There is quite a bit of consternation among my fellow brothers-in-arms of the 1960's regarding who is, in fact a "Vietnam Veteran". Many VN combat veterans get a bit tight about someone who worked in a support role during that time calling themselves a Vietnam Vet. On the other side, all of us were called to war at that time and none of us knew where we would end up. At that time there were those who were lucky enough to stay stateside or be stationed in cushier overseas posts.
One fact remains: we all faced scorn and discrimination when we returned, regardless of where we happened to serve.
In all fairness to the guys who were Vietnam combat veterans, there should be different levels of recognition of duty during that time. I look at us in the following way:
Vietnam Combat Veteran: This includes anyone who was directly engaged in combat, being land, water or air. Infantry, pilots, forward air controllers, river rats and others directly engaging the VC fall into this category.
Vietnam Veteran: One stationed in the country of Vietnam in a non-combat role.
Vietnam War Veteran: One stationed outside of Vietnam in the Southeast Asia theater of operations (Thailand, Laos, Cambodia).
Vietnam Operations Veteran: Stationed outside of Southeast Asia primarily in an air support role (Okinawa, Philippines, Guam).
Vietnam Era Veteran: Anyone enlisted between 1959 and 1975 who did not serve in any of the above capacities.
I believe that these categories could be agreed upon by those veterans who were in the trenches of the war. Also, while I understand the Vietnam combat veterans' need to define themselves at a different level than others who were part of the Vietnam War, all of us should remember:
"All gave some and some gave all".
Readers, enjoy your day.
Hmmm food for thought, Mark, and it makes us consider the many different roles a soldier has during a time of conflict. I, personally, don't see any one role as being more important or dangerous than another. Those who serve during time of conflict and are not stationed on the front, live lives which can be changed in a moment, with a signature on a piece of paper that lands a soldier on a plane to hell on earth. By simply serving during these times, that soldier has signed up to live the unknown, and that is an amazingly brave act in and of itself.
ReplyDeleteI know that we at home felt that every day when you served your country, that you could easily get plucked out of where you were and dropped into the battlefield in a moment. That you weren't does not diminish the effects the Vietnam war had on you and your comrades stationed on foreign, yet somewhat peaceful, lands.