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Outstanding!
Understands that "Walking the Walk" is what earns credibility.![]()
Back in the day, when there was a draft and college / apprentice program deferments, some misguided people on the anti-draft side felt that opposing the choices the volunteers / draftees was somehow a show of morality. In my opinion, it was just misguided rationalization by young people who were desperate to avoid the war. Their actions were wrong.
Somebody thanked me to my face this morning. First time. 42 years.
Yeah, I remember all of that stuff. Enlisted shortly there after. It caused family problems like crazy when I told my parents I wanted to sign up. Lost some friendships within hours of my enlistment too.
My first taste of verbal abuse while I was in uniform was more of a smell than a taste. I recall two of my fellow medics came back from getting a bite to eat and told us that a young mother pointed at them and said to her child that the two men in uniform were baby killers. My personal experiences started shortly after that. Looking back, I can see it was a way for people to voice displeasure about the political policies that had been recently in place, but considering we not shipping troops to southeast Asia anymore, it did not make any sense.
I don't understand how anyone can be against those who serve our great country, and yet, I still see it happening today. Being against our politicians and foreign policies, I can understand that, but not against the troops. I just don't get it.
How did it feel?
Who are these people that are against the folks in the mlitary? Are there actually hostile actions and comments? Could you describe the interactions?
Who are these people that are against the folks in the mlitary? Are there actually hostile actions and comments? Could you describe the interactions?
I don't mean to pry, but I work in the DoD world near a very large University.....with lots of academic - uniformed interaction. Yes, it is two different career paths, but I don't see hostility.
It makes a big difference if you have the chance to speak with these parents and explain that they should be proud that their son or daughter has a willingness to step up and protect our country when we use a volunteer army. In the past, when speaking to the parents, I tried to make sure they realize their child has been raised to look at something greater than their own life and that parents and offspring, should both be commended.
36654 compare and contrast. In 1968 when my brother came home from his second tour as an SF officer in Vietnam he had to catch a cab from Travis AFB to a local airport. A man in a business suit saw him sitting in the cab and walked across the street to spit on him through the window. Even when I entered the Army in 1975 and the war was nearly over, I was greeted with shouts of "baby killer" when travelling in in uniform. Move ahead to 1991. I am leading the advance party for my Brigade's return from Iraq. At every stop, including in Sicily, Dublin, Bangor, New York and KC I was greated by crowds of local residents, cheering, providing home made meals and in Dublin my first cold beer in many a long day. My neighborhood held a block party for my family and local kids made small gifts that I still have. The impact of the vial response our vets got back in the 60-70s is hard to understand unless you were exposed to the ignorance that was was so common in those days. Tom and I have a somewhat different response to Veteran's Day largely due to the huge difference in which our efforts were initially recognized. During the Vietnam war the people of our country came to hate the war and revile those they sent, forced to go in many cases, to fight in it even as 300 or more soldiers were dying in-country every week in 1968. Thankfully, today even as support for the current fights has wanned, support for the troops has remained high.
Talked with many a mom and dad as their child was being commissioned. Never met one that felt the nation was worth their child's life. I commissioned my own daughter and I felt the same way. The key point is whether or not parents can bring themselves to believe the nation is worth risking their child's life. Heaven help us if we ever need to raise a truely large military, because the number of those that think the nation is worth the risk seems to be shrinking.
But I leave it to historians and pundits wiser than me to guess whether it was more important to locate, identify, and interfere with Soviet intelligence and jamming flights during the cold war or to fight the North Vietnamese and others in Southeast Asia. I certainly do know which was the more pleasant duty.
Not to mention tracking Santa's progress every Christmas Eve.
Talked with many a mom and dad as their child was being commissioned. Never met one that felt the nation was worth their child's life. I commissioned my own daughter and I felt the same way. The key point is whether or not parents can bring themselves to believe the nation is worth risking their child's life. Heaven help us if we ever need to raise a truly large military, because the number of those that think the nation is worth the risk seems to be shrinking.
A huge THANK YOU from our house to all who served. Have a nice Veterans Day.
True, thankfully true. My point, though not well made, is that the damage that was done 40 -45 years ago cannot be undone. We lost more men and women in month back then the we have since 2001. People came home badly damaged and were abused again. Some shall be ever suspect of celebrations such as Veterans Day and Memorial Day.
I understand the anger from those that experienced it, but those guys are now, at least, in their early sixties.