Secrets and Shadows

This book takes my personal experiences from childhood to the point of Living with PTSD for many years. I cannot speak for all Vietnam Veterans and only for myself. Coming from a middle class family and enjoying growing up till a war changed everything and created an atmosphere of resentment, bitterness and hopelessness for the future. As a Marine Corps drill instructor once said. Its our job to take kids straight out of high school whose biggest worry was getting a prom date and transforming them into cold blooded killers! War is an ugly business that leaves unseen permanent scars. Back then there was no outreach programs or grief counseling. The Marine Corps solutions was Get drunk and forget it or Saddle up and move on because it wont get better. Over 58,000 of my brothers in arms lost their lives in Vietnam and no-one can really say why. Then returning home to a country that scorned our service forcing us to keep deep secrets and live the rest of our lives in the shadows of other Veterans who welcomed home with open arms. Vietnam veterans were the only veterans in history scorned , ridiculed and condemned for serving their country . Now we are put on the broken tools of war shelf to gather dust and be forgotten in time. As I have stated before. Dont ask me to say the pledge of Allegiance because it wont happen. I already did that, enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps and served this nation in war. When I came home this Nation turned its back on me and all the others that served in the armpit of Asia as well. This country owes me NOTHING and I owe this country NOTHING. WE ARE EVEN!!