On this day - June 3, 1968...

By #629308 [Ignore] 28,Aug,21 05:04

Luckily my family & I have never experienced war & it leaves me a little blank on what I would like to say within this message tread, except that I would like to thank you all that have fought in war, to save us all that never did & also to have prevented us to have to, your sacrifice to people like my family & myself can not be measured 😢💖

By veryshyguy [Ignore] 28,Aug,21 10:40⤴

You really don't need to say anything at least for me. I was lucky to come home and not bring the war back with me. I rarely think about my experience any more. I was able to put it behind me. But there are others that was never able to do that. They are the ones that need the support.

By #536735 [Ignore] 31,Dec,20 12:22

WELCOME HOME, BROTHER!

By veryshyguy [Ignore] 31,Dec,20 14:15⤴

I put the war behind me a long time ago. As I get older I realize why my dad had little to say about his experience. I am the same. I will let those who think they know more have their say and analyze and debate. I remain silent, and I realized I must move on and not live in the past.

I do got not care for military parades nor do I celebrate such things. I let those who want that stuff to go ahead and do what they must. I prefer not to live in the past.

My dad had a good life and I am doing the same.

By #571593 [Ignore] 15,Apr,20 06:56

All you Veterans are my heros! My father survived WWII as a paratrooper being dropped behind enemy lines to spy. Two brothers survived serving in Vietnam. I was in college when I got drafted. A physical exam revealed a birth defect in my back and I immediately was classified 1Y. That means I will only be called up after EVERYONE else! At the time I had decided to join my brothers in Vietnam and was heartbroken that noone wanted me! I went to all the service recruiting offices and pleaded with no luck! Fifty years later as I watched Ken Burns Vietnam documentary, I realized how fortunate I was to get rejected! I will forever be greatfull to all our military Vets and especially to the families of those that gave their lives serving our country! God bless you ALL!

By veryshyguy [Ignore] 19,Apr,20 17:36⤴

When I reached the doctor as I got off the bus, he asked me how I was feeling, I said ok. He listened to my heart beat, I said "Can you hear my heart murmur?", he said no. Then he said, "Go stand over there.", that's where everyone else was standing. I was fucked...

Be glad you didn't go. Too many decent men and women died, in a war that didn't make any sense. But hindsight is 20/20. Such is life.

By #571593 [Ignore] 20,Apr,20 08:13⤴

Sorry you had to go and see the inhumanity you had to endure! So happy you came back! THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE!

By #569242 [Ignore] 25,Feb,19 15:08

I volunteered for the Air Force before drat could catch up with me. Went in Nov 68. In Nam 1 Jun 70 to 2 Jun 71. Was with forward air controllers in country in central highlands. Went through a couple of rocket attacks but nothing else major. Home base was Cam Ranh Bay. Going there was hardest on my Mom. I could see how much she aged the year I was gone.

By nekekal [Ignore] 03,Jun,18 01:33

I went in February of 69.

By veryshyguy [Ignore] 03,Jun,18 10:24⤴

I was in country by February 69... I had no idea what the fuck I was doing... I don't think any of us did.

By nekekal [Ignore] 03,Jun,18 11:55⤴

I had escaped the draft for a while. Deferments. But ran out of things to do. I always remember that in basic, someone ask why we didn't learn to field strip the m16, since that piece of shut jammed all the time. The DI said that it took too long and probably wouldn't work anyway. We should just look around and find one that someone wasn't using. That war was a total fuck up.

By veryshyguy [Ignore] 03,Jun,18 13:39⤴

I was a medic so didn't use my m16. I think I fired it a few time just to do it, cause they were shooting at me!!! I don't think I hit anything!!! Yes, they were pieces of shit!!! Also impossible to keep clean anyway. I was always wet, dirty, covered in shit, b-l-o-o-d and whatever bodily fluids the wounded would have oozing out of them. After awhile it didn't matter...

And it doesn't matter for me anymore. After 50 years I have put it behind me. At my age I only want to concentrate on making the best of years that I have left. I don't dwell on those days. I think of it as a year long nightmare that I was lucky to wake up from.

I let others decide and debate the issues. Much like my d-a-d did when he came home from his time in WWII. I pretty much understood him a lot more why he wanted to forget about his service.

By nekekal [Ignore] 04,Jun,18 01:11⤴

I am with you there. And I don't want to be thanked for my service. I was drafted. The penalty for not going was pretty high.

By veryshyguy [Ignore] 04,Jun,18 23:00⤴

I am not one of those "flag waving patriots" demanding to be thanked for whatever they did. I prefer not to say much nor do I want to be recognized. I did what I had to do. I survived. The ones who need to be thanked and blessed are the families of the ones who did not return.

I feel I have more than enough thanks! I was able to go on with my life, such as it is.

I was able to watch the PBS series on the Vietnam war along with my step daughter and her 2 daughters (my step granddaughters). I gave them my perspective on what they were watching. But like I told them you watch and read everything you can but you will never know what it was like unless you lived it and were there. And even then you still won't understand. I still don't but I don't dwell on it anymore.

By pifad [Ignore] 03,Jun,18 04:32

Thank you for you’re service, I’m happy you survived. My induction was May 27, 1968.

By veryshyguy [Ignore] 03,Jun,18 10:21⤴

Thanks to you to. We did what was expected of us that is all...

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