Thoughts on a few things

Like many of my friends, I lived through the turbulent 60’s, paid my dues and bore the vented frustration of protesters awaiting us upon our return. They were standing there, screaming their insults, tossing eggs, tomatoes and whatever else they could find at anyone wearing a uniform.

I was totally unprepared for this reception, yes, I had read the articles, browsed through the magazines and was relatively aware there was disenchantment in America. Still, I had no knowledge that individuals were brave enough to take on returning military personal. My initial reaction was complete and total anger. Here stood men our own age, brave enough to stand up to hardened combat veterans, yet refusing to fight a war their country had deemed just and sound.

My overall feelings on the war were a mixed bag of emotions. Most of the men I served with all felt as I did, the whole thing was being ran by politicians in Washington, not the military. Therefore it was a total mess and doomed from the start unless they allowed military to run the military. However, there was one overall factor that each of us agreed upon. We had been sent by our government to do a job, as soldiers, we obeyed orders and that is exactly what we did.

Never once did I ever think of writing my congressmen, telling him my feelings on the war. Not because as active duty military I could have been brought up on charges, but because I was a soldier and as such, I followed the lawful orders I was given.

Granted, there were many times during my service that I did not want to do something that I was ordered. Not from a moral or religious perspective, but either through pure exhaustion or simply too lazy to do something.

As all GI’s, I complained loud and often to fellow soldier’s serving with me. However, I never once thought of directly disobeying the order I had been given. I was a soldier, a professional and my training and professionalism would have never permitted that action.

During the period I served we were not protected by any form of whistle – blower law permitting us to voice complaints to Congress. However, there were many times Congressmen would visit, always attempting to get one on one with someone in hopes they would confide their true feelings of the war. The GI was always informed their views would be held in complete confidence, still I never knew of one person who took them up on the offer.

We had our personal views which we did confide in one another, that the war was ran by the political idiots in Washington instead of true military action. That not directly attacking Hanoi or removing their political infrastructure was insane or even that the war was unwinnable due to the manner it was ran. We stood side by side and followed orders, we may have had personal views, but we all took an oath to our country and that was first and foremost on our mind.

Our military is comprised of professional, intelligent, brave men and women. The fact of 1000 signing a petition to Congress protesting the war has no bearing on the remaining thousands willing to serve their country. We must all remember that and we must all stand side by side as one voice and thank the ones serving, give prayers to those who have died and support those returning.