A friend sent me this…
Imagine my surprise recently when I picked up a copy of the Wall Street Journal here in Japan, to find a photo of two Vietnamese former army personnel standing in front of a sculpture in Hanoi, made from parts of American aircraft shot down during the Vietnam War on the front page. This was the method the Journal used to remind their readers that it was 34 years ago that America ended it's involvement in Vietnam, the war had come to an end, and the evacuation of Saigon was completed. I'm not sure why that photo drew my attention, nor do I know why I instinctively purchased this particular copy of the Journal. The one thing that has been roaming around in the back of my brain recently is the fact that it WAS 34 years ago when this all happened. These "memories" started while trying to get out of Travis AFB Space A recently. While waiting to do so, I visited their base museum. I hadn't been to Travis since early 1975 when I too, had gotten on one of those USAF C-141's headed back to Vietnam for my third tour. It was this trip through the Travis museum that probably made me more "aware" of the time line. I'm also not sure why all of this has "come back" with the viewing of this Wall Street Journal photo. But it did, and I just "needed" to write about it and forward the attached "item" that I saw while at Travis, which drove home the reality that this was a "long" time ago and we lived it, fortunately or unfortunately as the case may be.
It is also a hellva comparison between our treatment and the treatment of the kids coming home today…
Thankfully, John Q. Public is PROUD of the kids today!!! Here is the item he sent…
The Department of Veterans Affairs estimates that 20,000 Vietnam veterans have committed suicide in the wars aftermath. This figure will always bear repeating.
The greatest defeat that the United States has suffered in any war was the failure to overcome the attitude of coldness, and indifference, with which Americans shunned most of those returning veterans. Let us never forget the men and women who served our country so valiantly and at such cost in the difficult, much repudiated and unforgettable Vietnam War.
Let us now continue our journey from the center of Vietnam to back home where your country awaits you.
Some may have seen this, some may not have…
This is one of the recovery methods for the SEAL teams use… Chinook water hover (note Chinooks DO NOT have flotation)
John Q. Public (that would include me) just has no idea, do they??
Thank you for your service.
Most folks nowadays have no idea how Viet Nam vets were treated. Service members used to get airfare discounts by going stand-by. We had to be in uniform to do so.
I was at Randolph AFB outside San Antonio when I was told my Brother-in-law had died. I left SA on a short hop to Dallas where I was to catch another flight to St. Louis. I arrived in Dallas just in time to see my St. Louis flight take off so I went to the desk to get on the next flight. All are full, I was told. I would have to wait for a standby seat.
There I sat waiting for a seat. The first flight left. The second flight left. On the third flight some six hours later, I saw three civilians boarding standby. When I went to the desk to see when I would board, the female clerk tore up my boarding pass and called a cop complaining I was harassing her.
I spent the next four hours in the airport security office while my commander was called, and my leave status verified. Finally, a Dallas police office put me in a car and took me to Love field Air Guard office and dumped me there. Fortunately, the detachment commander was there and after some discussion, they scheduled a “short notice training” mission to Scott AFB outside St. Louis and I was able to hop on that flight.
I arrived just in time to attend my Brother-in-law’s funeral after spending twenty-two hours in transit that usually took four hours.
I hate transiting through Dallas to this day.
Jim this post hits close to home. Let’s just say I saw first hand what it was like for a soldier to return from Nam. It was bad enough the horrible things that were endured in that country, but to come home and be treated with such disrepect was unfathomable. Those 20,000 who died after the war were just as much a casualty of the war as those who perished overseas.
Susannah- At least today the response is MUCH more supportive. Many have “buried” the treatment we received, because now they realize how wrong it was. I’m lucky, I came home, 58000 didn’t and 20000 more died here as a result…
Crucis- I remember…
FF- They were, but their names will never make the Wall, although I believe they should be up there too!
I missed Viet Nam by about 6 months. I was 17 when Saigon fell but a very good friend of mine told me that when he returned he came through San Francisco. As he walked through the gates protesters spit on him. He was spit on for serving his country. My cousin died from exposure to agent orange. That war took a toll that still lives with this country.
That Chinook driver is one hell of a chopper pilot.
I know and hated the way the maggots treated our brave troops coming home form Viet Nam. We more more to the men and women in uniform than we could ever repay. Thank-You for your service. And God Bless you and keep you safe.
KLR- I was setting off Saigon April 15, 1975 ‘directing’ traffic… I was spit on and had fake blood thrown on me at SFO. And yes, we are still living with the aftermath! That is why so many of us from those days are making sure WE go out of our way to thank the kids…
Ride Fast- Yep 🙂
Fuzzy- Thanks…
Excellent post NFO.
Great clip of some true professionals.
ADM- That they are- and pretty much unrecognized… The SBS guys, the helo guys never get the credit that goes to the SEALS, but without those folks, the SEALS wouldn’t get there.
I had high-school and college friends who went to Nam.
Some didn’t come home.
Some came home badly wounded.
ALL who came home were suffering.
I remember seeing new footage showing “people” spitting on these guys, throwing blood on them, calling them unspeakable names. I’ve rarely been so mad in my life.
Thank you all, who served.
Drjim- you are correct…dammit…