This weekend I went to Washington DC. And while I was there I took time out to go see the Vietnam memorial. Now for those of you who don't know, my dad is a Marine who served in Vietnam. He served 2 years in the Marine 1st Division, fighting in the rice paddies, carrying his machine gun. And when the call of "guns up" went out, up to the frontline he went. he did receive a purple heart, but thankfully he came home, unlike the hundreds of thousands who were killed or are POWs and MIAs.
Paragraph.
And what did my father come home to? A country full of people who hated him. People protesting, telling him he was wrong for serving his country. Many, Many men who served in Vietnam came home to nothing, and no one willing to help them. many were drug addicts that smoked pot and heroin to help them deal with the death and destruction they saw on a daily basis. There were no psychologists, no treatment for post traumatic stress. They were abandoned by the very people they were fighting for.
And many of them died on the streets, penniless, homeless, soaked in booze and drugs. My father was one of the lucky ones. he had a family that loved him and fully supported him, even if his country did not. And he survived even though it was and still is hard. I remember my dad taking me to see the movie "Platoon"...that was the first time I had ever seen my father cry. And even at the young age I realized my father had seen horrors that I could never comprehend. That through boot camp and training, my dad who had never raised a hand to me, had been trained to kill. And I wondered how he could through all that and still be the great father, husband and now grandfather that he is today.
So once I began to see this, at a young age I became very interested in learning about the Vietnam War and all the politics that went with...which I won't rehash hear. I wanted to learn why people hated my dad and soldiers like him so much, all because they did with their country asked, no demanded they do. Why these very same people were abandoned when they came home. And I got even angrier, especially after the first Gulf War. These men and women were welcomed home as heroes, and deservedly so. it seemed amazing to me that after 20 years, people finally got the idea that you can hate the war, but not the people fighting it. but it was a lesson learned too late for the men and women who served in Vietnam.
Even today, we put yellow ribbons and such out on support of our troops fighting overseas. but how about flying a POW?MIA flag for those lost, who may still be held captive? And asking why the government doesn't spend any resources to try to bring these soldiers back, whether alive or dead. how about instead of bailing out fat cat executives, we bail out these heroes and there families?
And many of them died on the streets, penniless, homeless, soaked in booze and drugs. My father was one of the lucky ones. he had a family that loved him and fully supported him, even if his country did not. And he survived even though it was and still is hard. I remember my dad taking me to see the movie "Platoon"...that was the first time I had ever seen my father cry. And even at the young age I realized my father had seen horrors that I could never comprehend. That through boot camp and training, my dad who had never raised a hand to me, had been trained to kill. And I wondered how he could through all that and still be the great father, husband and now grandfather that he is today.
So once I began to see this, at a young age I became very interested in learning about the Vietnam War and all the politics that went with...which I won't rehash hear. I wanted to learn why people hated my dad and soldiers like him so much, all because they did with their country asked, no demanded they do. Why these very same people were abandoned when they came home. And I got even angrier, especially after the first Gulf War. These men and women were welcomed home as heroes, and deservedly so. it seemed amazing to me that after 20 years, people finally got the idea that you can hate the war, but not the people fighting it. but it was a lesson learned too late for the men and women who served in Vietnam.
Even today, we put yellow ribbons and such out on support of our troops fighting overseas. but how about flying a POW?MIA flag for those lost, who may still be held captive? And asking why the government doesn't spend any resources to try to bring these soldiers back, whether alive or dead. how about instead of bailing out fat cat executives, we bail out these heroes and there families?
I brought a bracelet with the name of a manwho is still MIA. he is the same age as my dad and it makes me wonder...was he married? Does he now have kids and grandkids even? Does his family still hold out hope for him? How do they feel when they see our government refusing to do anything to find him?
My dad still doesn't talk about the war too much. As I've gotten older I've heard more stories. But when I look in his eyes I can see there is so much more that he doesn't tell. and now 40 years later he is finally being treated for PTSD, like alot of men who fought and made it through. And again he is one of the lucky ones to have made such a good life for himself, as have many others.
And there is a lesson for all of us to learn...I saw this at one of the memorials and it is very true, "freedom is not free". And we all need to keep that in mind. Hate the wars, hate the politics, but don't hate the men and women paying the price for that freedom. We must support all our troops. the ones fighting now, the ones that fought years and years ago, and the ones that never made it home.
And while you're at it, write to Congress, write to the powers that be and ask, no demand, that everything that can possibly be done is tried to bring home those POWs and MIAs.
And while you're at it, write to Congress, write to the powers that be and ask, no demand, that everything that can possibly be done is tried to bring home those POWs and MIAs.
And I'll end this by saying thank you dad. Thank you for the sacrifices you made. Thank you for teaching me to have and show pride in our soliders. Siemper Fi dad.
I also want to dedicate this to the family of Major Leonard Robertson, USMC of North Port, NY...who went MIA on May 7th 1972...may he be found and brought home to his family.
I also want to dedicate this to the family of Major Leonard Robertson, USMC of North Port, NY...who went MIA on May 7th 1972...may he be found and brought home to his family.
RSS Feed