CCSU was sponsoring a 50th anniversary Vietnam War event http://www.ccsu.edu/vietnam/ in CT this weekend.
As a proud Marine (Fox co 2nd Bn 5th Marines, 1998-2003) and son of a Vietnam Veteran, events like this are important to me. No war is easy, but those guys coming back home from Vietnam got a raw deal. Today, returning service members receive what those in Vietnam never did. When I was a kid my father brought us to Westover to greet the troops coming back from Desert Storm; I remember him talking to a young Marine 1st Lieutenant who was overwhelmed by the amount of support he was returning to. I overheard my father talking to the Marine describing the despicable behavior of the public when his generation returned from Vietnam. I believe he brought us there as a direct result of the impact our nations ignorance had on him when he returned home in 1971.
When I returned from my second overseas deployment (January 2002) we literally received a standing ovation from the civilians in the terminal at Fairbanks International (BLT 2/5 was transitioning back from the 31st MEU). It felt weird to me at first because they never seemed to care as much or even at all prior to 9/11; but then I thought back to that conversation I overheard & what those guys went through...I realized that I was lucky to be returning home to that & not what the previous generation endured. It is hard enough transitioning back into civilian life when you have the public's "support"; I can't imagine what the Vietnam Vets went through.
The event was well attended by Veterans and their families, many of which were Vietnam-era. They had some nice aircraft on display & you could ride in a huey. The opening ceremony featured an opera rendition of the Star Spangled Banner; it was horrendous. Right away the singer fuc*ed up followed by fu(k up after fu(k up. It was literally as bad as the scene from Naked Gun. Luckily the crowd maintained their military bearing & didn't start heckling. Myself...I broke the POA, I was completely offended and disgusted. Upon completion of the National Anthem I had to remove myself from the area; I found two CT Staties and did a quick CISD.
I understand that people get stage fright and the Star Spangled Banner is a difficult song to sing, however this was one instance where I believe it is inexcusable. It was so bad I would have a tough time believing anyone who says that it was rehearsed beforehand.
As a proud Marine (Fox co 2nd Bn 5th Marines, 1998-2003) and son of a Vietnam Veteran, events like this are important to me. No war is easy, but those guys coming back home from Vietnam got a raw deal. Today, returning service members receive what those in Vietnam never did. When I was a kid my father brought us to Westover to greet the troops coming back from Desert Storm; I remember him talking to a young Marine 1st Lieutenant who was overwhelmed by the amount of support he was returning to. I overheard my father talking to the Marine describing the despicable behavior of the public when his generation returned from Vietnam. I believe he brought us there as a direct result of the impact our nations ignorance had on him when he returned home in 1971.
When I returned from my second overseas deployment (January 2002) we literally received a standing ovation from the civilians in the terminal at Fairbanks International (BLT 2/5 was transitioning back from the 31st MEU). It felt weird to me at first because they never seemed to care as much or even at all prior to 9/11; but then I thought back to that conversation I overheard & what those guys went through...I realized that I was lucky to be returning home to that & not what the previous generation endured. It is hard enough transitioning back into civilian life when you have the public's "support"; I can't imagine what the Vietnam Vets went through.
The event was well attended by Veterans and their families, many of which were Vietnam-era. They had some nice aircraft on display & you could ride in a huey. The opening ceremony featured an opera rendition of the Star Spangled Banner; it was horrendous. Right away the singer fuc*ed up followed by fu(k up after fu(k up. It was literally as bad as the scene from Naked Gun. Luckily the crowd maintained their military bearing & didn't start heckling. Myself...I broke the POA, I was completely offended and disgusted. Upon completion of the National Anthem I had to remove myself from the area; I found two CT Staties and did a quick CISD.
I understand that people get stage fright and the Star Spangled Banner is a difficult song to sing, however this was one instance where I believe it is inexcusable. It was so bad I would have a tough time believing anyone who says that it was rehearsed beforehand.
![[thinking]](/xen/styles/default/xenforo/smilies.vb/010.gif "Thinking [thinking]")
