Reply #13: I have a close friend who was in VN

[frogcycle]

(I was 4f or this might be first person).

He has never said much about it. All I know is he was shot and sent stateside, but spent about a year in the hosp where psych issues were taken, and is classified as a disabled vet despite no signs of physical impairment.

He goes to DC every year for Veteran's Day. He visits the Wall (he knew a dozen or so of the names), and just sort of roams the sidewalks in the area. He meets other vets, they find a bench and sit down and talk for a while.

He is, by the way, the finest human being I have ever known, both before and after VN.

I think his trips to DC have helped him, but I suspect they have helped others as well. I encourage you to try to "face the Wall."

I have visited twice. I only knew three of them personally. It is an incredible experience. Even I had trepidation, so can certainly understand yours. But walking down that sloping sidewalk, something happens. I am not religious, but the best description I can come up with is a feeling of entering sacred ground. It is gut-wrenching, but cathartic. Somehow, that "feeling" seems to bring a semblance of closure. They are honored there forever, and visiting is a way of affirming that. And those who came back alive are likewise honored. You deserve that.