Mine was the Viet Nam War. One day in May of 1968, I received a letter from the President of the United States. It seems Lyndon Johnson ordered me into the armed forces with only a 30-day notice. I reported for duty at the induction center in Chicago and found myself beginning basic training at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. I had a job to do for my country in order to earn my Freedom and Liberty.From Fort Leonard Wood, I was sent to Light Weapons Infantry training at the beautiful Fort Ord in Northern California. Soon as I finished that training I got my orders for Viet Nam. My heart pounded as I read the orders but I was not surprised and was resigned to my fate. Somehow at the last minute I cheated the odds and was the only lad from my company to be rerouted to Germany with new set of orders. Soon I had the good fortune to wind up as a medical corpsman in a busy dispensary.
I hate how we as a country reneged on our promise to the people of South Viet Nam to free them from the yoke and brutality of Communism. The Bolsheviks in our own Congress fought for the Communist victory as other Bolsheviks were killing my fellow soldiers in Viet Nam. I hate the direction these same Bolshevik bastards have taken this once great country ever since.
The final insult came as Siagon was falling and the last lucky Vietnamese people were evacuated from the roof of the American Embassy by helicopter. It was so painful for me to watch the deaths of 58,000 brave young American men to have lost its purpose. The enemies of our own country and way of life had infiltrated our own Congress and Government.
Viet Nam was a sad tale with only a heartbreaking ending. In some ways I’ve felt guilty for having escaped combat duty in that horrible war. Then there is that bittersweet reminder in opera form. The Madame Butterfly of my war, the incredible musical, Miss Saigon. If you’ve not seen this you’ve missed something special. I’ve seen it three times and that’s just not enough for me. It’s always an emotional experience for me to see. I found three wonderful promotional clips that I have put up for your enjoyment or perhaps just for mine. I’m not sure.
Paul, you're a class guy. You did serve your country and that more than a lot of people have done.
ReplyDeleteThose Miss Saigon clips were fantastic. I did see the play 10 or 12 years ago. It was sad for sure.