DU War Veterans, another question

[HEyHEY]

I was talking to the guy next door today, he's a vet of the Canadian navy and also went to be a medic for the Marines in Vietnam.
He was upset about the local schools inviting vets in to talk about the war. He says "It's not a veterans job."
And thinks it should be on the shoulders of teachers...ect.

I think his problem is that he feels it kinda of exploits vets and can give the false image that war is a glorious to young men.

So, do you agree with him or not? Why?

[Spinzonner]

1. An invitation is not a job or an obligation

it's an opportunity.

If he doesn't feel it's his role or isn't comfortable doing it, he doesn't need to and shouldn't be expected to by anyone.

Teachers can only (largely) speak to the curriculum and that is subject to all kinds of political pressures and highly sanitized.

Veterans who were there can speak to the realities of war itself and not the idealistic and abstract things to be usually found in the textbooks and associated lectures.

[malmapus]

2. I agree Spin

I think its an opportunity, not something you would catch me doing as I don't even talk to my family yet about what I went though (and its been 10 years now).

[Sparkly]

3. Many don't like talking about their experiences in war.

Many veterans never want to talk about it.

[malmapus]

4. Many don't but some do

Just thought of my uncle who was in Vietnam. He would sometimes break out and tell us how he lost his company's mail when it fell out of the Huey, or when a buddy accidentially ran him over with a jeep (thank god it was right after or during the monsoon and all it did was push him down in mud).

But at times I will forget myself and start talking about mundane stuff I did or saw. I mean for all the shit there were lighter moments. But all too often for me still those are way overshadowed by the crap that I'm still dealing with after these years.

[CornField]

5. As a parent, I'd hope the school would alert me first

I've had both the fortune and misfortune of interviewing many veterans over the years. I've been told things that continue to infest my worst nightmares (lamp shades made of human skin is a frequent flyer).

I wouldn't mind a veteran coming to speak about a country he or she visited or to discuss the job in general. I would not, however, want a veteran sharing "war stories" with my children. My primary function in life is to protect them and I hope they never have to witness the horrors of war, first-hand or word-of-mouth.

[pleiku52cab]

6. Don't know how old these school children are

but it's been over 35 years now, and I don't have the slightest idea what I could tell these students, how I feel about it in retrospect, nor would I feel comfortable answering any questions. Thats why most Nam vets speak so little about it except to other vets. P.S. Usually when you hear someone shooting his mouth off about Nam or offering to recount his 'experiences' about it, you can almost be sure he spent his time as a pencil pusher in Germany, Korea, or here at home.