World War II veterans are estimated to be dying at a rapid pace. One in 10 of the 16 million who served remain with us .
Most of these survivors are over 85 years old. Often described as the greatest generation, today their contribution to the American way of life is seldom discussed or remembered by society as a whole. However, I will not extol the much-deserved virtues of these selfless warriors of the 1940s. I will instead attempt to plant a seed in the minds of those among us today for another lost generation who fought in a much less essential and appreciated conflict- Vietnam.
Most Nam veterans are now more than 60 years old and teetering on the verge of forgotten status, much like their band of brothers from World War II and Korea.
I spent 22 months in Vietnam. I was blessed in my duty assignments. I somehow found my way into a job as head lifeguard at a swimming pool in Long Binh and spent my time far from the daily nightmares of our courageous grunts.
But this is not about me or the thousands of others who returned home physically and mentally unaffected by the horrors of war. This is about those aging warriors who still have serious problems related to the war.
Regardless of one’s feelings and beliefs on past and present wars and conflicts, please realize that most of those men who put their life on the line in Vietnam were doing so because it was required of them by the government.
I am encouraged by the general respect I see bestowed on our modern day soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.
Thankfully, today most folks are able to separate their lack of support for these wars from the service of these gallant warriors. It is truly a step in the right direction. This proved not to be the case back in the late 1960s and early 1970s.
Some returning Vietnam vets that I know hid the fact they had participated in the widely detested war. It wasn’t a badge of honor pinned to their chest, but a Scarlet Letter carved on their forehead. So now as we edge ever closer to the 40th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War, the further it fades from the American consciousness.
As a society, let’s not wake up 20 years from now and read an article in the paper stating the fact that only one in 10 living Vietnam veterans.
