Vietnam

Earlier this year we paid notice of the 30th anniversary of the pullout from Vietnam,thus
ending the war/conflict there for the United States. It was hard to escape that war here
in this country,it was lead story on the evening news most nights. And as the 60's drew
to a close and we moved into 70's,the anti-war protest in the states escalated as well as
the conflict. 1975 was a blessing for me,I turned 17 that year and so watching the events
of the pullout from the U.S. embassy in Saigon was met with relief. Relief that we was
finally exiting from a situation we lost control of and was losing. Relief that our young
men AND women who served over there would no longer be subjected to the unfortunate
abuse from our citizens upon their return home. And relief that I would not be faced with
the possibility of being sent there. Now my options was made easier by the fact that 3
years earlier,the draft was ended so that was good news for me. So if the war had
continued and the draft never ended,would I have gone? Yes without question. It would
have been a sad period in my life,but could not have gone to Canada. I didn't know how
to go about doing it and I could not do that to my family. But '75 spared me from all
of that,and left me free to sign up in the new volunteer Army the next year after
graduating from high school.I flunked out of basic but that's a tale for another day.
MAYBE. So to all of those who served,those that returned,those that lost their lives,
and those whose status is in limbo, I thank you.