A Salute to Our Vietnam Vets

Armistice Day, a National Holiday declared by President Woodrow Wilson to honor the veterans of WW I, grew into Veterans Day. This is the day we honor all veterans, but I want to specifically honor our Vietnam veterans.

Betrayed by our politicians, maligned by the press as mentally ill homeless bums, and negatively stereotyped by Hollywood as dope smoking baby killers, no group of veterans has been more defamed.

Thankfully, our nation overcame those false negative images after 9/11, and these veterans are now getting the respect and honor they have earned. I love seeing the RVN ribbon stickers in the back window of pickups and SUVs.

I attended a Veterans Day ceremony at my daughter's school and looked around at my fellow veterans. The WW II vets were stooped over canes or sitting in wheelchairs, ears cocked, straining to hear. The younger Vietnam vets were still quite vibrant and had the older veterans outnumbered. I was heartened to see so many of them. These were professors, teachers, engineers, and deputy sheriffs. Some were now retired or 100% disabled. It did my heart good to see them soaking up the honor these children bestowed upon them with songs, poetry and patriotic readings.

In Vietnam they didn't have the hard billets and Burger Kings my generation had in Bosnia, Iraq and Afghanistan. These men and women were not honored at airports and civic functions. They returned home under a cloud of shame they did not earn. And they showed us how men and women carry themselves with dignity despite having their honor questioned and being cheated by the society they fought for.

Vietnam vets, I salute you. Sam, Johnny, Richard, Larry, Galen, Paul, Dick, Tony, my drill instructor Sergeant Smith... I am honored to be your friend. You represent the very best of America. Thank you for being my friend, and for showing us all what heroism, patriotism, self-sacrifice and dignity look like.

May God bless you.