To All My Veteran Comrades...

[Tom]

This past weekend I exhibited at an art show in Hendersonville, NC. Next to us was a young lady who does marvelous figure painting and in fact, has won Best of Show the last two years. Hanging on the outside of her booth was a painting depicting a medi-vac helicopter being directed by an on-the-ground corpsman. I happened to glance over that way and saw a man looking at the painting, when he suddenly turned and walked away, crying. He stopped beside a tree and continued weeping. I walked over to him and just said, "Vietnam?" He turned, threw his arms around me and just bawled. After a few moments, he pulled back slightly and said, "I'm sorry" I told him please don't apoloqize and thanked him for his service to his country. He just nodded, tears rolling down his cheeks, and walked away.
Just wanted to share this brief moment....I will never forget it!

[Buck Henry]

Wow, thanks for sharing this, I choked up just reading your account. Unless you have been there, it is hard to explain to someone what it feels like to lay your life on the line for a living. Words like duty, honor and country take on a much deeper meaning to those who serve. Even more so for those who have experienced combat. May God bless that man and God bless all my fellow Veterans out there.

[TroutTackler]

Very powerful. I'll go ahead and admit that some tears started making their way up to the edge of my eyelids when I read that.

I consider myself a very concerned citizen and try to stay informed on the latest in every aspect of our country's dealings. But, I know my opinion or view has not been affected by the realities of self-sacrifice like some here on this board.

So, thanks for being courageous and protecting us, to any of you who have or are doing so.

[GregLS]

Thanks for sharing that Tom.

If you have broadband then go listen/watch "The 8th of November " by Big & Rich.

might want to have a tissue handy...

Get the full story and video here..
http://www.bigandrich.com/

Just the video with out the story...
http://www.musicvideocodes.biz/song_..._November.html

[trout whisperer]

whisperer sez: vietnam was a strange war that a lot of gi's to this day have been unable to put behind them. the american public not only lost respect for the politicians running the war, but they lashed out at the military as well.

i was coming home after 12 months of river patrol along the dmz. it was a long great circle flight in the middle of the night, and the plane stopped to refuel up in the northwest somewhere - seattle, maybe. they wouldn't let anyone off the plane. after what seemed like forever, the plane took off again and landed at travis afb down in california. it was about 2:00 in the morning, the tarmac was black as pitch, cold and rainy, and they let us off to go through customs in an abandoned building. it gave you the impression that the government was smuggling its own people back into the country so that our arrival would go unnoticed.

no wonder some people still have strong feelings about it.

regards, TW

[biggatrout]

Powerful!

I am not old enough to remember any wars other than the recent Gulf Wars. And in my military career never saw any combat, but did hear all the stores. Those guys are HERO's, and it breaks your heat to watch someone that is strong as steel break down.

Great reminder.

Bigga...

[REDTOP]

Great post Tom,thanks.

[NickelCigar]

Hope this courageous man's release put some distance between himself and the jungle. Tom, glad you were there, one can only wonder and shudder at what memory was brought to the surface. Maybe, just maybe he finaly came home.......

[TheEndlessEnigma]

it it AMAZING The effect that war had on so many people good bad or other ... but seems like mostly bad. I have met some with PTSS and it is really saddening to watch these people go through life in a constant state of paranoia. I cannot even imagine as a more recent vet what these people really went through for us and got spit on every step of the way by so many. In some ways .... nothing has really changed.

[Tom]

...and I meant to mention that this fellow was well dressed, obviously had gotten on with his life, but buried somewhere deep were those memories. And they just came flooding back.
When I came home from Korea, there wasn't the venom spewing element calling me a "baby killer". It was much different with the 'Nam vets. With me, it was some of my friends wanted to know where I had been for a year and a half and when I mentioned Korea, some wanted to know what I was doing over there!