There is a Strong Connection Between the current serving generation of Veterans and the Vietnam Generation of Veterans
The Nathanael Greene Chapter of the National Society, Daughters of the American Revolution, held a ceremony last Saturday honoring Veterans of the Vietnam War era.
The Nathanael Greene Chapter is a commemorative Partner with the Department of Defense Vietnam War Commemoration program. Congress authorized the Department of Defense to work through groups such as the DAR to assist a grateful nation in thanking and honoring the veterans of the Vietnam war and their families.
Congress recognized that Vietnam era veterans are a unique group because of the way they were treated by their country during and after the war. “There is such a strong connection between the current serving generation of veterans and our Vietnam generation, mainly because the Vietnam generation of veterans wants to ensure the treatment our current service members receive is very different than what many of them experienced when they served.”Although there will be national and international events commemorating the sacrifices of American troops in Vietnam, the most import events will be held in the home towns. This was the focus of the Nathanael Greenville Chapter of the DAR last Saturday. It was a hometown family event with deep purpose and meaning. It was a pleasant and meaningful event for the aging veterans to remember.
Vietnam Vets are beginning to speak up, something that did not happen during the Vietnam War. On Memorial Day, Vietnam War Veteran and author of the book Scars and Stripes describing his Vietnam experience, Navy Captain Eugene “Red” McDaniel said: “It’s been some time since I reached a point where I decided the leadership isn’t worthy of the sacrifices people are making for it. The current administration’s focus on the military has seemed to be more on installing open homosexuality in the ranks and allowing women into tip-of-the-spear ground combat operations.”
Some 50 local veterans from the war that took place 50 years ago were honored by the Society. The defense of South Vietnam, from a Communist takeover, by American and allied forces resulted in thousands of casualties. It was a war that, not unlike the current conflict with Islamic terrorists, was not understood by the American people because they were misled by government leaders and a dominant media that was sympathetic to the Communist enemy and their domestic terrorist supporters in the United States.
The difference between Vietnam and the Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan is that Vietnam Veterans have been leaders in supporting veterans of those wars, determined that they will not be treated like the Vietnam Veterans were treated.
Sadly, no one came to the aid of Vietnam Veterans. The “Greatest Generation” strangely remained silent. No one has ever explained why the heroes who defeated the Nazis and Japanese did not support veterans of wars that they were not allowed to win.