only about every 5 minutes. Well, okay, if you have to go. I guess we can get by with 4 men, even if we do run into an ambush in the next 30 seconds.
Me: Thanks, and before you go, would you mind calling in a bird for me? I've got a flight out of Tan Son Nhut in about three hours and I'd like to shower and change and pack and stuff, have a few beers, kick back, you know...
Captain: I'm on it. While you're waiting for your plane, would you mind calling my wife and telling her that my last thoughts were of her and our children?
Me: No problem, Dai-uy, glad to....gotta go, bird's inbound.

Hey, I'd still have my left leg...

[Vickers]

1. Funny and heartbreaking and nominated

:thumbsup:

[GreenPartyVoter]

2. Agreed on all points

[onecitizen]

4. ditto #1&#2

it makes me sick when I think of bush running around having fun and not even giving you guys another thought.
Don't cha wonder if that EVER crossed his mind? Wouldn't you love to ask the dweeb face to face? I know I would.

[JohnnyRingo]

3. I've recently heard the notion advanced that Buxh completed his...

...six year commitment early. (on Crossfire)
As if he somehow merited being passed on more quickly through superior service.

While not a vet...I'm old enough to remember that the National Guard didn't work that way. Two weekends a month, and two weeks a year at camp for six years.....or your ass WAS on the next C141 to SE Asia.

Rewriting history.

on edit:
I'm very sorry you were one of the less fortunate survivors of that unfortunate era. A war that didn't have to be.
We should never forget the lessons learned in Viet Nam.

[DemoVet]

7. Actually, I'm very fortunate

I'm still here, love my life and my family, probably more than I would have otherwise. From this perspective, getting injured was a bump in the road. It breaks my heart, though, that the sacrifices of all of us were for a lie. And it absolutely enrages me that this country has allowed this great slaughter of Iraqis and Americans in the service of a lie and that a majority of the citizens of this country were too scared or lazy or morally challenged to prevent this from happening. I think this will be a fault line in this country for years to come, but that's what the regime wants, isn't it?

[JohnnyRingo]

9. Very well put....I'm glad you were able to adapt.

I'm sure many could not.

[Merlin]

18. Welcome home, Bro.

It's an honor to have you aboard.

(Army Artillery - Americal - 1968-70)

[AbbeyRoad]

5. Yes, you're right

I watched the 60 Minutes piece last night where the Bush spokesperson defended Bush's duty evading actions by basically saying "Look, he called and made his excuses. What more could he do?" The arrogance in that attitude is stunning.

I was born right at the end of the Vietnam war, so it's a learning experience every day that I hear more stories from courageous people like you who lived it firsthand. Thank you.

[miss_kitty]

6. thanks for your service, man.

a lot of of did not appreciate it at the time, but that's what's great about growing up, being open-minded and learning a thing or two.

again, thanks.

[JimmyJazz]

8. Can we have your opinion?

Dear Demovet: The Republicans did everything they could to get John McCain to say that he was worse off as a POW because of the anti-war statements John Kerry made when he returned home from the war. John McCain would not say that was accurate. Fox News, of course, found someone who would say that he heard John Kerry's statements while in captivity and that the statements were used against him as a POW (sorry, but I missed his name). Amazing. Anyway, even though you weren't a POW, could you please opine on this matter? I am very interested in your opinion.


Also, I have a theory: I believe people commit atrocities against others during wartime (whether Vietnam or Iraq) because, we first dehumanize them. We attach derogatory names to them and think of them as something other than human - We call them gooks or krauts or other such hateful names. Once they are dehumanized, anything is possible (human naked pyramids, My Lai, slavery, etc.). What are your thoughts?

[DemoVet]

10. First, I think it's unlikely that a POW in Hanoi heard Kerry's statement

or that it was used against them. If true, why haven't more POW's come forward? I doubt that it would only have been used against one POW, more would have heard this, and in this climate the republicans would have been trotting them out on a daily basis. In any case, Kerry wanted the US to get out of Vietnam, which would have freed the POW's sooner, so in a big way he was on their side.
I agree that dehumanizing our enemy tends to make it easier to kill them, and when your enemy could be anyone, as in Vietnam ( and now Iraq as well) this now would extend to innocent civilians as well as enemy soldiers and insurgents. My Lai was a particarly horrible example, with Calley and others shooting women and children as they knelt on the ground (Calley and Colin Powell were both in the 23rd or Americal Division). We are now bombing in crowded urban areas so presumably civilians as well as insurgents are being killed, which is bad enough, but so far there have been no massacres by ground troops, although I'm sure there are a lot of the same fears and frustrations among the ground troops in Iraq as there were in Vietnam. I only hope that they are able to maintain their professionalism and honor in the face of what is becoming a thankless task, as did the vast majority of those of us who served in Vietnam. I would also hope that those of us who disagreed with this war remember that though the war is unworthy of them, our soldiers are worthy of our respect and support as long as they behave professionally and honorably.

[JimmyJazz]

17. The soldiers have our respect.

I did not agree with the politics of the Vietnam war, but I vehemently disagreed with those who taunted soldiers upon their return. I agree with you that those who opposed the war helped shorten it. We also need to remember, at such a crucial time in history, that it was the youth of America who brought about this change. We seem to overlook how powerful they can be as a group -- we need them now.

I honour and respect you for serving and, in fact, still wear my POW bracelet to remind myself not only of the sacrifice of the man (boy, actually) whose name is inscribed upon it, but of your sacrifice as well. Thank you.

[PA Democrat]

11. What bothers me the most is the unbelievable ARROGANCE

that Bush showed in expecting to walk away from his cushy Guard commitment while so many others were dying in the jungles of Vietnam. How many of the guys whose names appear below were given that option?

[shraby]

12. Send that to Chris Matthew

and a few others.

[msmcghee]

13. A friend who was in the guard back then and was having . .

. . some very serious psychological problems dealing with being part of the war effort. He missed a couple of meetings and was picked up by the the local cop (who was also in his unit and had asked permission to go get him) one Sunday morning, hauled him off to the Fort McArthur brig - and then sentenced him to the locked down mental ward at the VA hospital for several months. (Think One Flew Over the Cookoo's Nest)

He finally got a discharge. I don't remember the type. But nobody suggested he could get out early for personal reasons. And they never spent a million bucks of our tax money to train him to fly either.

[Tsiyu]

14. Kick for Viet Nam Vets

:kick:

[Dem_Loyalist]

15. Very cool!

I mean I hear the shrub doesnt ever even go to veterans funerals!!!

[mr_du04]

16. yeah the SOB is to busy

to go to any of the funerals of the young men and woman who he personaly killed. I don't even think he even bothered to visit any of the wounded either.