To all Vietnam vets,

First of all let me say that I respect, and admire all who served in Vietnam. Next let me tell you about my story. I remember at the age of 5 or 6, the news reports. The Huntley, Brinkley report. The names of cities Saigon, Hanoi, Ke Sahn, and Phnom Phen. I remember the newsreel footage of soldiers and marines firing M-16s, and M-60 machine guns. I remember the term's "boobie trap", body count, DMZ, POW, and KIA. I don't know why these memories are so vivid in my head, but they surpass memories of jr. high football, kid league baseball, and the high school prom. I am a 36-year-old active duty army soldier and though I was only a child, these memories are so vivid. It was not
until I joined the army that I researched the Vietnam War. Then the terminology and acronyms became clear. My God what you went through. As a peacetime soldier I can not fathom the fear of fighting an unseen foe. An enemy that I cannot track, or know his every move, before he makes it, but let me learn from your experience. Let me always expect the unexpected. Let me think like "Charlie". Let me carry your legacy into the 21st century. And never forget you.

God bless you all,
My memories and I.
RAPPEL13@aol.com