SwiftVets.com

[FMBass]

Hope you guys don’t mind two cents worth from a DE sailor. I am just an average guy that put in his active duty time during the final years of the war, no hero stuff here. I didn’t like the military and didn’t want to be there (joining the Navy to prevent being drafted by the Army), but circumstances being what they were, I served my time, was discharged Honorably and pretty much since then, have been doing my best trying to forget about that period of my life (American history/society being what it is/was).

However, I am writing this, more so, wondering what my recently deceased father would have thought about Kerry. My dad was an enlisted guy, going in for his brother who got drafted in 1942 (don’t know how he pulled that off, but he did).

My dad was put into an Army Engineering unit that was trained to clear beach obstacles. This put him into the first wave assaults at Sicily, Salerno, and Normandy. He also served in North Africa, as well as (I remember him responding to one of my war questions, when I was about 7 or so, that “the last thing you want to ever hear is the command to fix bayonets”) at the Battle of the Bulge.

That was 4 years worth of stuff, not 4 months. He never mentioned much about the war. He dodged most questions from me, especially when I asked about scars here and there on his legs and arms (“it happened in the war”). He didn’t have any PH’s on his DD-214.

He did, almost always, follow up my war questions with the refrain: “the last thing anyone wants to ever see is war”.

While growing up, in responses to my questions about his war medals, he would typically tell me that medals weren’t all that important, that lots of guys did a lot of brave things that they didn’t get medals for, if some one was around to see it and wrote it up right, sometimes they got a medal.

All of the highly decorated guys I have met since Viet Nam have been very, very discrete about their war record. Generally, more than several conversations take place, trading service stories, before I found out about their heroism and their admitting to receiving a “medal”. I can’t think of a single case where any of these guys did not say something to the effect “I don’t know why they gave me that (medal), it wasn’t a big deal, I was just doing my job”. Absolute humility!

Maybe it’s just the way I grew up, my service, or the vets I met after, but when somebody flaunts his medals, starts every freakin sentence with “When I was Viet Nam” and then “snaps to”, in front of the whole country, salutes and says: “Reporting for Duty”, I have to wonder how genuine the guy is.

I’m sure my father would see this guy as an absolute scam artist. I can almost here my dad say: “This guy is really full of (crap)”.

I applaud the challenge that you guys have taken on. You guys are what America is all about.

May God Bless all of you who are standing in front of this challange to truth and freedom.

Thanks
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ETR-3 USS Harold E. Holt
DE 1074 (1972-1975)

[LewWaters]

We applaud you too. No one really wants to go to war, but you enlisted and served your country, doing the duty assigned. Be proud of that.

Your Dad sounds like a real good man who went through a lot to provide us the freedom we enjoy today. Be proud to have had a Dad like him.

He's right too. Ever since I was in Nam, whenever I get around others, when I start hearing the wild stories, I can almost tell automatically they either didn't go or didn't do much combat. It's not something men brag about, most just want to forget it. I'm amazed now, I can't find a single man who was a cook or a company clerk there.

Welcome to the forum and enjoy yourself.
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Clark County Conservative

[Navy_Navy_Navy]

BZ's, shipmate! I really enjoyed your letter and agree completely with all of it. Heroes are quiet and don't aggrandize their actions.

Welcome aboard!
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~ Echo Juliet ~
Altering course to starboard - On Fire, Keep Clear
Navy woman, Navy wife, Navy mother

[ASPB]

You're absolutely correct. I've talked a little about my combat credentials in this battle over the last few months. Not for Self-aggrandizement but only to qualify myself as a commentator.

Hell, my kids, who are in their 30's don't know what went on in Nam and I don't want them to. The wife either!
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On Sale! Order in lots of 100 now at velero@rcn.com Free for the cost of shipping All profits (if any, especially now) go to Swiftvets. The author of "Sink Kerry Swiftly" ---ASPB