No Welcome Home

    It was the early sixties the beginning of the Hippie revolution. Everyone was talking “love not hate” “Peace not war”. Our government was getting us involved in another war. This war was half way around the world in South Viet Nam. We were to help South Viet Nam fight off the approaching Viet Cong. It sounded alright on paper and wars always seemed to help a political career. 
   This war was fought differently then any other war the U.S. has ever gotten into. We were never allowed to take the offensive, we were never allowed to attack, we were in a defensive mode and we were told to stay that way. You can't win a war that way and in the mid Seventies we lost the war. The Viet Cong over ran everything and chased us out.
   Enough about the war. That was not what I wanted to talk about. I want to talk about the boys that were sent over there and became men while they were still in their teens. I also want to talk about the nurses and the doctors that worked around the clock patching up our soldiers. 
   Viet Nam is mostly jungle so to help our soldiers fight, our government came up with something called Agent Orange,which when dropped from airplanes would destroy all the foliage and make it easier to find the enemy. Agent Orange also destroyed  people, our own people as well as the enemy. The symptoms very anywhere from 
nerve damage to cancer. It also affects the children of those affected. Many children were born with birth defects linked to Agent Orange.
   Alcohol and illegal drugs were plentiful in Viet Nam so many of the soldiers came home hooked. As in most wars there were atrocities that many would love to forget but can't. A lot of these atrocities occurred when officers, seeking to make a name for themselves, would over step their authority and order soldiers to do things they should not. 
   After the soldier spent his or her time in Viet Nam you would think they would come home to a heroes welcome. Most came home to no welcome at all. The protesters were not getting anywhere with the government so they decided to try a new tactic. They went after the soldier. They would tell the soldiers they were wrong for being
there and encourage them to go AWOL. This really destroyed the moral of our soldiers. When the soldiers came home they were all but forgotten. In fact the soldiers were made to feel like the enemy. Some people would even spit on or hit the soldiers. a few got beaten to death just because they were wearing their uniforms.
   Today many of our Viet Nam vets are living on the street unable to cope with civilian life after returning from Viet Nam.
   When the Viet Nam Wall was built in Washington D.C. it did a lot to help the Viet Nam veterans, finally they were getting the recognition they deserved. Then they built 3 moving walls. So that everyone in the country would get a chance to see the wall and remember. 
    I remember a part of a TV show I saw a long time ago. I have forgotten the name of the show. There was an old lady who wanted to see the Viet Nam Wall and find her son's name but no one would take her. Finally the male lead drove her to the wall. They found the name but it was too high she could not trace it. So he got a ladder that was there so people could reach the top names. She said she couldn't climb up the ladder someone will look up her skirt. She told the man to do it for her. He said no this is something you have to do. He also said no one would look up her skirt. So finally she climbed up the ladder and traced her son's name. 
   I saw the moving wall twice. Each time I was awed by the size of it and all the names on it. I know many of my friends have their name on that wall and it saddens me. 
   I have never hid the fact that I was in the Air Force form July 1970 to July 1974. I went in the Air Force hoping that I would not have to go to Viet Nam. I hate guns and didn't want to carry one. I didn't think I could ever make myself shoot another human being even to save my life. 
    I have always been sadden by the lack of respect our returning soldiers got during that time. I used to hate veterans day because I was always reminded of the lack of respect  the public showed the Viet Nam vets. Then 10 years ago people started thanking me for serving my country. Even strangers when they find out I am a vet come up and thank me. Every time  someone thanks me it makes my day.  The Viet Nam vets are finally being recognized and I am happy. 
    Oh by the way. because I was never in Viet Nam so I cannot call myself a Viet Nam vet. The Government calls me a Viet Nam era vet.  I was Sgt. Arnold Edwin Nelson Jr. USAF. It doesn't matter what label the Government gives me. I was proud to serve my country then and I am still proud of my service to our great country. 

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