Appreciating our Vietnam veterans

To a generation of Americans, the Vietnam War era is a dark chapter in U.S. history. The mid-1960s to early 1970s, when U.S. involvement in Vietnam was most intense, was a turbulent period. The country seemed divided like it had not been since the Civil War 100 years earlier. Unprecedented numbers of people questioned whether American lives should be risked in battlefields. Some young Americans resisted the call from Uncle Sam to serve in the armed forces.

Over nine million Americans were on active military duty during the Vietnam War. Of those, 2,709,918 served in Vietnam. Nearly 60,000 never made it home alive. Approximately 75,000 returned to the U.S. severely disabled.

According to Capt. Marshall Hanson, USNR (Ret.) and Capt. Scott Beaton as cited in the US Wings website, 85 percent of Vietnam veterans made successful transitions to civilian life. Also, 91 percent say they are glad they served and 74 percent say they would serve again (even knowing the outcome). Still, it took years for many Americans to fully appreciate the sacrifice of Vietnam veterans.

Among those who served in Vietnam are volunteers at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial and Vietnam Era Museum & Educational Center in Holmdel, N.J. In addition to answering questions and providing guided tours, these veterans share information about the war and their time in Vietnam with 8,000-10,000 high school students who each year visit the museum, the only one of its kind in the U.S. What the veterans have to say is sometimes difficult for fellow Americans to hear.

During a recent visit to the memorial and museum, I heard one volunteer recall a woman not wanting to sit next to a returning Vietnam veteran on a plane because he was a "baby killer." Another museum volunteer said he told people he was stationed in Germany rather than Vietnam for 20 years afterward because of the hostility he faced. Other volunteers remembered being yelled at by anti-war protesters.

I also heard a volunteer say he feels closer to other veterans at the memorial and museum than his own brother and childhood friends. That's because of the experience and passion they share to educate young people about the Vietnam War. As I left, I thanked one of the volunteers for not only the interesting tour and information he shared with me, but for his duty in Vietnam.

The great majority of Vietnam veterans are now well past 60 years old.  Let's hope they can live their "golden years" knowing that Americans appreciate their service during a difficult time in our country.

After the election

Yesterday was sunny, unseasonably warm.
Outside our door, we could see surfers riding the waves.

“We can’t lose, it’s election day
We can choose, it's election day
The sun is gonna rise
The stars are gonna fly”
— from Election Day, by Walter Salas-Humara and Sam Bisbee, 2011

Today is damp, autumn-like cool.
Outside our door, we can see surfers riding the waves.