Vietnam veterans--the greatest generation of vets.

[Recluse]

Vietnam veterans--the greatest generation of vets (http://gunsnplanes.blogspot.com/2011/06/vietnam-veterans-greatest-generation-of.html)

Various reasons I feel this way, but after a lot of discussions with fellow veterans from all eras of service, we're pretty much of a same mind.

I'll warn you now that I dropped the f-bomb in there once. Those of you who were in SE Asia will understand exactly why when you read what precipitated it.

This USAF vets salutes you, and thanks you.

:coffee:

[Dean D.]

+1 and well said J.D.

[exile]

I am too young to have served in Vietnam, and not physically able to serve in any capacity in the armed forces, but I did attend school with many Vietnam Veterans. I found them to be great guys who served their country with distinction, pride and a sense of humor.

I discussed this at one time with my 90 year old father-in-law, and told him how horrible I thought our Vietnam Veterans are treated. Having served in the Philippines for 2 1/2 years, he got quiet, his eyes teared up, and he said,

"People do not understand how hard it is to fight an enemy in the jungle that you cannot see. I feel for those guys."

Coming from him, that is high praise.

(By the way, my mother-in-law also served as an Army nurse, 1941-1945, and her lot was not easy either I imagine.)

Every time I hear the term "greatest generation" I cringe. Men and women in the armed forces in this country have always served with integrity, no matter what the conflict. There are popular wars and unpopular ones, but our men and women always serve selflessly.

My heart goes out to those serving overseas now, and to those who survived to come home to a sometimes ungrateful nation.

(I just got a call today from a buddy today, whose son is a Marine, and was just named Marine of the Quarter at Camp Pendelton. He was so proud. So the tradition continues and as long as that is true, there is hope for this country.)

Thanks for your service, and I hope you don't mind an opinion on the subject from a civilian.

exile

[missionary5155]

Good morning
Well said... Any American who is willing to give a part or all of thier life for our country is part of the greatest group of vets.
Last thing an E6 said to us as we were waiting for a "Flying Tigers" ride home was "Troop, if they are waiting for you in the airport and throw something or spit on you, do not.. I repeat do not react as an undisciplined mob".
Mike in Peru (Armor 71-74)

[Larry Gibson]

+ another on "well said".

Larry Gibson

[Carolina Cast Bullets]

+1 Well said J.D This Navy Veteran is in total agreement with every word, even the F bomb. Seems there is a time/place for that and this article is one of them.

My Father was US Army in WW2 and he never said a word about it until one day after my Mother had passed away and he was living alone. I had given up my work/life in Texas to return to GA to care for him. I was home watching a documentary on TV about the concentration camp at Birkenau outside of Munich. He came in, looked at the TV and did something different; he sat down and watched quietly for a moment or two. I looked over and saw tears rollinng down his face. I aske him and he said, "I was there. That is real."

I didnt ask for more details. Until that day, I had never heard any of the things he had to say about WW2.

RIP Dad

Jerry
Carolina Cast Bullets

[462]

Thank, Recluse, and a snappy hand-salute back to you.

It wasn't till I turned 45 that I finally came to grips with my year (volunteered) at Phan Rang Air Base. Today, that year holds more meaningful than any other.

Viet Nam was a just cause.

[Echo]

We vets are truly a band of brothers. Many of us (not me) bear scars and disabilities from our service - most, maybe all, of us lost friends and family in conflict, and I submit that we have used those losses to dedicate our own lives to upholding the oaths that we took regarding the Constitution, that we have not renounced.

[quilbilly]

A few months after the evacuation of Saigon which ended my 2+ tours of duty, I happened to be in Singapore reading their newspaper, the Straits Times, in Raffles Hotel when I ran across an article about a meeting of the leaders of all the SE Asian nations.
Apparently the Vietnam leaders came and were strutting around like peacocks but were laughed out of the meeting by the reps from the other countries. The other leaders told the Vietnamese that they were no longer relevant to SE Asia. By bleeding them dry with the war, the U.S. had rendered them economically irrelevant and no longer a threat to the rest of SE Asia. The Vietnamese tucked tail and left the meeting in humiliation.
I may not have liked the way that conflict ended or the way it was conducted but I learned there is more than one way to win. Making your enemy irrelevant is another.
Cheers to all of my fellow vets - Quilbilly

[1Shirt]

10-4 from one who was spit on in uniform! Will never forget!
1Shirt!:coffee:

[Tom-ADC]

Yep, well written, been there and done that a few times from 65 to 71.

[lbaize3]

Recluse, I added a comment to your well written and thought provoking article. Good on ya, my friend, Good on ya!

[gray wolf]

Thank you JD

[captaint]

Great article Recluse. Flying Tigers, that brings back some memories. I went over on Flying Tigers and came back via Pan Am. Great article again. And of course, you're correct!!! Mike

[canyon-ghost]

A Viet Nam Veteran does not need to be my friend. He will never owe me anything. I will always address him as Sir.

Class of 74
Ron

[Rocky Raab]

I didn't read the article, but allow me to opine a bit.

My main quibble with the phrase "The Greatest Generation" is that it slights all other veterans. As far as I'm concerned, those who raise their right hands and pledge their life to support and defend the Constitution are the Greatest PART of ANY Generation. That was never more true than today, with our all-volunteer force.

As to Vietnam vets in particular, it may be inappropriate for me to judge because I am one. But we and the Korean vets have the distinction of not only going into combat for our country, but doing it when many back home actively undermined our commitment. Doing your duty when everyone cheers you is admirable, but doing your duty while you are being reviled for it may be seen as even more admirable.

Either way, I'm damned proud to have served, and salute anybody who did likewise, anywhere, anytime, and in any capacity.

[Sensai]

No need for me to say a thing, Rocky Raab said it better than I could. I was a MedEvac helicopter pilot in Vietnam, and saw first hand the sacrifices made by our troops. The act of raising your right hand and taking that oath, raises you above those who don't in ANY generation. Our volunteers serving in the military now amaze and awe this old cavalryman. They have my total respect. By the way, when I served in wars (excuse me, police actions) I never really wanted to kill anyone it was just part of my duty; but when I was greeted in Oakland by those miscreants, I changed my mind.

[Rocky Raab]

Gary, my brother, when I stepped off that plane after about 20 sleepless, cramped hours and a guy spat on me, I darn near lost it. What I actually did was to get nose-to-nose with that guy and yell at him, "Spit again, you piece of ****. I just spent a year killing people. One more isn't gonna matter to me."

He went kinda white and ran off.

[Frank46]

Recluse thanks for your post. I was on my way home from the philadelphia naval shipyard and got spit while in uniform. two burly NYc police officers said to me "on your way son, we'll take care of this" And so off I went. However that same day I went to the local deli to get some food. this deli was owned by a german couple. George was behind the counter and asked if I was home for good. I said yes and he went to the beer cooler and pulled out a quart bottle of german beer and said thanks. I thanked him as well. Frank

[Idaho Sharpshooter]

Hmmmmmmmmm...

Served in an Army Ranger Company for twenty-five months and ten days in RVN, and I just now find out that the "FTA" logo on those decks of cards did NOT mean "Fun, Travel & Adventure" or the more appropriate "F--- The Army?"

My second tour, I went thru McChord on the way home on leave, and had the opportunity of running a little close order drill on three scrotes at the airport. I spent the rest of my time waiting for my flight in the VIP Lounge while two of Seattle's Finest cleaned the mess up and called for medical transport.
Some people didn't learn what the CIB was until afterwards.

Rich

[starreloader]

Thanks Recluse... Most of us did get ourselves together and went on to be very productive, starting families and moving on with our lives.

My return home was slightly different then most of the Viet Nam Vets.. I came home in '68 to a country that I didn't know.. 28 days after I got back from across "the pond" I was on the streets of Washington, DC in full combat gear with a fully loaded weapon.. I came home to a war in this country.. I will never forget marching up Constitution Avenue at 10 o'clock at night and hearing all the sirens and other things going on.... My squad was positioned at Dupont Circle for 5 days and nights with orders to not let anyone pass through unless they were police or other military personell... This was America then, and it sure wasn't what I remembered....

[shdwlkr]

Recluse
i was one of those that it never happened to the rotten food, the spitting and general mistreatment of anyone in uniform. I also remember being called a baby killer.
Yep never happened as you said in your article My a********* I watched as friends also got the same treatment and we went to a bar that has long since been torn down where one of the guys dad worked we had no money and just sat there talking when this old guy came in and saw us there and could smell us to so you have an idea of what was thrown our way and put some money on the bar and said when that was gone to keep giving us what we wanted and he would settle up with our friend's dad who was the bar tender.
We asked who the guy was and all our friend's dad would tell us was that we had done well by not doing anything but walking away when the people treated us so badly.
Now the rest of the story my friend's dad was a vet he worked on the b-52's as a crew chief they didn't fly without his permission and many an officer learned the hard way when he said no it meant no.
This guy who came in and put the money down was a very respected WWII vet that no one in the area that knew him argued with him. We were young didn't know many of the old guys but we saw this guy and many a time we paid for his meal, drink and what ever and disappeared before he knew so we thought. the last time I ever saw him he walked in and sat down next to me asked if I was free or tied and I told him I was still tied. He asked if anyone would ever know what I really did for my country and I told him no I had taken care of that and he just sat there with tears running down his face and said what have we done that our soldiers would rather have no one know but God what they endured.
I can babble all I want and you can neither prove me right or wrong unless our paths crossed and you know by what name I was known when. Why because what I did was good for some and bad for many was it right I don't know as I did what my country asked of me nothing more or less. I walked away after 7 years and was up for First Sargent so you be the judge as if you were enlisted and served you know they did not give that rank out to just anybody.
Later my friends and fellow brothers and sisters who know the smell of gunsmoke and smell of napalm and burning flesh. The screaming of those hurt and dying and most of the stupidity of it all

[twotrees]

R.C.Brown
SSgt USAF 1965-1973

After that there was no point.

[1Shirt]

Like Rocky's posts! Even if he was an officer!
1Shirt!:coffeecom

[another gsxr 1k]

As has been said by others.
Thank You, Thank You, to each and every one of you that raised your right hand and took the Oath, and for all you've endured.
Maybe it means something a little bit different to me. Coming from someone that is one generation removed from the Viet Nam era, and also as the first natural born U.S. citizen in my family.
I'm also proud to be able to call myself a veteran.

Thank you, each and every one of you.


Ryan

U.S. Coast Guard 1988-1994