Its veterans day, Nov 11, 01, what does this mean? We are celebrating and honoring those who go to foreign soil to fight for your rights to this internet, to fight for your ability to go to the malls to waste money on what you are convinced to buy by our system of commerce, to fight for your ability to choose how you want your children educated. We went, we fought so that you can have choises; we were stupid, we listened to older men that told us that it was a proper thing to do; we bled, we died. The movements of the sixtys and sevendies were our answers to make us feel included in this system that we defended.

What is a veteran?...A father, a son , a brother who at a young age goes off to protect the home camp. A male that sleeps in 4 inches of water in the freezing cold or trecks accrost 5 days of 110 temps to get to a target to protect you. At the hardest point, yes; but most veterans are scared that they will be killed before fullfilling a part of their life that makes them feel complete; most are more afraid of having to kill someone, and live with this the rest of their life. You think that killing a chicken to eat is hard...?

I have 26 months in Viet Nam, a tour and two extensions- 26 months and I came back with no wounds, except Agent Orange, now catching up with me as diabeties and heart problems, related, butn not yet dead.

Most of the stories you hear about Viet Nam are stories; it takes about 50 people to support one fighting person; the truck driver that brings the chow, the office clerk that types records, the medical people that treats the injuries, the special services people that arrange the USO shows, the mess hall officer that sees that you have enought to eat; they all do not see combat; the few that do needs the best support they can be given.....

T.V. showes that you see: "China Beach" and movies such as "Deer Hunter" are Hollywood B.S., we were cold, lonely , sorry we were there. Did not want to be there; there are media fiction, FICTION, nothing to do with reality; butyet we were there. There was nothing glorius, nothing heroius, nothing real about this as reported. We are manipulated by the media, via government guidelines....

If there was another war, this time on American soil, I would take my son to Canada in the trunk if necessary, if I had a son, unconsince if necessary.....

-- mitch hearn (moopups@citlink.net), November 11, 2001

Answers

There are no words to covey my feelings of gratitude for your unselfish act of serving your country. We are a nation of people who get patriotic and send our men to war, only to let the pride slip away and to forget who's gone.We take so much for granite and never say thank yous for those who served in our place, for our homes and our freedoms.Thank you sounds so lame and easy, The feeling in my heart can not be described when I think of those who defended our country dead and alive.We owe our way of life to those of you who served. So just know every night I thank God for men like you and for what you stand for.God Bless

-- Micheale from SE Kansas (mbfrye@totelcsi.net), November 11, 2001.

I am fortunate enough to have my father's letters home from Italy during World War 2 right before he stepped on a land mine and was "lucky" enough to survive. He was 21 years old and had been through hell on earth for 3 years until the Rapido River. Crossing the frozen river after dark, the 36th Texas Infantry ran into land mines and crossfire from the Germans..they had been promised reinforcements, but none came because some general changed his mind..the general was nearly courtmarshalled for this..too bad they didn't go through with it.... Another soldier ran into the river and risking his own life picked up my father, carried him on his back to the medics...the war and seeing ALL his life-long buddies wiped out one by one turned my dad from a fun-loving country boy into an alcoholic with many demons.....My Grandfather fought in World War 1 and always told me there ws nothing to tell about it, just that he was there and came home......my brother was a Marine in Viet Nam....he says the same thing..he was there, he came home..period.....my husband was in the Army during Viet Nam and feels guilty to this day because he got state-side duty while his friends were off fighting. Today and every Veteran's Day, I fly the American flag in honor of the men in my family and all the men who fought for this country, whether they went willingly or reluctantly. As far as I am concerned, anybody who put on a uniform was a hero...I'm not sure I would have the guts to to the same. God bless all of the folks who are or were in the armed services..they deserve our highest regard.

-- lesley (martchas@bellsouth.net), November 11, 2001.

I agree with Lesley. We need more gratitude for vetrans especially for those that survived. We find it easy and somehow more glorious to honor the dead, not that we shouldn,t, but we seen to think it is ok to forget the suvivors. They need it worse. I apologise for our neglect and offer my gratitude from me and my family.

-- Tom (Calfarm@msn.com), November 11, 2001.

it is ironic how one experience can have such different effects on different people. I know several men who fought in foreign wars who would go back in an instant if they could. As for sending their sons...well that is a different story.

-- Jo (mamamia2kids@msn.com), November 12, 2001.

May God bless you Mitch. I have a cousin who is awaiting a lung transplant courtesy of agent orange. So sad.

-- Barb Fischer (bfischer42@hotmail.com), November 12, 2001.