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From: MSN Nickname mary_sez (Original Message)
Sent: 7/31/2006 9:42 AM
i deleted most of the poetry because u just read it.....but here's the last few lines then u can see the responses. and if u have one to send it to me.
that this old man had to pay
no one understanding,
that he's with Jesus today
written by a vietnam vet
From: MSN Nickname HeIsRisenIndeed
Sent: 7/31/2006 12:25 PM
Mary,
Hmm.
As a vet, I'm ambivalent about such things.
On the one hand, I can make a fiery case that we do little enough for our vets, and that they do not get the respect they deserve.
In general....that's probably true.
On the other hand, there are some vets....that really are just losers.
There are many who went to Vietnam. What we don't mention so much in our patriotic fervor...is that most went against their will. And were selected from that pool of those who's families, intelligence and abilities were not sufficient to allow them easy escape.
These men in some cases performed outstandingly. And in other cases were walking disasters, getting stoned and shooting heroin, and sleeping with any Vietnamese girl that would slow to a sprint. Whether she wanted the "fo dollahs" or not.
Many medals were awarded for impressively brave things. And others were awarded as "shut your mouth about what we did at that village". And some - as always - were just luck.
Most who came back from Vietnam just picked up their lives. Doctor, lawyer, businessman, dock worker, trucker....whatever they would have been had they not gone...they still were.
And some of those would have been bums no matter what, so upon return, embarked on that.
Did Vietnam turn some promising young men into alcoholic bums? Well, given the vast numbers we sent over there, I'm sure that has happened. More then once, even more then a dozen times.
It is dwarfed though by the numbers who were going to be bums whether Vietnam occurred or not.
Do you know what they call the old bums from WWII? That's right, "old bums". That war isn't on the "approved list" of "that which lets you excuse every personal failing".
Please do not misunderstand. I'm not trying to be too harsh. I would suggest the very wisest thing to do is always take such things on a case by case.
I would not denigrate all who suffered long after the conflict. I would not enshrine them all either. Take each one, and examine his personal situation.
I would say this, though. Saigon fell in ' 75 - over thirty years ago. If someone's still hitting the bottle over that, then I'd suggest that it never would have taken much for that to occur.
Take care, Dean
From: MSN Nickname mary_sez
Sent: 7/31/2006 12:42 PM
a vietnam vet wrote this poetry dean. he is someone i know personaly. i don't know how old he is because his body is in pretty poor shape. it is his heart he opened and how he feels about humanity treating him with such disdane when it was him doing what he believe was right and that was following the guidence of the government. he is a torn man. he talks about his experiences all the time. every time i see him the see the pain from war. killing is a hard thing to do for some people and some never get pAST THE FACT THAT THEY DID. and he is one of those people.
From: MSN Nickname HeIsRisenIndeed
Sent: 7/31/2006 1:05 PM
Mary,
Yes, there are such.
I'm sorry your friend is one of them. I hope he finds what peace he can.
Take care,
Dean
From: MSN Nickname xxxxx
Sent: 7/31/2006 2:40 PM
wars wound the spirits of too many men ...
many never recover....
if they are very strong and have a good support system and have the resources either within or without to help them cope.....they may put up a good front and their pain might not be too obvious to others...especially strangers...
but many are not strong....and do not have support or resources to fall back on....many are too wounded not just by war but by life itself to either help themselves or let themselves be helped....they are the ones who's pain is more obvious...but that does not make people more understanding of their plight...
people forget that the invisible scars are sometimes even more painful than the visiable ones...and rarely ever heal completely
From: MSN Nickname HeIsRisenIndeed
Sent: 7/31/2006 2:41 PM
xxxx,
And of course, forgotten is that wars are not all that causes this type of tragedy.
Take care,
Dean
From: MSN Nickname mary_sez
Sent: 7/31/2006 7:08 PM
u r right dean war is not the cause it is the result. humanity must have a change of heart for peace to rein on earth.
From: MSN Nickname mary_sez
Sent: 7/31/2006 7:11 PM
xxxx number 5....that is right xxxx. the one who wrote this poetry turned to drink, i suppose because thats the era he grew up in. now he's old and society doesn't take kindly to old drunks.
From: MSN Nickname mary_sez
Sent: 8/1/2006 2:17 PM
hello xx and dean. i would like to take the responses for this poetry and put it on my site. do you mind if your words r reprinted? if you would rather me leave out your names i can do that.
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