semi_problomatic
New member
Guess you haven't been to WA state. We were protested bringing our strykers back at the port of olympia.
A little Vietnam motivation..
- Thread starter Maximus856
- Start date
gunfighter48 - Thank you for your service.
I could never understand why war protesters picked on military personnel to protest against. Military personnel are who they are and where they are because of our elected government. I never ran into any protesters when I came home from Vietnam in 68', but think I would have gone ape **** on anyone who spit on me at the time.
I could never understand why war protesters picked on military personnel to protest against. Military personnel are who they are and where they are because of our elected government. I never ran into any protesters when I came home from Vietnam in 68', but think I would have gone ape **** on anyone who spit on me at the time.
I came home through Oakland/San Fran (June '68)
There were a group of protesters and I was ready to do battle, I figure the worse that could happen is they would send me back.
In stead, two young ladies and this guy with them (they look like a cross between hippies and yuppies) grabbed me and this other GI and dragged us to the lounge, where they fed us and filled us with booze. I got drunk and missed two flights, finely one of the girls took me to the plane and poured me into my seat. Kissed my cheek and gave me a flower.
All the time they were feeding us food and drink, never did they condemn us, or even push for information about SE Asia. They just wanted to keep us out of trouble and make us feel welcome.
They did until I got to where I didn't feel much of anything
There were a group of protesters and I was ready to do battle, I figure the worse that could happen is they would send me back.
In stead, two young ladies and this guy with them (they look like a cross between hippies and yuppies) grabbed me and this other GI and dragged us to the lounge, where they fed us and filled us with booze. I got drunk and missed two flights, finely one of the girls took me to the plane and poured me into my seat. Kissed my cheek and gave me a flower.
All the time they were feeding us food and drink, never did they condemn us, or even push for information about SE Asia. They just wanted to keep us out of trouble and make us feel welcome.
They did until I got to where I didn't feel much of anything
After 1 1/2 years in RVN and 9 years total service I began to educate myself. That is, I read history. Not the Vietnam War accounts of individual firefights or novelized history, but true history treatises.
Initially I was convinced that the US was saving SE Asia from communism and the "Domino Effect," so I was determined to participate in that effort. Later, as my knowledge increased, the revelation that our involvement could have been avoided by simply not supporting a colonialist France (a bit ironic) and supporting North Vietnam in seeking independence. Ho Chi Minh's declaration of independence was nearly word for word America's declaration. In 1946 we were on the ground floor in introducing democracy and then blew it by supporting France. The next tragedy of Vietnam resulting in countless dead was Lyndon Johnson's management of the Tonkin Gulf lie.
Fast forward to Iraq and the dubiously supported weapons of mass destruction theory. No ground truthing or other tangible support of weapons of mass destruction could be found in Iraq. Powell, Tenet, Rice, and others argued against invading Iraq but could not alter Cheney's and Rumsfeld's momentum for war.
Afghanistan is a country that has never been successfully invaded, reconstructed, conquered, etc from the time of the Persian kings to the present. It is a mess that is a historical quicksand pit for foreigners. As we wonder why democracy is not gaining in Afghanistan we must realize a simple fact: they do not think the way our politicians think.
Back to Vietnam era hippies - mostly frightened young men that had no desire to be drafted but also a few that knew the history behind the Vietnamese conflict.
Initially I was convinced that the US was saving SE Asia from communism and the "Domino Effect," so I was determined to participate in that effort. Later, as my knowledge increased, the revelation that our involvement could have been avoided by simply not supporting a colonialist France (a bit ironic) and supporting North Vietnam in seeking independence. Ho Chi Minh's declaration of independence was nearly word for word America's declaration. In 1946 we were on the ground floor in introducing democracy and then blew it by supporting France. The next tragedy of Vietnam resulting in countless dead was Lyndon Johnson's management of the Tonkin Gulf lie.
Fast forward to Iraq and the dubiously supported weapons of mass destruction theory. No ground truthing or other tangible support of weapons of mass destruction could be found in Iraq. Powell, Tenet, Rice, and others argued against invading Iraq but could not alter Cheney's and Rumsfeld's momentum for war.
Afghanistan is a country that has never been successfully invaded, reconstructed, conquered, etc from the time of the Persian kings to the present. It is a mess that is a historical quicksand pit for foreigners. As we wonder why democracy is not gaining in Afghanistan we must realize a simple fact: they do not think the way our politicians think.
Back to Vietnam era hippies - mostly frightened young men that had no desire to be drafted but also a few that knew the history behind the Vietnamese conflict.
Palmetto-Pride
New member
Since this thread has drifted and will probably be closed soon....I might as well get in my 2cents on the war. I always support our troops 100% even if I think the war is 100%BS. We have no business being in Afghanistan right now, I know after 9/11 we needed to get a little revenge.....had no problem with that. I think the last legitimate war we fought was WW2......
When we quit trying to be the worlds police and start making half of the products we did 30yrs ago we will prosper once again.
When we quit trying to be the worlds police and start making half of the products we did 30yrs ago we will prosper once again.Stevie-Ray
New member
Great story, Kraig!
Far too many didn't get an appropriate welcome home.
cannonfire
New member
I want to say thank you to all the vets out there that served this country with honor. Even though you guys were not always appreciated, you laid the ground work for how today's service members are treated. Thank You.
And you guys had M-14s and 1911s and M79s. I'm jealous to say the least. AND your music was better... just saying.
Its funny that I found this thread, I'm actually procrastinating writting a paper about the US involvment in Vietnam, funny coincidence. As to be done tonight before I leave for training with the Moraccans tomorrow...
And you guys had M-14s and 1911s and M79s. I'm jealous to say the least. AND your music was better... just saying.
Its funny that I found this thread, I'm actually procrastinating writting a paper about the US involvment in Vietnam, funny coincidence. As to be done tonight before I leave for training with the Moraccans tomorrow...
The weight isn't only in the rifle.
Yeah, long ago I got some experience carrying the M14. But not any real ammo supply since it was only patrol practice in the Moscow Mountains. Errr, that's Idaho folks, not the Soviet Onion. Hey, it flaked apart, didn't it?
Remember how much heavier a steel magazine of 20 7.62 rounds is compared to the aluminum magazine (now plastic) of 20 or 30 5.56 rounds. And remember that you can never have too much ammo, unless your Ranger buddy refuses to carry your supply too.
If you want to have 200 rounds of rifle ammo with you when all the loud noises start, the M14 is even more of a heavy-weight. And that is sometimes a low number for many infantry who used (still use) the M16 / M4 weapons.
Bart Noir
Who thinks the M14 balances and points better than any other 7.62x51 rifle.
Yeah, long ago I got some experience carrying the M14. But not any real ammo supply since it was only patrol practice in the Moscow Mountains. Errr, that's Idaho folks, not the Soviet Onion. Hey, it flaked apart, didn't it?
Remember how much heavier a steel magazine of 20 7.62 rounds is compared to the aluminum magazine (now plastic) of 20 or 30 5.56 rounds. And remember that you can never have too much ammo, unless your Ranger buddy refuses to carry your supply too.
If you want to have 200 rounds of rifle ammo with you when all the loud noises start, the M14 is even more of a heavy-weight. And that is sometimes a low number for many infantry who used (still use) the M16 / M4 weapons.
Bart Noir
Who thinks the M14 balances and points better than any other 7.62x51 rifle.