Author Topic: For you Vets (Read 441 times)

AKSWulfe · « **Reply #15 on:** July 23, 2002, 01:37:39 PM »

"United States of America"
-SW

Maverick · « **Reply #16 on:** July 23, 2002, 01:43:20 PM »

Raubvogel has it right. The cases are generic, the contents are not.

The case contains the medal and ribbon as well as a straight ribbon for wear on the blouse. (fruit salad for those who understand the term)

easymo · « **Reply #17 on:** July 23, 2002, 01:44:49 PM »

Hmmm. All I have is a blob in the lower right corner. And a couple of lines down the left side. I better leave this to the people who can actually see the thing.

wulfie · « **Reply #18 on:** July 23, 2002, 10:51:42 PM »

Read this book.

http://www.stolenvalor.com

It will shock the heck out of you - especially my fellow members of the armed forces.

It really debunks alot of the total lies that are accepted as fact re: the U.S. led war in SE Asia and the Veterans of that conflict.

Mike/wulfie

Karnak · « **Reply #19 on:** July 23, 2002, 11:08:08 PM »

I remember reading one veteran's account that he gave a reporter who saw hime leave an old photo of an NVA soldier (the NVA soldier's identity is unknown) and his daughter (assumed).

The veteran had encountered the NVA soldier on a raised path between rice paddies. They had both come around a corner of hogher vegitation and surprised eachother. He said they stood there, looking at eachother, for what felt like a very long time. His M-16 pointed at the ground and the NVA soldier's AK-47 pointing at the ground. Then he raised his M-16 and shot the NVA soldier. After he had killed the NVA soldier, he searched his body and found the photo of the guy with his daughter, posed a well dressed for a portrait shot. He said that looking at that photo brought home to him that his adversarries were people just like his fellow soldiers, the photo was the kind of thing that all soldiers carried.

He put the photo into his wallet and carried it for more than 30 years. He left it at the wall when the US and Vietnam started to normalize relations.

The reporter asked him what he'd say to the NVA soldier if he could. The veteran said that he'd say "Thank you for my life, for not shooting me."

I found the story very touching.

Monk · « **Reply #20 on:** July 24, 2002, 12:44:35 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by Maverick
Raubvogel has it right. The cases are generic, the contents are not. The case contains the medal and ribbon as well as a straight ribbon for wear on the blouse. (fruit salad for those who understand the term)

Ditto

midnight Target · « **Reply #21 on:** July 24, 2002, 01:05:18 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by Karnak
I remember reading one veteran's account that he gave a reporter who saw hime leave an old photo of an NVA soldier (the NVA soldier's identity is unknown) and his daughter (assumed).

The veteran had encountered the NVA soldier on a raised path between rice paddies. They had both come around a corner of hogher vegitation and surprised eachother. He said they stood there, looking at eachother, for what felt like a very long time. His M-16 pointed at the ground and the NVA soldier's AK-47 pointing at the ground. Then he raised his M-16 and shot the NVA soldier. After he had killed the NVA soldier, he searched his body and found the photo of the guy with his daughter, posed a well dressed for a portrait shot. He said that looking at that photo brought home to him that his adversarries were people just like his fellow soldiers, the photo was the kind of thing that all soldiers carried.

He put the photo into his wallet and carried it for more than 30 years. He left it at the wall when the US and Vietnam started to normalize relations.

The reporter asked him what he'd say to the NVA soldier if he could. The veteran said that he'd say "Thank you for my life, for not shooting me."

I found the story very touching.

They did an entire special on MSNBC on that picture. The American soldier carried it for years, and it haunted him. He finally let it go at the wall, and thought all was healed. The same picture later turned up in the book someone else mentioned, and the guys friends took the book to him. He thought he had buried that ghost, and it kept coming back.
The local news heard about him, and he actually was sent on their dime to Viet Nam to look for the girl and return the photo. They met, and according to the story, he continues to stay in contact with the girl.

Sabre · « **Reply #22 on:** July 24, 2002, 02:15:13 PM »

I visit The Wall whenever I'm in D.C. This first time I was there, as a young Captain in the Air Force, I took my camera. I wanted to get one of those touching photos of some vet or family member standing in front of the wall. I figured it would make a good lead-in to a story or article, as I enjoy writing. As I was standing there looking around, I noticed an older man walk up to The Wall, leaning heavily on a cane.

I walked up about four feet behind him, camera in hand and began to raise it to my eye just as the gentleman raised a gnarled hand up to reverantly touch a name. Then I looked past his body to his reflection in the marble, saw the look of pride and loss on his face, and in his eyes. The hand holding the camera dropped to my side, I nodded to the face in the mirrored surface, and then turned silently away. It remains etched in my mind with greater clarity than any two-dimensional image could ever hope to provide.

God bless those who served, those who died, and those who remain behind to cherish their memories.

Sabre