Vietnam Vets - Merry Christmas!

[Jst1mr]

Born in '58, I was a bit young for Vietnam. I grew up reading everything I could get my hands on about the epic battles of WWII - Midway, Tarawa, Guadalcanal, Okinawa, D- Day, Market Garden, Battle of the Bulge, etc. You couldn't tear me away from "Combat", "Rat Patrol", "12 O'Clock High", etc.

Thanks to a modern TV show "Against All Odds" on the American Heroes channel, I have been enlightened. While as a kid I was devouring books, watching TV, and drawing silly pictures of battles past, the real thing was playing out live yet somehow almost unknown to me.

Thanks to this show (which mixes actual combat footage with people's first hand accounts) I sat enthralled for several hours, finally learning the details of such places as Khe Sanh, Hue City, Dak To, etc.

May I humbly request that those members of the "Greatest Generation" step aside just a bit on the podium and make way for the next generation of heroes in my mind. The grit, courage, and determination shown by those soldiers depicted defies belief. I have never felt so proud to be an American.

I fully realize that what I think and believe as an individual makes very little difference in the grand scheme of things, but to those that fought in Vietnam, I would just like to offer a heartfelt "thanks".....and Merry Christmas, heroes.

 

[max]

Thank you, I got there the week before Christmas in 69.

 

[Mydogmax]

Jingle bells
Motor shells
VC in the grass
Take your jolly Christmas tree and stick it up your ....

 

[rimfired]

Thanks for the warm thoughts! I spent my 20th year there. Thanksgiving and Christmas 1970.

11B, combat Infantry rifleman. A 20 year old drafted out of College and a year in the jungle.

I survived and was very good at my job. We were not welcomed home, no parades, spit-on, villafied.

To you and all my Brothers in Arms, Merry Christmas!!!

 

[the ringo kid]

Merry Christmas to you guys and thank you for your sacrifices...

 

[Bkreutz]

On the first day of Christmas Truce, the Viet Cong brought to me... a sniper in a palm tree (and it went on through all 12 days which I can't remember). Spent Christmas 1970 and 1971 in country. Those were the toughest 2 days(mentally) of both tours. But thanks for the thoughts, we certainly didn't get them then.

 

[straightshooter1]

Thank you very much.

I never thought we were anything special, I just thought we were not the conscienceless brutes we were often thought to be.

Bob

 

[Voyager28]

I arrived in country January 3, 1968. Departed country June 6, 1969. Spent 6 weeks in the hospital in Okinawa then rotated back to US. Discharged from the USMC in December of 1969.

Bob


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[NAM68]

Very Nice. Merry Christmas.......Thank You.

 

[LTC]

Thanks for the good wishes, it's been 45 years since I last swam in the South China Sea at Nha Trang. I was TDY'd in with C130's during TET of '68. I spent less than a month in country, but was support in Japan for another 5 months.

Merry Christmas to all.

LTC

 

[Rustyt1953]

Thank you, that's kind of you to say. Peace and joy to all my fellow vets.

On Christmas eve, please join me in raising a glass to those on the wall.

 

[Old Seabee]

Vietnam

Thanks & a Merry Christmas to you . Old Seabee

 

[Mydogmax]

I survived and was very good at my job. We were not welcomed home, no parades, spit-on, villafied.
That quote was from rimfimed. Just messed up my editing on my iPad.

I remember that quite well. Now after 40+ years when someone says "thank you for your service" I just don't know how to respond.

 

[STCM(SW)]

"when someone says "thank you for your service" I just don't know how to respond. "

Same here & I'm no hero.......
Just did my job.

 

[Voyager28]

"when someone says "thank you for your service" I just don't know how to respond. "

Same here & I'm no hero.......
Just did my job.

Same here. Al I wanted to do was do my job, survive, all my guys survive and go home. Hero? I'm not even sure what that is.

Bob

 

[vonn]

14Dec1967-14Dec1968. Like others I don't know what to say.

 

[Murphy's Law]

Thanks and same to all my shipmates who sailed in the Gulf of Tokin aboard the USS Oriskany 1964/65/66

 

[mbliss57]

Merry Christmas to all of you Viet Namn vets. I joined in 1976 so I wasn't there. But many of my ranking NCOs and Officers were. Some wished they were still there, many were happy to be in Germany but no one really talked about what went on there.
I recently watched "Hamburger Hill". It was real to me as the lingo and uniforms were the same. But that's where the sameness ended. You guys that served in Vietnam really went through Hell. Merry Christmas and thanks for your service.

 

[ben_g1]

Thank you, I got there the week before Christmas in 69.

Ha, got there a week after Christmas 69, hung around till 71 spent a lot of time at fire base Mace.

Thanks, and Merry Christmas right back at ya.

 

[Road Rat]

Well, thanks for the thoughts!

I am a "Vietnam (era) Veteran" who only spent 30 minutes in country!!

My plane landed there on my way to Thailand...................then a short C-130 ride from Bangkok down to U-Tapao where I spent my year supporting - - - - ARC LIGHT. I guessing some of you heard us coming - and going!!!

Dang, you guys used to come over to Pattaya Beach for R&R.

Thanks to all you In Country Vets!!