big anniversary today

[BeyGon]

got home from Vietnam, spent a week at Treasure Island and got out of the USMC 19 Dec. 1968. Just in time for Christmas. It was good. Christmas has always been good for me.

Merry Christmas

[widgeon13]

Merry Christmas. Enjoy the holidays, you deserve it.

I had a good friend who was just going over about this time. He did three tours in that hell hole.

[Racerbvd]

Thank You for your service!!!

[tevake]

We can all have a special holiday this season this year, thinking about our troops now home from Iraq. I hope they all and you Beygon know how much your service to our country are appreciated!!! A big MAHALO from Kauai!

Cheers Richard

[strupgolf]

It's such a different time today. You say,"happy hodidays" from 1968 and are thankful for that time and all the time you have had since then. But you came back with such disdain and hattred from so many fronts, it must have been hard. I've noticed that the news today hails, as it should, the returning soldiers from IraQ. To see the flags flying all around, the newscast's from everywhere, the glee and happiness WE all feel as they come home. But there are so many more who came home to a generation who hated them for what they did. It wasn't their fault, they went to Vietman to do a job. I lived through the tough times of 1965-73 as a student and a worker, and each night the news would make us feel like we failed, we were letting the country down. I can't pinpoint the date when this country started to feel better about our troops, but it must have been 9/11. The true hero's are anyone who served in any field. Oh well, I'm just rambling.

[crustychief]

Thank you for your service Dean, great Christmas present. Happy Anniversary.

[azasadny]

Congratulations and thank you!!

[Baz]

Hey great post Dean - always love hearing from our military - a belated WELCOME HOME son --- SO glad to have you with us - Merry Christmas to you and yours!

[widgeon13]

Dean's post did a couple of things for me. It reminded me of so many that never came home so I went back and looked up some names (friends and classmates) on the wall and then I decided I have many things to be thankful for over so many years.

[lin7310948]

i was preparing to go home for Christmas to NC from Ft Sill OK where i was on duty as the post billeting officer at the visitors bureau...not real tough duty. only had six more months of active duty remaining before i returned to civilian life. on the other hand i would like to remember two of my OCS classmates who were killed in vietnam..1Lt Ronald Vann from Waco, Texas who was within days of returning to the US and seperating from the Army and Cpt Francis Giardot from Royal Oaks, Michigan whose helicopter went down at night in bad weather. both of these young men were outstanding in so many ways in the short time that i knew then.

[Rot 911]

I woke up this morning thinking about the same thing. Old friends I will never see again. Strup brought up an interesting point, the difference between the welcome home now and the lack of back in the Vietnam era. I never got spit on. If someone had tried that they would have regretted it. But not only was there no welcome, people would purposely avoid you. Even ones you had known for years. People you went to school with. It was for that reason that the military became very insular in the '70's. The only friends you had were the people in your squad or platoon.

Sorry to be a downer in this thread.

[pwd72s]

Originally Posted by Rot 911

I woke up this morning thinking about the same thing. Old friends I will never see again. Strup brought up an interesting point, the difference between the welcome home now and the lack of back in the Vietnam era. I never got spit on. If someone had tried that they would have regretted it. But not only was there no welcome, people would purposely avoid you. Even ones you had known for years. People you went to school with. It was for that reason that the military became very insular in the '70's. The only friends you had were the people in your squad or platoon.

Sorry to be a downer in this thread.

That's not quite true...I was very glad to see friends return. I'm sure others were as well. I drove a then new 912 from Oregon to the Oakland Army Terminal to pick up a buddy when he got discharged in '69. We celebrated his return all the way back to Oregon.

Maybe my memory fades here, but it seems to me the small town folks were kinder to returning vets than the big city people. Possibly because many of the troops came from the small towns.

However, you are right about the "public attitude" of the time...woodstock & all...

But then, the Vietnamese never attacked our trade center...

[jshape]

By Christmas of 1968 I was a newly married, a first year law student and the lucky recipient of a "Greeting" requesting I report for immediate induction into the US Army. Not the best of times for us - but we got through it. Our local draft board was ruthless and everyone went - not just the underpriviledged. Through sheer luck and good timing, I managed to keep out of Viet Nam but many I knew didn't and some paid the ultimate price. Have a Merry Christmas and be thankful for what you have.

[KFC911]

Originally Posted by Rot 911

.... But not only was there no welcome, people would purposely avoid you. Even ones you had known for years....

Dean and Kurt, and all others that served, a belated thank you from someone who was just a child when you guys went to hell and back. We didn't have a TV back then, so I didn't even see all the crap that played out on the news every evening. It turns out that I watched the 2nd episode of Vietnam in HD last night (I understand if you guys never EVER want to see/relive it), but one thing really struck me was from a returnee who voiced what Kurt has posted. His recounting of his return 40+ years later still got to him emotionally...me too. A sincere thank you...may you all have a joyous holiday season!!!

[BeyGon]

Thank you everyone, for me and everyone else , I was just posting this for my anniversary, not meaning all that much, I just celebrate it every year. For a while I thought it was the 22nd, then I looked at my 214 and realized I was celebrating the wrong day. I don't remember any problems with people when I got back, nobody said anything uncool to me about Vietnam, but then most of my friends were there or back and maybe it was the crowd I hung with.

[Hard-Deck]

Dean, Merry Christmas. Thanks for your service Brother-in-arms. Semper Fidelis

[Seahawk]

Originally Posted by Snapper33

Dean, Merry Christmas. Thanks for your service Brother-in-arms. Semper Fidelis

All you ground guys are amazing to me. Every one.

Dean, Merry Christmas.

[futuresoptions]

Welcome home Dean... And Merry Christmas!