Veteran’s day 2009. I actually had a young woman say “thanks for your service” as we passed on the sidewalk this afternoon. She would not have known except that I decided to wear my Vietnam Veteran ball cap today. I thought I would wear it often when I bought it but I really don’t wear a cap very often and when I do it is usually for a ballgame (got that cap) or to play golf (got that cap). I considered wearing it to the VA when I go. I figured I would fit right in, and I would. As I got used to going and watching the guys that do wear their Viet Nam caps I came to realize that they wear them because 1. It gives them admission to the group and 2. It is the only identity they have. They never moved beyond where they were when they were in the service. Standing in the hall the discussions always go to “where were you in Nam?” “I took two hits in ’67, I ain’t been the same since.” “I lost most of my platoon in the Delta in ’68.”
I just haven’t wanted to join that club. I was “in country” a couple of times for a week at a time. I could hear artillery in the mountains west of the base but I never got fired on. I stayed appropriately scared while I was on the ground but as soon as we went wheels up I was safe and secure again.
These guys have nightmares I can only imagine. While they are quite literally the walking wounded, they also blame that time in their life for everything in their life that has come up short of what they would have liked or perhaps saw good happen to someone else. They got the short end of the draft numbers and it was downhill from there.
While the hallways at VA are full of the guys noted above there are plenty of guys that went on with life when they got home. I have a friend named Henry that I met in occupational therapy at VA. Henry “nearly had my arm blowd off” in 1968. He came home, went to work for the State motorpool as a mechanic and retired there several years ago. He has a family, a farm, children and grandchildren and uses VA to help keep him mobile. He has trouble with his arm from time to time and needs some therapy. He went to Nam to do his duty. Lots of guys didn’t come home, he thinks he did ok. Amen, Henry.
As a result of having been “in country” I have qualified for a number of Veteran’s Administration benefits as a result of having been exposed to Agent Orange. The VA has granted me disability status that gets me front of the line privileges at VA hospitals and a disability income that was once “nice” but is now necessity. I was certainly no hero. I joined the Navy because I didn’t want to be a land soldier and I had some idea of what to expect in the Navy. I served proudly. ‘Got a few medals I am real proud of and when my turn was over I came home and went to school and got on with life. There are hundreds of thousands like me who are just proud to still be here. If I was a drinking man I would offer up a toast to the guys who did the hard part. Semper Fi, and Following Seas.
UncleWesty, over and out.