Vietnam Vets

[z-hag]

there have been policies amde since then that have positively affected the abovementioned reactions from returned vets--no other language than english in hospitals ---worked well.

 

 

my dad liberated the ss headquarters flag in berlin ----------still has it.....

 

it is all good if folks remember to be humane--treat each other well--it all works out.........

[A. G. Olphart]

I was drafted in that era and was supposed to go directly to Nam. I was trained as a combat field medic at Fort Sam Houston in Texas. A combat medic's life span in Nam at that time was supposedly two weeks. Out of 243 people in my class, all went to Nam except eight. I was sent to the Panama Canal Zone, and seven went to Germany.....{cut}

 

I lost a few best friends from my old football team in Nam. I have since regretted that I was not sent over and have visited their names on the monument wall in Washington. I am a member of the American Legion now but have never felt I really belonged (because I really don't) and make that feeling clear. God bless them all, they were just kids. For the ones that did survive, what a crappy, life ruining return to their homeland. I know it was not my fault, as if I went to Canada or something; but also, I did not volunteer and I got very lucky. The guilt will always be there.

 

 

There is no need to feel survivor's guilt. You served and lived through it; end of story.

 

There are at least two lucky Viet-Nam era Vets on this board-- I had a very similar Army career. Drafted, sent to Fort Sam to become a medic, ended up with a Mash unit in Germany. There I sat in a warehouse changing out outdated catheters whilst waiting for the Russians; it wasn't dangerous or glorious, but the Army felt it needed to be done. I counted myself very fortunate at the time, and still do.

 

We reported when called into the Army of the United States, and served our hitch. I firmly believe it is best when servicemen come home alive, and I feel good about doing so.

 

 

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[spdsk8r]

US Army, 1972-1975. After Engineering school, we all received onion skins (pre-orders) to Nam. In the end we were split up, no one in our class went there. I was sent to Germany to the engineering platoon in a Maintanance Company. I volenteered and got assigned to ski patrol in the Alps during the winters. I know, cushy job, but I did feel the effects upon returning to the "World".

 

My son wasn't as lucky. Marine Corp, 2002-2006. During his second tour in Iraq, he was blown up in his Humvee by an IED. That was over a year ago. For the loss of vision in one eye, burn scars, severe pain in his left arm, hip, knee, and ankle, still has shrapnel working its way out of his body, short term memory problems, and he is suffering from PTSD: the VA gave him 10% disability ($115/month).

[DavyZ]

My son wasn't as lucky. Marine Corp, 2002-2006. During his second tour in Iraq, he was blown up in his Humvee by an IED. That was over a year ago. For the loss of vision in one eye, burn scars, severe pain in his left arm, hip, knee, and ankle, still has shrapnel working its way out of his body, and he is suffering from PTSD: the VA gave him 10% disability ($115/month).

 

Yikes, I hope he'll recover over time. He's still enlisted then? I'm out of the loop knowing what happens to the injured/permanently injured soldiers. Surely they don't do another tour do they? Depends upon severity of the injury??

 

My dad was in the Korean war, but he has said less than a paragraph's worth of information about it since I have been alive.

 

Davy

[Ledphoot]

Rick, I'm sorry to hear our Government has learned so little. I thank you and your son for their sacrifice and pray for his endurance to overcome.

[spdsk8r]

Davy, he completed his 4 years in July, so he is out now. He is on inactive list now but won't be called up again as he can not pass the physical.

 

Led...

Thank you for your thoughts and prayers. He is keeping a positive attitude. He knows God spared him for a reason, two of his buddies were killed.

http://forums.hybridz.org/showthread.php?t=105091&highlight=Iraq

[Oldestzguy]

I think it is pretty normal to not really want to be told what to do, leave your warm giving girlfriend and nice muscle car, or maybe go to a place where you can get your head shot off. This is precisely why the respect was earned by the ones that did go whether they were drafted or volunteered. They did not go to Canada. Some did it for the rest of us. Hence the guilt. If I was hanging around at home getting laid, I would feel even more guilt.

 

I have a son that has never been injured at all; except for a separated shoulder in football which required surgery 3 days after season end. He received an inaugural "ironman" award starting in his honor, and was chosen Mcdonalds's scholar athelete of the year (AAAAAA) selection in Central Fl and is somewhat of a hero to his group and the local area.

 

Spdsk8r also has a son that started out not injured. He should get a much bigger and better award; especially from the VA. One son is kind of cool; the other is a real hero that has, at least, earned the right to enough money to survive without having to compete too much with the uninjured. My son knows the difference. I hope everyone does.

 

Our hats are off to both father and son. I am certain the son is not named Jody. End of story.