Reply to "Welcome to My World! My Interior View!"

If You are NOT interested in learning more about the past experiences of Marlin Jack... Please READ NO FURTHER!!...You've been Warned! I sure Do Not want to Rattle-On! THIS NOT BEING relevant Here TO this forum!

But I feel I Must say this on Behalf of All Vietnam Veterans!

It has been Many Years since I returned home from that War. I went over when I was all of Eighteen Years Old, after Graduating from the Army School, Fort Eustis, VA, as a Helicopter Repair/Maintainance Technician. (Helicopter Crewchief/Doorgunner).

In the time since returning, I have been given the Great Privilege and Honor; of being recognized, and the opportunity to Talk with a handful of Fellow Soldiers; as well as a Young Vietnemese Gentleman, whom I had the Pleasure of working beside, here in Califonia. That Young Boy had come over 'On the Boat' to Freedom in AMERICA!
I would like to share their Conversations with You, Here.

One Soldier once 'confessed' to Me; "We were surrounded and pinned Down, We lost Men and ran out of Ammo. We had said our Prayers and Already 'Bent Over and Kissed Our Asses Good-Buy'. We had Lost All Hope! THEN We Heard 'Rotor Blades'!

Long ago, decades ago, at an old job; Coworkers on lunchbreak, outside at a picknick table. I happened by and overheard the Vietnemese Boy(at that time) talking with My coworkers. He did Not know I was there! It seemed to Me, He was Correcting Them...
"'They'(The Viet-Cong) Killed My Mother and Father, They Killed My entire Family. They were going to kill us all, When the Helicopters came and Helped, The AMERICANS Saved Us!". I believe the Young Man was Spared from the Death Camps in Cambodia. And for those whom didn't know, in Cambodia, they didn't Bury the Dead; The Starving Ate Them!
Up to that point, These fellow workers were 'Suffering' under the Delusion that most all Vietnam Veterans were 'Indiscriminate Killers' of Unarmed Men, Women and Children. Their Beliefs were changed, Forever!

The Helicopter Crews were Under Orders Not to bring Children out of the War Zone and we were under the Threat of Courtmarshall, if we shared our C Rations with the Hungry. We did anyway!

My Apologies for Ranting-On! The fact is, I was never 'De-Briefed', and I Do have 'Issues' I Must deal with every Moment of EveryDay. Probably why I am Perceived as Angry at Times.
I should 'Write a Book', but I stop Myself, feeling 'Who would Believe it?'. We've heard it ALL many times before; it would be, 'Beating a dead horse'.

I was Not Drafted into the Army, I withdrew from College and Volunteered, back in 1969!
Futhermore, I Never once 'Allowed' Myself a Single Complaint, because 'I had Asked for It!', knowing fullwell there was a 99% chance that I Would be sent to Vietnam. To this Day I can tell You, My Friends, I would Do it all over again in a Heartbeat!! I wouldn't have missed 'It' 'for the World'.

"We Couldn't Save Them ALL...But We Saved Some!"

I Thank You for Your Consideration. You ARE My Friends! And I will Forever Believe, "You can 'Hang' Your Life on a Viet-Nam Vet!!".

Marlin