-Caveat Lector-
Dear Hero,
I was in my twenties during the Vietnam era. I was a single mother and,
I'm sad to say, I was probably one of the most self-centered people on
the planet. To be perfectly honestâ¦I didn't care one way or the other
about the war. All I cared about was meâhow I looked, what I wore, and
where I was going. I worked and I played. I was never politically
involved in anything, but I allowed my opinions to be formed by the
media. It happened without my ever being aware. I listened to the
protest songs and I watch the six o'clock news and I listened to all the
people who were talking. After awhile, I began to repeat their words
and, if you were to ask me, I'd have told you I was against the war. It
was very popular. Everyone was doing it, and we never saw what it was
doing to our men. All we were shown was what they were doing to the
people of Vietnam.
My brother joined the Navy and then he was sent to Vietnam. When he came
home, I repeated the words to him. It surprised me at how angry he
became. I hurt him very deeply and there were years of separationânot
only of miles, but also of character. I didn't understand.
In fact, I didn't understand anything until one day I opened my
newspaper and saw the anguished face of a Vietnam veteran. The picture
was taken at the opening of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington,
D.C. His countenance revealed the terrible burden of his soul. As I
looked at his picture and his tears, I finally understood a tiny portion
of what you had given for us and what we had done to you. I understood
that I had been manipulated, but I also knew that I had failed to think
for myself. It was like waking up out of a nightmare, except that the
nightmare was real. I didn't know what to do.
One day about three years ago, I went to a member of the church I
attended at that time, because he had served in Vietnam. I asked him if
he had been in Vietnam, and he got a look on his face and said, "Yes."
Then, I took his hand, looked him square in the face, and said, "Thank
you for going." His jaw dropped, he got an amazed look on his face, and
then he said, "No one has ever said that to me." He hugged me and I
could see that he was about to get tears in his eyes. It gave me an
idea, because there is much more that needs to be said. How do we put
into wordsâ¦all the regret of so many years? I don't know, but when I
have an opportunity, I takeâ¦so here goes.
Have you been to Vietnam? If so, I have something I want to say to
youâThank you for going! Thank you from the bottom of my heart. Please
forgive me for my insensitivity. I don't know how I could have been so
blind, but I was. When I woke up, you were wounded and the damage was
done, and I don't know how to fix it. I will never stop regretting my
actions, and I will never let it happen again.
Please understand that I am speaking for the general public also. We
know we blew it and we don't know how to make it up to you. We wish we
had been there for you when you came home from Vietnam because you were
a hero and you deserved better. Inside of you there is a pain that will
never completely go awayâ¦and you know what? It's inside of us, too;
because when we let you down, we hurt ourselves, too. We all know itâ¦and
we suffer guilt and we don't know what to doâ¦so we cheer for our troops
and write letters to "any soldier" and we hang out the yellow ribbons
and fly the flag and we love America. We love you too, even if it
doesn't feel like it to you. I know in my heart that, when we cheer
wildly for our troops, part of the reason is trying to make up for
Vietnam. And while it may work for us, it does nothing for you. We
failed you. You didn't fail us, but we failed you and we lost our only
chance to be grateful to you at the time when you needed and deserved
it. We have disgraced ourselves and brought shame to our country. We did
it and we need your forgiveness. Please say you will forgive us and
please take your rightful place as heroes of our country. We have
learned a terribly painful lesson at your expense and we don't know how
to fix it.
From the heart,
Julie Weaver
x
Burleson, Texas
(xxx) xxx-
Email address: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
DECLARATION DISCLAIMER
==
CTRL is a discussion and informational exchange list. Proselyzting propagandic
screeds are not allowed. Substancenot soapboxing! These are sordid matters
and 'conspiracy theory', with its many half-truths, misdirections and outright
frauds is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects
spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRL
gives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers;
be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credeence to Holocaust denial and
nazi's need not apply.
Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector.
