Photographic history of the Viet-Nam war

Jim · Post by **Jim** » May 11th, 2011, 9:55 am

The Denver Post's blog features a photographic history of the war in Viet-Nam:

http://blogs.denverpost.com/captured/?p=1781" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Ranger Ron · Post by **Ranger Ron** » May 11th, 2011, 11:17 am

It took me a while to get all the way through these. Brought back some pretty vivid memories. Thanks for posting them.

CharlieRanger1FFV · Post by **CharlieRanger1FFV** » May 11th, 2011, 4:23 pm

Thanks for posting, Jim

RLTW!!!

Lefty · Post by **Lefty** » May 12th, 2011, 5:48 am

Thanks for posting them. Some are familiar photos, some are familiar places, esp. the ones around Dak To and Pleiku. Gives me goosebumps.

C-MAC · Post by **C-MAC** » May 12th, 2011, 8:37 am

Perfect time to share this story, which I will paraphrase for brevity.

I was speaking with a family member that served in WWII. Years later, when I was a kid, I asked him what it was like. He would sometimes demur and occasionally let loose a few gems. This was one that came out of the blue one day.

He told me;

"I never knew why they called us "America's Greatest Generation". We were just doing what was right and proper. But the folks back home made it that way. The entire country supported us. That support kept you warm at night, gave you hope when things were tough. It also gave you something to look forward to when that whole sorry mess was over. But we weren't "America's Greatest Generation", we were just Americans doing our duty.

Me? I believe if there was a "greatest" American generation it was the guys who served in Vietnam. Doing your duty was easy, if I can use that word, when everyone supports you- like in World War II. But it takes a special, unique kind of person to stand up and be counted when the cause is right, but it is not popular or very few people give you hope. Now that defines greatness, standing up for what you believe in and knowing in your heart is right even if most folks don't get it. Someday this entire country is going to wake up and find they made a terrible mistake during the Vietnam War- not supporting our guys and treating them badly." If there ever was a "Greatest Generation", they are it.

Slowpoke · Post by **Slowpoke** » May 12th, 2011, 9:03 am

Thank you for posting that Jim, it is VERY cool and does bring back many memories. And thanks for your kind words C-MAC!

Will37 · Post by **Will37** » May 13th, 2011, 12:43 am

This article reminded me a conversation I had with my grandfather in my mid teens. He had been a Chaplin in Vietnam during 1968. I asked him why he had requested to go to Vietnam. He simply replied that he felt 'the boys [young soldiers] might need a Chaplin'. Until that conversation the idea of 'duty' had been something dusty and abstract to me. That was the first time I really began to grasp that it was a real, flesh and blood thing. He never really talked about being in Vietnam. He wasn't ashamed of serving. But it was just wasn't anything to boast about. It was just utterly natural to him that if his country needed him then that was that and there was only one course of action. It was simply his duty to go give whatever aid he could to 'the boys' and his country. While the war itself may seem distant to my generation, the lessons imparted by the examples of the men who served in the war can still be immediate and transformative. For whatever it is worth coming from a civilian who couldn’t possibly understand the extent of your sacrifice: Thank you Vietnam Veterans, for what you did then and what you continue to do now.

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