THE BIG LIE

Vietnam Veterans were lied to by our politicians. 1968 was the year Martin Luther King was assassinated. The same year Robert Kennedy was assassinated. In Vietnam the Tet Offensive and the battle of Khe Sanh claimed the lives of thousands of young men and women serving in our armed forces.

The streets of cities across the nation were experiencing demonstrations, riots, looting and burning of draft cards. The United States was divided into two camps those against the war and those for the war.

Both camps believed in their heart of hearts that they were right.

I was discharged from the Marine Corp, in El Toro California, after 13 months in Vietnam. Vietnam Veterans coming home in 1968 had little understanding as to the turmoil brewing among citizens of the United States. Vietnam had no TV stations or daily newspapers, everyone was just trying to stay alive.

With my discharge in hand I was escorted by military police to Los Angles Airport bound for Birmingham, Alabama. When the MP’s picked me up and I got in the back of that jeep, alone, I asked them, was it standard procedure for MP’s to escort serviceman to the Airport? The corporal turned to me and said I must not know what is going on and that they had direct orders not to discuss “current events”. When we got to the airport the MP’s drove through a private security gate directly onto the tarmac, next to my flight. By this time I was very confused and asked them what the f– is going on.

They finally broke down and told me I would not be able to walk through the terminal because people would spit on me.

I now knew why I was escorted. Because if someone spit on me after 13 months in Vietnam, and losing my first cousin and several friends, in that monstrous war, I would have gone absolutely insane and done my best to beat the hell out of everyone in my path.

VIETNAM WAS A LIE

Now 52 years later I see the government perpetuating yet another lie. So before you get so upset that you are willing to burn down your own house, remember you are not the first to be lied to by your government. Politicians, from both sides of the aisle have been lying to us for years, it is in their DNA.

It took years for the whole ugly truth to come out about Vietnam, But it is history now. It was a lie that cost 55,000 Americans their lives.

I believe that honest good Americans fervently believe the election was stolen. Why would they not believe it? The President said so, just like Vietnam.

Unlike Vietnam, those faithful to the President, beyond a fault, were incited to attack the Capitol, disrupting a sitting body of government while in session, doing the people’s work. It is called Insurrection.

Just like Vietnam, history will record the truth and many people, months or years from now will come to terms with being lied to.

We are in the mist of a pandemic that will soon claim 400,000 lives. Some people thought that was a lie, a hoax.

Lies and words matter.

Those of us that use social media, in any form, need to be cautious with our posts and comments. They should not be false, inflammatory, speculative or encourage violence. They should not perpetuate a lie but seek the truth.