Many times I felt like we were sentenced to one year in hell. It was like sending thousands of young men just right out of high school to die and rot in hell. Who were our enemy? The North Vietnamese Army and Viet Congs looked exactly like the South Vietnamese or farmers...they were all Vietnamese. We were fighting on their soil and sadly dying thousands of miles away from home on foreign soil. We were young men some right of high school and college. Some joined because their brothers died in Nam. It was a mixture of young men of black, white, brown; from poor and middle class families. Some were drafted, others joined and the older soldiers were career military men. Approximately 2,700,000 American men and women served in Vietnam from 1957 until 1975. With less than four months to go, I saw the affect of soldiers walking through the motion of trying to survive and the toll it took on them mentally. Faces that showed the stress and depression from the war. Stories of soldiers wanting to shoot themselves in the leg so they can be sent home. Sucides from divorces and Dear John letters from their spouse and girl friends. It felt at times, this one part of the world was collapsing on our young lifes. All of this for a war we knew nothing about but served our country proudly. We are bounded by our sacrifices in an unknown country. These were our true brothers who died for us and their country. With Christmas back in the world and for the first time for many of us away from family on this holy holiday, it was just another day in Charlies Land. Again our division tried their best to celebrate Christmas like we once remembered. For the first time I felt the enemy were kind enough to observe a traditional American holiday because it was Silent Night in a war torn country. The heavy monsoon rain set the tone as a very sad and solemn day while back home in the world I could picture my family and loveones opening their gifts. For me it was time to pause to write home and express my feelings of sadness and telling them that I pray to see them again. I hope to never experience another Christmas like that again. As I reflect back, I think many of us, Vietnam veterans now sees Christmas in a different perspective - its a holiday to give thanks to be here to enjoy it with family.
Posted on: Tue, 09 Sep 2014 07:14:58 +0000
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