Stolen Honor
Vietnam Veterans
Vietnam Wall

"Never Forget"

Mark and Matt,
Have a great time, DC can be fun.
Let me set out some moonbat bait...

"Say hi to Karl Rove for us"

Ah, how I fodly remember a TDY to Andrews AFB and visit to DC in the summer of 91'...The Lincoln memorial, the Wall, the Smithsonian, the halls of Congress, the naked homeless guy bathing in the sink of a public restroom at the Jefferson memorial.

Ah, yes I remember it well...

My 25 year old son asked me what was the big deal about Vietnam? It was so long ago; why couldn't my generation just forget it?

I told him about my shame; about not out-shouting the "peace" activists who turned out to be nothing of the sort. (We now know they were Commies, Socialists, etc.) I told him how embarassed the majority of my generation was that we allowed the "anti-war" voices to be so much louder and how they eventually had their way with Congress. I told him how pre-occupied I had been with my own life, and how I realized later that that was no excuse for not making my feelings known. I told him how I had never experienced any group like the "anti-war" crowd and how they out-maneuvered us.

I said to him exactly what you said; "As long as I am alive, I will never allow this to happen again. I will match to support our troops, I will picket Congress, I will write letters, make phone calls, knock on doors, whatever it takes to make sure our troops are never abandoned again."

I told him that the Vietnam subject had yet to be discussed fully and that the Swift Boat Vets were the beginning of finally confronting the issue and having the truth be told.

He listened to me and saw my tears and anger and said, "I have never had it explained to me that way. When you are gone, I will carry on for you and I will make sure that never happens again. I had no idea how deep your feelings were and how it scarred you.

To which I will add, no more disgraceful administrations with a criminal Defense Secretary like MacNamara. I served with the 25th Infantry Division in 1966 and 1967 in the huge TAO of III Corps north of Saigon to Cambodia above Tay Ninh. Cu Chi was our home, if you could call it that.

MacNamara confessed that as early as 1967 he knew our war was unwinnable. Never mind that he was wrong, he represented the beginnings of the moral meltdown of liberalism which we are fighting to this very day. A failure of nerve, a failure of will, and the acceptance of mediocrity in all things took root in MacNamara and around him.

Add to that, the 25,000 Americans who died after '67 in a war that even the DOD was unwilling to fight. That left us alone with the idiot Westmoreland, and everyone knows how it turned out.

Amen, brother. Amen.
-OC

Have fun in Washington guys. Don't get too comfy inside the beltway though. We need you guys out here in the real world. ;)

I saw a traveling version of the wall here in California a few years back and I have to admit it affected me more than I thought it would. I mean sure they're just names on a wall, but the whole feeling of memory around it sticks with you. I will never forget my visit to that version of the wall, and I hope some day to visit the original one.

I for one, shall never forget.

I for one, shall never forget.

Nor shall I, Gozer. Two of the names on that wall are two of my best friends growing up, one of whom was buried on my wedding day in 1966.

I was just a teenaged lib during the height of Vietnam; I didn't know squat. Thank God I joined the military, grew up, and left those days behind. Alas, todays libs are still the same--they don't know squat!!!

Never forget...

Mr.Smiths go to Washington. Have fun.

Matt and Mark
Have a great time you two. It’s still exciting there isn’t it? Just came back from a day and a half trip to D.C. and as always walked down the mall, I’m still amazed how profound it affects me. Hope you get to Arlington, and drive by or go to the Pentagon, they are still working on it and you will get a feel for the destruction brought to it on 9/11.
Safe Trip

Good post Mark, & fedup. Just point me to the battle!

A little something that happened on this last trip to D.C. that fit’s the postings here.
I as always went to the wall. It’s still a very quite time for me when I am there and I still find it difficult, but this time I went through the emotional basket.
As I walked down the wall, I was one of only several ppl there. One fellow about my age had both hands on the wall and his head hung down. His son and wife near him didn’t seem to know what to do. I got close and noticed he was grieving, deeply hurt and just couldn’t let his family see this in him. I stepped up behind him and touched his shoulder and quietly said, “This is why we come here brother”.
He turned and held me. In between tears he told me he had NEVER said one word of his service to his family, neither his wife nor son. He had been too hateful that the politicians and the American ppl had sold out him and his brother in arms.
His son (who was with him) had just come back from Iraq and he and his wife where there to see him, his son had just taken them to the mall for them to see.
As he and I talked for a moment of those days the fellow’s son stepped in and hugged his father.
As they both hugged and cried ,the father told his son that his only hope was, that the American ppl would be proud of what his son did and let our Military win this battle and start believing in this country again.
As I said ‘goodbye’, I reminded the father that we had won that war; it was them that lost the battle (pointing to the capital). As I shook hands with his son, he noticed the ribbons on my uniform, pointing, he stated his surprise, he asked if I had done ‘short shots’ or ‘tours’, I laughed and told him ‘two extended this time, so I could stay close too my two sons and my daughter ‘. He then hugged me and I was gone.
I now have new emotions to take back to the wall.
Thanks for letting me share!

Good luck Matt and Mark-

If given the chance, (time w/Ken Mehlman?, etc.)
hope you can impress upon all, that the GOP needs
to show some real backbone, and stop acting like
the party that lost the last election. For all of us, please remind them to "get a little angry,
at all this Bush-bashing, and continuation of lies
to the American people. They need to stand up
to it all and speak the truth to Americans, as the
other side, has no difficulty in trying to "topple
the Bush Administration, in any way they can, and
will keep trying to undermine the President-in any
ways they can and have" With the latest attacks on him, by Pelosi, Kennedy, and the Leftist Donks,
circling like sharks in a 'feeding frenzy', they
want to move in for the "kill, while these latest
events (Abramoff, Delay, Spygate, etc.) unfold.
They need to know how to become "street fighters"
(because for one thing, you can't be 'nice to these radicals, and try 'bi-partisanship-as they will never wanted that and havent since Bush was first elected) The President and V.P. and all the
rest of the GOP, needs to stand united, and dispute all the Dems want to throw at them, to see
what will "stick on the wall, desparaging each and
every one of them"

Good luck Matt and Mark-

If given the chance, (time w/Ken Mehlman?, etc.)
hope you can impress upon all, that the GOP needs
to show some real backbone, and stop acting like
the party that lost the last election. For all of us, please remind them to "get a little angry,
at all this Bush-bashing, and continuation of lies
to the American people. They need to stand up
to it all and speak the truth to Americans, as the
other side, has no difficulty in trying to "topple
the Bush Administration, in any way they can, and
will keep trying to undermine the President-in any
ways they can and have" With the latest attacks on him, by Pelosi, Kennedy, and the Leftist Donks,
circling like sharks in a 'feeding frenzy', they
want to move in for the "kill, while these latest
events (Abramoff, Delay, Spygate, etc.) unfold.
They need to know how to become "street fighters"
(because for one thing, you can't be 'nice to these radicals, and try 'bi-partisanship-as they will never wanted that and havent since Bush was first elected) The President and V.P. and all the
rest of the GOP, needs to stand united, and dispute all the Dems want to throw at them, to see
what will "stick on the wall, desparaging each and
every one of them"

Enjoy DC, its a beautiful place. I have not been there since 1985 and the war memorials were not there when i was there however it was still a powerful feeling to be there at the Linocoln Memorial and such. I wasnt even born when we first went into Vietnam. My first real encounter with it was when my uncle went and came back a changed man with horrible nightmares. Next encounter was the family who moved in across the street who were Vietnamese and they had escaped Vietnam with most of their family some were left behind and captured during the escape. I never understood since i was born in 1969 so still was very young. But seeing all the stuff i have seen now and listening to the left and their defeatest attitude, I along with my teenage son have made a choice that we will not let it happen again. We volunteer sending care packages to our troops to make sure they know Millions of americans support them despite what the MSM and the Moonbats say. I am proud to yell out I SUPPORT OUR TROOPS AND OUR PRESIDENT.

FedUp,
Awesome post. I'm going to print it out and share with my daughter who leaves tommorrow for Air Force basic training.

Although my father served with the Marines in Vietnam, we have never discussed his experience there. Someday maybe we will...

In 20 years in the Air Force (8 under Blow Job Billy) I learned who the enemy of freedom is...and thy name is progressive Democrat.

We will not forget...

"I SUPPORT OUR TROOPS AND OUR PRESIDENT."

Except that those are now opposing statements. Blind support of the commander in chief does not equate with support of the soldiers. If the commander in chief asked all of the soldiers to jump off a cliff, would you stand by him no matter what?

"In 20 years in the Air Force (8 under Blow Job Billy) I learned who the enemy of freedom is...and thy name is progressive Democrat."

So why is that there are more democrats in congress who served in the armed forces than republicans?

"I told him about my shame; about not out-shouting the "peace" activists who turned out to be nothing of the sort. (We now know they were Commies, Socialists, etc.)"

I'm sorry you've become so embittered by these events.

I believe one of the lessons from that generation is the importance of distinguishing between the troops and the mission. I don't think you'll find anyone who doesn't support the warriors: I've personally sent a care package and financial donation.

Yes, some of the means towards the end of stopping Viet Nam were, in hindsight, poor. That should not, however, cause you to blindly support any future operations. In fact, I would think you'd understand the importance of going to war as a last resort.

Nebraska Militia,

Thank you to you and your family for serving our country and protecting our freedoms. My family and I are in your debt.

I am honored that you are going to share my post with your daughter. Please wish her "Godspeed" from me and tell her she will be in my prayers, along with all of our troops.

None of my friends who served in Vietnam talked much about their service; most chose to simply move on to other subjects. One of my best friends was a Point Man in Nam. He is just now starting to talk about his experience. The Kerry run for President was simply too much for him, and he started to open up.

I printed out Kerry's testimony to the Senate and read excerts to my son. He was appalled. This is not covered in school history books. I also named the members of our family and our friends who had served in Vietnam and he understood better why I was so upset with the teasonous Democrats.

Our country needs to hear from more than the Swift Boat Vets. Vietnam is a cancer in our society and we will never get to the treatment phase and the final cure until all the Vets tell their stories, no matter how painful. Their stories must be known so that we as a country NEVER abandon our wonderful military.

Thank God for the men and women who serve to keep us all free.

Jake:

Interesting post from you. A masterpiece of equivocation, uncertainty, misinterpretation and wishy-washy irrelevance.

Answer this Jake. Since you can separate the welfare of the troops from the mission, what if the overwhelming majority of the troops support the mission? Do you support them? This is the question you people can never answer. What you fall back on is "caring" about the troops. Big deal.