In the past, I have posted some stories about what it was like coming home from Vietnam.
I even got called a hypocrite because I posted a some bad experiences, and then turned around and posted a good one.
The truth is, I had both good and bad experiences. And when I think about it, I had more good experiences than bad.Which is another way of saying that I met more good Americans than bad ones.
I think the hardest thing I ever confronted in my life was coming home after Vietnam. I didn't fit in......I couldn't relate to all my friends back home......everything had changed....I felt out of place...like I didn't belong anymore.
I could write a book about the experiences of coming home, with both good stories and bad.......
But this was my favorite experience.............
It was early September of 1971. I was in the 173rd Airborne Brigade, and we were being withdrawn from Vietnam and sent to Fort Campbell.
As soon as we landed at Fort Campbell we got a 30 day leave.
So there I was in brand new class A, Paratrooper Uniform, bloused boots and a garrison cap with Glider patch..........lugging a duffle bag and sticking my thumb out on Highway 41.....heading home to the folks in South Bend Indiana with a chest full of ribbons.
My first ride was a Volkswagen Bus filled with them "hippie" type kids.....they were heading for Evansville Indiana.
It started out as a strained ride.....it seems that the driver insisted on picking me up (he had a brother in Vietnam), but the other three didn't really want to give me a ride because I was obviously "the enemy."
Well, to make a long story short......we got to talking about
I even got called a hypocrite because I posted a some bad experiences, and then turned around and posted a good one.
The truth is, I had both good and bad experiences. And when I think about it, I had more good experiences than bad.Which is another way of saying that I met more good Americans than bad ones.
I think the hardest thing I ever confronted in my life was coming home after Vietnam. I didn't fit in......I couldn't relate to all my friends back home......everything had changed....I felt out of place...like I didn't belong anymore.
I could write a book about the experiences of coming home, with both good stories and bad.......
But this was my favorite experience.............
It was early September of 1971. I was in the 173rd Airborne Brigade, and we were being withdrawn from Vietnam and sent to Fort Campbell.
As soon as we landed at Fort Campbell we got a 30 day leave.
So there I was in brand new class A, Paratrooper Uniform, bloused boots and a garrison cap with Glider patch..........lugging a duffle bag and sticking my thumb out on Highway 41.....heading home to the folks in South Bend Indiana with a chest full of ribbons.
My first ride was a Volkswagen Bus filled with them "hippie" type kids.....they were heading for Evansville Indiana.
It started out as a strained ride.....it seems that the driver insisted on picking me up (he had a brother in Vietnam), but the other three didn't really want to give me a ride because I was obviously "the enemy."
Well, to make a long story short......we got to talking about
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