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Aug 24, 2004 This story could be a true story. “I first arrived in Da Nang, Viet Nam in July 12, 1968, just a few days before my 24th birthday. I was a Lt. in the U.S. NAVY. Upon arrival in Da Nang, I along with my SEAL team was shown to our plot of muddy land with a few shacks on it. That was our home for the next two years. The Officer in Charge of our team was a Captain who has passed away since. He was a true hero in every sense of the word. He was on his second tour. Our job was simple, find the VC camps along waterways or deep inside the jungle and destroy them always making sure they didn’t destroy us. For the most part we held our own but there were costs involved. Every time we came home and we counted 15 living bodies was time to celebrate even if one or two were getting medical attention, at least we were all alive. We had many celebrations along with some sad and somber home comings. When we lost one of us we lost a piece of ourselves. Every member of the team was heavily decorated but the best decoration that we could have received was the Grace of God to bring us home alive. Most of us rejected some of our medals (Purple Hearts) out of respect for thousands of brave men who lost limbs and worse and did not return to fight again. It took the direct orders from an Admiral to make us accept future Purple Hearts. I qualified to leave Viet Nam after my fifth month but I wasn’t about to go home and leave my family behind. I was not alone on that decision, three more guys decided the same. On my eleventh month I was promoted to Captain, I decided then to stay for another tour. As a Captain I got my own team, mostly guys that I had been with since arriving in country, they all signed up to stay. New members were added to replace the fallen. Our Captain went home after he finished his tour, he well deserved going home alive. By the time I left Viet Nam on August 4, 1970, I had been awarded fourteen medals six of which were Purple Hearts in addition to the first I refused. The others are not up for discussion. The only time I worn my medals was when they were pinned on my uniform and then they were placed in a box which has never been opened since the day I placed the last one inside. However I have been carrying the remnants of those medals on my body to this day, I will die with them. There are other scars but they are inside me, not from what happened in Viet Nam but from words spoken by people, who used those words for their planned advancement, inflate their self importance and justify their libelous and slanderous cause. Everyone who served in Viet Nam served with honor, only most with more than a few.” ------------ About the author Al Young: I am a disgusted former registered democrat. The last straw was the performances by Carville, Lanny Davis and Chris Matthews. I no longer can stand the rabid extreme left wing socialist media who will try to hide what is obvious just to elect Kerry. Email: abxxy@aol.com Tell a friend about this site! ------------ |
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