The note below was appended to a story about the healing effects of visiting the Vietnam Memorial in Washington, D.C.
“I have tried many times to walk the Memorial wall, I can never get past the entrance. I served in Vietnam in 1971 I was attached to the 101st a recon unit after serving on a Fire Bace in Cambodia and made many friends. Each and every day in 1971 guys were getting killed for no reason at all, the war was winding down and yet they were forced to enter the Jungle where many did not return. One guy was a short timer who had but three weeks left to serve and he was sent to his death. Another good friend, Irving Brown, was to be married upon his return to the states. He left one morning and never returned, he took a bullet to the head. The wall reminds me of the failures of our Gov leaders and the damage they caused by making wrong decisions. 58000+ young men are now dead because of that and when I see the wall I am overcome with emotions and cannot enter memorial. The unit I was with while in PhuBai actually protested being sent into the field and the MP’s were called in to stop the rioting. I cannot enter the memorial as my feet are anchored by my tears and anger.”
Joe A
Link to story: http://www.miller-mccune.com/health/the-healing-power-of-the-vietnam-veterans-memorial-14719/