7 Facts About Our Veterans That Will Shock The Hell Out Of You

[TahitiNut]

16. The sense of Betrayal is profound.

I speak from experience. Among the "slings and arrows" I received after returning from Viet Nam, was homelessness (thankfully short-term) and PTSD (which wasn't called PTSD then). There was NO "welcome home." None. Nobody in my family and none of my friends. My "bride" was sleeping with her lover. Her first words to me: "What the hell are you doing there?"

It was a nightmare ... and recurring nightmare (literally) for years afterwards.

Somehow, many self-righteous 'opponents' of the War in Viet Nam chose to scapegoat those who'd experience far greater loss than THEY even risked. After 1972, they didn't even 'risk' being drafted... and the interest in protesting disappeared like a fart in a windstorm. The boat people saw almost nothing from the vast majority of those self-righteous folks.

The sense of betrayal comes from the very nature of National Service ... which is a profound act of faith in The People and the system of self-governance upon which we all must rely. The "body politic." It's a subordination of one's self-indulgence to the "enlightened self-interest" of a civilized society.

The MOST meaningful response to such service isn't "Thanks" ... it's "I'm glad to have you back home." That's all. After all, that's what every guy LIVED for ... getting back to "the world" ... to the PEOPLE in his life who represented "The People" for whom he subordinated his own life.

Kicking a subordinate is a cowardly act.

It was betrayal.


And I get the 'joy' of remembering it every November. Accompanied with nightmares. I'm grateful for the 11.5 months of nightmare-free sleep. I'm grateful for those good folks who later were most helpful in "getting my head straight." I'm grateful that I never stopped knowing how to love. There are so many things I'm grateful for ... even knowing the meaning of the word "betrayal." What I'm most grateful for is never having done this to another person ... for not "going postal" and living a life of regrets. So, to those who betrayed me, I say "Thanks" ... which is the Booby Prize. First Prize is "I'm glad you're back home and part of my life."

Happy Veterans Day!




{I post this for those who can't and for those who won't ... who have parallel experiences.}