SwiftVets.com

[retaffl]

Please read my story

Today I work in a Public School Library in Dade County, Florida. My job is to check out books to students, return books that have been checked out and to shelve those books. Because of this job I have a lot of interaction with the students.

Yesterday was January 1969 to July 1970, and a few years before that.

Yesterday I worked in the Base Safety Office at Tan Son Nhut AB, Vietnam. My job then was to assist the Safety Officers in investigating and preparing Accident Reports on accidents (or otherwise) that happened to aircraft, ground vehicles and personnel assigned or attached to our base, or happened to our equipment at another base, or visitors to our base.

I was not a combat troop. I was not in the battle zone. I was a United States Air Force Sergeant. I was as rear echelon as you could get and still serve in Vietnam.

I have a story to relate to you and I hope you will bear with me.

As part of my today job, my Head Librarian asked me yesterday if I knew of any books she could read to her classes about Veterans Day (She knew I was a Vietnam Vet) . My response was negative at first, but then I remembered a story about a Parade where our Flag passed by and an old vet stood up in respect for the flag, and tried to explain to his child or grandchild why he was doing that. I couldn’t remember the name of the book nor the author, but I did find one book in our library that she used and she read that book to a First Grade class. The book was written by Eve Bunting and the title is “The Wall”. It is a children’s book.

What I didn’t know was that after she read the story, she told all the First Grade Kids, that I was a Vietnam Veteran, and told them all to wish me a Happy Veterans Day.

They then asked me questions about being a “Veteran” “vegetable” "veterinarian” (Remember these are all 6 year olds trying to repeat an adult word)

Well, they did ask me questions?
Did You Fight? Did you kill anyone? Did you die? Is your name on the wall? What was it like? Were you shot? Were you shot at? Etc...

I had to change the subject real fast with these first graders because I knew I was about to lose it. It was real close. It would not be a good scene if I did.

As I stated earlier, I was not a combat vet in the field. I am not a brave soldier who waded through the rice paddies, nor am I an aircrew member who had some combat experiences. I was not a marine or a sailor who patrolled in the Delta or any other place in country or in the theater. I did however serve and I am proud of that.

I started to remember the times the Viet Cong would shoot the rockets into our base in the middle of the night, and we would hear the siren and head to the bunkers, stay there for hours and then try to get back to our huts and try to get back to sleep.

I remembered the time our troops captured one of the nighttime VC who was lobbing mortars onto the base and in the morning they discovered he was our base barber.

I remembered walking home from work every night going by the morgue looking at all the caskets waiting for their trip home, hoping and praying that I would be able to “walk” off the plane stateside.

I remembered back 4 years earlier when, stationed in Japan, I was TDY to Vietnam and I was on a C-130 flying over Danang prior to landing looking out the window. I asked the loadmaster what where those red things flying into the sky. He told me they were tracers, and the enemy was shooting at us. After we landed I could see the bullet holes in the plane. Even as a 19 year old kid, I knew what that meant.

I remembered my last flight out in 1970. Going Home finally. I was stationed at Tan Son Nhut, but they had to bus us to Bien Hoa to catch the freedom bird home because of enemy activity around our base.

I also remember coming home. Landed at San Francisco. We were not welcome. We were met by the scum of the earth.

I also remembered the relatives and friends of mine whose names are on the wall. There are many.

I think today was a big help for me. Nov 2, 2004 was a great step in that direction, but I’m hoping today was the giant leap for me. Visiting the wall is the next step. Today is November 8, 2005, the first day of the rest of my positive life.

Larry Jackson, SMSgt, USAF Retired
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SMSgt USAF RET
Tan Son Nhut Jan 69-Jul 70

[LewWaters]

Hello, Larry, from another native to Dade County (although far removed now).

I wouldn't feel too bad about the questions from 1st graders. They haven't learned very much yet and sometimes, their curiosity doesn't make a lot of sense to us old guys.

I also wouldn't feel too bad about the job you did in Viet Nam. Charlie didn't care what we did, just that we wore a uniform. At times, it took a lot of bravery just to get up and keep going. Being there, though, we were all in harms way and even a stray rocket could have taken anyone out.

If given another chance, stand proud before small children and tell them about your time. No need to feel insecure or brag more than you did. Not everyone in a combat zone does actual combat and believe me, most all were needed in one capacity or another to ensure those that did go into combat survived or performed their mission.

Whatever contribution we each made, feel proud that you went, instead of running away to Canada.

[MarineBrat]

Hi Larry:

Please accept my sincerest and humblest thanks for the service that you provided to our country! God Bless You, and keep you near.

Thank you!
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God Bless Our Veterans Of The USA! Thank you for your service!
If you can read, thank a teacher. If you can read in English, thank a Veteran!

[dusty]

Great story Larry. I feel your pain. Congratulations on making the rest of your time here a positive. That's a tough thing to do for some of us and I'm so glad to hear your commitment.
Welcome home brother.

Dusty
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Left and Wrong are the opposite of Right!