It's no damned wonder the Veterans I know don't want to talk about shit that happened except when they're in the company of fellow Vets. Jesu Christe, I have been to the dark side. I have had to present three folded Flags to grieving family members as part of the United States Navy Honor Guard. There were quite a few times I wanted to check out because yes, it was that bad, and I am considered a peacetime Cold War Veteran. You won't catch me within a hundred fricking miles of a VA Hospital. I would rather come here to say what I have to say, because frankly it is getting to a point where this is the only place I feel comfortable as there are other Vets in here. I had to drive my older Brother to the Denver VA and then the Knoxville VA. You see guys sitting around, staring off into space and wondering what the fuck happened. My older Brother finally succumbed last year, the agent orange got him, and he has two soldiers folding a flag over his urn at a cemetery with no gun salute or anything, just a few "kind words." WTF. He got his ass shot off in some God forsaken jungle thousands of miles from home, then he comes home and some hippie punk spits in his face and calls him a fucking baby killer. All he got from the VA was a bunch of false promises and a whole lot of paperwork. Screw them.
Thanks for letting me post, I had to rant. Any anger I have I will have to deal with before my time comes, and I'm dealing with it any way I can. This was not directed at you, Doggo. Don't take it that way, Fren.
It's no damned wonder the Veterans I know don't want to talk about shit that happened except when they're in the company of fellow Vets. Jesu Christe, I have been to the dark side. I have had to present three folded Flags to grieving family members as part of the United States Navy Honor Guard. There were quite a few times I wanted to check out because yes, it was that bad, and I am considered a peacetime Cold War Veteran. You won't catch me within a hundred fricking miles of a VA Hospital. I would rather come here to say what I have to say, because frankly it is getting to a point where this is the only place I feel comfortable as there are other Vets in here. I had to drive my older Brother to the Denver VA and then the Knoxville VA. You see guys sitting around, staring off into space and wondering what the fuck happened. My older Brother finally succumbed last year, the agent orange got him, and he has two soldiers folding a flag over his urn at a cemetery with no gun salute or anything, just a few "kind words." WTF. He got his ass shot off in some God forsaken jungle thousands of miles from home, then he comes home and some hippie punk spits in his face and calls him a fucking baby killer. All he got from the VA was a bunch of false promises and a whole lot of paperwork. Screw them.
Thanks for letting me post, I had to rant. Any anger I have I will have to deal with before my time comes, and I'm dealing with it any way I can. This was not directed at you, Doggo. Don't take it that way, Fren.
...I understand your frustration...
...my uncle succumbed to Agent Orange he was exposed to as a helo mechanic in Nam...
...he told me he would crawl under a chopper and that poison dripping from under the ship would have him soaked to the skin in a minute...
...his friends would take turns hosing each other off as they worked on the ship...
...of course the brass told them there was nothing to worry about...
...God bless you for your service and your dedication to your brother and to serving on your Honor Guard...
...fair winds and following seas....