Vietnam War veterans share firsthand accounts
http://www.postcrescent.com/article/20100506/APC0903/100505176/Vietnam-War-veterans-share-firsthand-accounts
Little Chute students attend presentation
BY SHARON HANUSZCZAK-FROBERG
May 6, 2010
LITTLE CHUTE Sixth-grader Joseph Gorski spent the last few weeks of
social studies class learning about the Vietnam War.
But the horrific conditions American soldiers faced in combat during
the conflict didn't seem real until the Little Chute Middle School
student heard first-person accounts from four Vietnam veterans during
a recent school assembly.
Representatives from Vietnam Veterans of America Appleton Chapter
351 shared their experiences with students and set up displays
containing American and North Vietnamese artifacts from the war.
"It's really great for kids to have a primary source, somebody who
live through it," said social studies teacher Patti Beltz. "I can
teach them all I know but hearing from people who were actually
fighting in it is phenomenal."
Veterans Mike Weaver of Kaukauna, Leon Meidam of Appleton, Steve
Buntjer of Black Creek and Bill Kunz of Menasha spoke about the
treacherous jungle life in Vietnam, where soldiers dealt with
monsoons, snakes and leeches.
Weaver, who enlisted as an Army medic, showed students the mosquito
netting soldiers put over their bed at night to prevent bites and malaria.
"Malaria will kill you eventually," he said. "We had to take two
different malaria pills in Vietnam."
Students got a close-up look at various weapons Americans and Viet
Cong used during the war, including an AK-47 and other automatic
weapons, rifles, and a rocket-propelled grenade launcher that
continues to be used in Iraq and Afghanistan.
They learned about sleeping gear U.S. soldiers used and about
C-rations, individual canned, precooked or prepared wet rations
issued to troops in the field.
Students also heard about the challenges in fighting the war, which
wounded more than 300,000 Americans and killed more than 58,000 of
the 3 million who served.
"Enemy soldiers dressed like regular folks in Vietnam," Weaver said.
"It was hard to tell the good guys from the bad guys. You couldn't
tell who they were until they started shooting at you."
Weaver said soldiers in the jungle relied on walkie-talkies to
communicate since cell phones weren't around at the time.
"You were dropped in locations that most of the time was very remote.
If you didn't have a radio to get help to evacuate you out you
were toast," he said. "If you couldn't get medical help in if you had
wounded people, you had serious problems."
Veterans also spoke about the disrespect and distain they endured
when they returned home from Vietnam.
"There was a tremendous amount of protest in this country.
Unfortunately, at that time, it was not only directed against the
politicians, but it was directed against us when we came back from
Vietnam," Weaver said. "Our country turned its back on us. It hurts a
lot. It never goes away."
Hearing veterans talk about being disrespected by Americans was
upsetting to students like Gorski. The 11-year-old offered to help
the veterans take down the displays they brought to school after the
presentation ended as a way to show his appreciation for their service.
"I don't think it was right," he said, referring to how some Vietnam
veterans were treated.
--
Sharon Hanuszczak-Froberg: 920-729-6622, ext. 27, or [email protected]
.
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