I don't mention it too often, although I say certain things in my short stories and novels about it, but when I returned back to the United States after fighting in 'Nam in 1966 and 1967, many of us returning Veterans were treated like dogshit by a great many of the citizens here. I was shocked. It made no sense to me. Damned hippies were attacking limbless vets in wheelchairs with their baby killer signs when I got off the plane in San Francisco. I completely lost it and grabbed their signs from them and beat the living shit out of the bastards before the MP's came and escorted me to a safe place in the airport. Safe for the hippies, I reckon.
The reason I bring this up is I ran across some reviews of Ken Burns' Vietnam documentary. I watched all of them when they came out and completely hated them. I had expected a fair, all-sides view of the war, but it was slanted toward the far-left group. Horrible. Just horrible. I won't bother to give links to some of the many people and publications who hated the documentary. Any Google search will find plenty of them for you.
For two years, I was the President of the Vietnam Veterans of America chapter in Cheyenne, Wyoming. I wrote the chapter newsletter and a number of editorials for the Wyoming Tribune Eagle about military and Veterans matters. For the most part, it was time well spent. The community was on our side about most things. I did get a bit of joking that our organization would die out some day when there were no more Vietnam Veterans living. That is true, but, then again, it's a shame that the other organizations dealing with wounded Veterans are still needed.
The one thing that I like is that organizations - the VFW, American Legion, and many others - band together and work for the Veterans. The one thing I don't like is that a five-time draft dodger has been re-elected to run the country. He'll put political cronies in positions of trust at the VA. And his thinking during his first term? Getting the Veterans out of the system at the VA and wanting to have them get the same healthcare that everyone else gets. Not me. I'm happy with the VA. It's not perfect, but neither is any non-military hospital that I know of. Not everyone agrees with me on this issue, but that's their right, and lest I forget to mention it, if you're not a Veteran, then you have no say in the matter.
As long as I'm on my soapbox, I've had many people come up to me and tell me how they were wrong about their actions and stance on the war in 'Nam and try to apologize for them. For me, they're fifty-eight years too late. I don't forget when I came home, and I don't forgive easily. Pretty much, I tell every one who tells me that to shove their apologies up their ass!
Short, direct, and to the point. I'll end here. For now.
Blaze McRob
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