(Sorry about that last post. Comes from being technologically challenged) There is one big thing that we Nam vets have in common with almost everyone else who was an adult American at that time: guilt. Guilt for what we did, and guilt for what we didn't do. A few years ago I was having a few toddies with a friend when we both apologized to each other - him for not going to Vietnam and me for going. (Yes, guilt is a bad thing and it is supposed to go away in time, but for me it creeps back in at 2 in the morning.) The article on Kerry reminds me of a "joke" I heard in a group counseling session: Q. How many Vietnam Vets does it take to change a lightbulb? A. I don't know, how many? Q. THAT'S BECAUSE YOU WERENT THERE, M.....F...., NONE OF YOU WILL EVER KNOW... I was assigned to the 44th Med Brigade, 55th Group, and TDY (temporary duty) to the 4th infantry for awhile, then to the 283rd MDHA (Medical Detachment, Helicopter Ambulance) called "Medevac" or "Dustoff", then to the 71st Evac Hospital. I have severe PTSD, and I can only talk about this stuff for a short time, then I have to get away from it for awhile. This isn't to brag or complain, it's just to let you know where I'm "coming from." I have met a lot of people who are Professing VVets and Professional VVets. Professing VVets are the ones who were "there, but my duty was so secret even I don't know what I did", Professional VVets tell you they're a Vietnam Veteran before they tell you their name. There are some deep psychological reasons why they do this, so I can't automatically condemn them, but they do tend to screw things up for the rest of us when we do try to talk about it. I don't even know why I'm writing this now, so I'll go away and come back later. O'Meara
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