God Bless the Nam Vets - taking over role as Vets' voice & protecting the newest ones

[Woodmonkey]

Vietnam fighters taking over role as voice of veterans

It's the special time of year again for Don Morris. He grows a beard, puts on his leathers, and jumps on his Honda Gold Wing motorcycle to lead hundreds of Arizona Vietnam veterans on a motorcycle ride to Washington, D.C.

Their destination this Memorial Day weekend was the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, where they annually join thousands of Vietnam veterans to honor the soldiers lost in that war and others.

The ride by the Vietnam veterans represents a change from previous decades, when Morris and many others were less public about their participation in an unpopular war.

But with the youngest of the World War II veterans now in their 80s, and Korean War veterans not far behind, the Vietnam veterans have stepped forward as the new face and voice of America's veterans.

In Arizona, there are 88,831 World War II veterans and 177,338 Vietnam veterans. On average, at least 1,000 World War II veterans die each day around the country, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs.

"It was our time to step up," said Morris, who lives in Peoria.

These days, it's the Vietnam veterans going to the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars posts.

They're the ones organizing parades and fund-raisers, and they're the ones helping to drive the message on the home front to support the troops.

They're reaching out to the thinning ranks of older veterans and feel a responsibility to veterans coming home from Iraq. They want to make sure the newest veterans get the welcome home and support that the Vietnam veterans never had.

"Any Vietnam veteran has the ultimate respect for World War II and Korean veterans; all of a sudden there's a kinship between the Iraqi and Vietnam veterans," Morris said.

Oscar Urrea, 57, founder of Valley veterans group In-Country Vietnam Veterans said there is a lot to pass along to that next generation of veterans.

"Our torch is our experience of life in combat zones and in experiencing the horrors and tragedies of war," Urrea said.

Different homecomings
World War II and the Vietnam veterans had vastly different homecomings, said Sheldon Simon, a political-science professor at Arizona State University.

Among the differences, said Simon, is that the nation was committed to fighting World War II. The war was fought on the home front and sacrifices were required of everybody.

"Vietnam was significantly different; the war dragged on and became less and less popular with the nation questioning whether or not the war was justified."

Soldiers in Vietnam were treated terribly by the U.S. public, whereas World War II soldiers were prized, Simon said. Their service was so appreciated that at the end of WWII, opportunities were created. The GI Bill provided soldiers money to go to college. Easily accessible loans made it possible for veterans to buy houses and start businesses.

"It took us probably 30 years to recover from the trauma of Vietnam and to recognize these soldiers were doing the best they could under the worst circumstances," Simon said.

"U.S. vets from the Vietnam War have been belatedly appreciated," he explained.

Veterans relate to veterans, they share living for their country. But the torch that the Vietnam veteran carries is different, says Donald Goldstein, international affairs professor at the University of Pittsburgh.

"They came back with more scars, these guys came back in bad shape, because no one gave a damn," Goldstein said. "Vietnam was a lesson in sending them and not supporting them."

Vietnam veterans will be the ones who say "never, never, never again," Goldstein said.

In a time of conflict or war there's more attention paid to military veterans, said retired Brig. Gen. Tom Browning, former commander at Luke Air Force base and a prisoner of war in Vietnam.

Also, Browning said, there's a difference in attitude between today's Congress and the Congress after World War II.

"A relatively small number in Congress have served, they can't relate, they're unsympathetic, and (that) makes it a lot more difficult for funding," Browning said.

"Maybe that's why Vietnam veterans are more visible, so they can help protect the rights of all veterans and secure the promises that were made when men and women joined the military."

Morris and the other veterans in Washington this weekend are paying tribute to veterans but they're also reminding legislators that their needs are important, too.

One vet's re-emergence
Growing up in Nogales, Alberto Chamberlain remembers tagging along with his father to socialize with his World War II buddies at the local VFW post.

The military seemed to be a way of life for the men in his family. His father was a World War II veteran; his grandfather was a merchant marine. His great-grandfather was stationed at the Presidio in Tucson in the mid-19th century.

In 1966, during the Vietnam War, Chamberlain joined the Army. He was wounded twice before returning home in spring 1968.

He was disillusioned by the quiet, empty homecoming at Travis Air Force Base. He was incredulous over their offer of a steak dinner. He vividly recalls how he changed from his uniform into his civilian clothes. Shedding his uniform became symbolic.

Chamberlain started classes at Arizona State University and was taunted by the flag burnings there. The rejection was so overwhelming that he tried to forget about his experience and his friends.

For nearly 30 years, Chamberlain kept his distance from other veterans.

"I never put on my resume that I was a veteran, and worse, a Vietnam veteran," Chamberlain, 58, said.

"I thought to myself, 'That's not going to get me anywhere.' It's so different than my dad's generation. When I was growing up in Santa Cruz County, they'd write 'Re-elect World War II veteran for sheriff.'

"They were proud people."

The passage of time hasn't healed Chamberlain's troubled homecoming, but in the past few years, Chamberlain has come forward as a proud Vietnam veteran.

About 10 years ago, Chamberlain found himself on the sidelines of a Veterans Day parade when Urrea spotted the veteran and said, "Welcome home soldier."

Chamberlain opened up slowly.

He's the one marching now in parades, watching the curbs for men who look like him.

"The World War II veteran is fading away," Chamberlain said.

"And we don't want the same thing that happened to us to happen to new veterans.

"Always honor the warrior. Our country called us and we served. That's what we did."

Riding for others
Before starting their cross-country trek to the Vietnam Wall in Washington, Don Morris and the other Arizona motorcyclists stopped to visit veterans at the Arizona State Veteran Home in Phoenix.

They talked about the ride and, of course, swapped war stories.

Vietnam veteran Wayne Langston, 54, crouched beside Richard Byrne and his wheelchair in the driveway of the nursing home.

Byrne forced a grin as he recalled his irony: He had come off R&R and returned to Vietnam just in time for the Tet offensive of 1968, the massive attack by the North Vietnamese. Then, Byrne's sallow face twitched itself into tears, "I lost three guys in my squad . . . you know that still hurts."

The gray-bearded Langston stretched his arm around Byrne's shoulder and pulled Byrne's head tightly against his own.

Langston, who was full of hugs and handshakes, told Byrne, 67, and 92-year-old Frederick Selk, a World War II veteran, that he was riding for them.

"We do it for these guys, for all vets, for the country and to bring awareness to POWs and MIAs from all of our wars," Langston said.

The Source

[Snowden]

We see that so much with the men here. I think my generation has passed the torch into some very capable hands, and it's so good to see that.

The youngest WWII veterans would include my Bob, who was one of the two youngest in his company, and is now 80. I see him failing, feel myself doing the same, but more slowly, and it's time for the next lot to take the torch.

They are more than capable, and we thank God for that. The flag needs that protection, now more than ever.

[11th/ACR Scout]

I have several friends that will on that run...
One of them is a retired full bird colonel in his 70's...

[Woodmonkey]

New veterans fear repeat of Vietnam

WASHINGTON -- There were no victory parades for Vietnam veterans. They were seen -- and often derided -- as the product of a failed policy. They struggled for decades for acceptance and many are still fighting for veterans benefits.

Now, with polls showing a steady decline in public support and average Americans increasingly tuning out the war in Iraq, a new generation of veterans are warning that they, too, are at risk of the same kind of indifference that confronted Vietnam-era veterans, many of whom suffered from homelessness and mental disabilities, and sometimes slipped through the cracks of the Department of Veterans Affairs .

``I am concerned about the idea that guys who served in Iraq are used goods and are not much worth to society," said Marine Corps Captain David Danelo , author of ``Blood Stripes: The Grunt's View of the War in Iraq."

Danelo, who now lives in Kingston, Pa., said some of his colleagues have grown to feel unappreciated and have developed serious problems after returning home.

``There is a sense that it is very difficult to disassociate the troops from the policy," he said. ``It is easy for a guy who served and gets out to fade into the woodwork. That's dangerous for him and for the country."

Veterans of Iraq and Vietnam share some similarities. Public support for the Iraq invasion is steadily on the wane as the conflict enters its fourth year and US casualties climb. As with Vietnam, which lasted more than a decade, there probably will not be a clear victory over Iraqi insurgents; communal violence is expected to continue long after American troops leave. And both conflicts have been linked in the public consciousness with the abuse of prisoners and civilians, contributing to public anxiety.

As a result, some Iraq veterans worry they could be unfairly blamed for a quagmire.

``I think about how the Vietnam veterans were mistreated in basically every facet of life," said Richard Gibson , a 25-year-old former Marine corporal living in Kansas City , Mo . ``I don't want the same result that happened in Vietnam. Everybody thought the battles were lost in Vietnam, but no battle was ever lost. It was the politicians back home that lost it for them."

Gibson helps publish ``War of Words," a newsletter that is funded by the conservative political group America's Majority and is designed to highlight what troops are accomplishing in Iraq . He said he is speaking out about his experiences in part out of fear some of his fellow Iraq veterans ``are going to go into hiding."

``I don't want to be ridiculed," he said an interview. ``I speak out because the full story isn't being given. In the war on TV, American soldiers regularly mistreated civilians. But in the war we fought, American forces consistently restrained our overwhelming firepower superiority in order to save lives, even at our own risk."

The personal consequences for veterans of both wars are also similar. Both bear scars that take years to heal, including high rates of post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD.

But leaders of the veterans movement are concerned that the challenges facing this new generation are not well understood by Congress and Americans. They point out that less than 1 percent of the population will have served in Iraq or Afghanistan, making it a war far removed from the everyday lives of average Americans or members of Congress, very few of whom have served in uniform.

``This is the first war that has become an issue rather than a national experience," said Paul Reickoff , president of the nonpartisan Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America in New York. ``How many soldiers were killed this week while we were obsessed with `American Idol'? But when the war winds down, the veterans' issues are going to be here for decades. We need to make sure both political parties make veterans a priority."

Reickoff, who was an Army lieutenant and platoon leader in Iraq, said there are already warning signs of problems to come: Even as tens of thousands of new veterans are being added to the rolls, the VA is fighting for budget increases. Complaints abound over delays for medical appointments for many of the 18,000 soldiers who have been wounded in the war. A recent documentary film depicted 10 homeless Iraq veterans living on the streets of New York City.

``The president is increasingly reluctant to talk about the human cost of the war," Reickoff said in an interview. ``That's what I really worry about. It's hard for him to say we need to do more for veterans suffering from PTSD and suicide rates when recruiting numbers are going down the tube. You rarely hear him discuss veterans' issues."

Entering the fray is a new crop of former soldiers from across the political spectrum that is seeking to avoid a repeat of the Vietnam experience. They have helped establish interest groups to shape their legacy and educate the public about veterans' needs. This new veterans community is beginning to elbow out more traditional veterans organizations.

``What happened in Vietnam is that we didn't [stick up for our interests] and we got our fannies handed to us," said retired Major General F.J. ``Bing" West, a Vietnam veteran and author who has visited Iraq four times.

One new veterans group is Veterans and Military Families for Progress, a nonpartisan grass-roots organization that is dedicated to ensuring the rights and needs of veterans and their families ``are understood by the American public, endorsed by our elected officials, and are protected by legislation, regulation, and public policy initiatives."

``We don't want to reinvent the wheel, but we think we can bring something new to this," said Matt Cary , a Vietnam veteran and the group's executive director. ``We are trying to make the main focus that if you turn on the war machine and ask our sons and daughters to risk their lives that you make a commitment to fulfill certain promises when they return: healthcare, jobs, housing."

The group, which plans to endorse political candidates, differs from more traditional veterans groups because it includes veterans of the active-duty forces and the reserves, as well as relatives of veterans. It has already set up seven local chapters around the country and plans to open up new offices in Massachusetts and New Hampshire this year.

Another new organization is HOPE for New Veterans, whose mission is to prevent homelessness among veterans returning from Afghanistan and Iraq. The group estimates that nearly 1 in 4 homeless people are military veterans.

``By learning from the past and helping new combat vets to secure housing and other help in adjusting to civilian life at the earliest sign of crisis, we can solve homelessness among new veterans before it occurs," the group says on its website.

The group helps to identify at-risk veterans; provides rental subsidies; offers mental health evaluations for those who slip through the cracks of the VA ; helps Iraq and Afghanistan veterans secure such benefits as food stamps and disability compensation; and helps them get steady jobs.

But perhaps the biggest challenge, say recent veterans, is educating the public and government leaders about the needs of veterans who have fought in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Danelo, the Marine captain, said he was taken aback during his recent book tour at how quickly Americans are losing interest in the Iraq war .

Said Danelo: ``Talking about the war is not in vogue in a lot of places."

The Source

[Snowden]

This is why I get so unsettled about the media and politicians like Murtha who are so quick to make public anything negative they can come up with, true or false.