A real hero just died and I'm angry.

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  #31  
Old 10-07-2020, 08:43 AM
mlmarr1 mlmarr1 is offline
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Dont be angry praise God for his life and the memories your shared throughout your friendship..
  #32  
Old 10-07-2020, 08:51 AM
nick demis nick demis is offline
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I can relate. I have had several friends that served in Nam die over the years including a few as a result of Agent Orange
  #33  
Old 10-07-2020, 08:59 AM
gman13 gman13 is offline
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Dear #10 GI,

Your friend knew the pain of War, and it indeed was a war and not a conflict. Millions of young men and women served in Southeast Asia and over 53,000+ never returned home again. I was one of the lucky ones. Vietnam was like no other war in history and your friend knew that from the first day he arrived yet served with Courage, Honor, and Distinction. In War we follow orders, we don't question them and that means often we are charged to do things that are beyond human comprehension. Your friend took an innocent life but that was never his intent. I have no doubt that he was scared to death as we all were but those things happen in war and we carry the pain of that with us to our last day. Often like your friend we don't forgive ourselves but we forget that God has forgiven has already forgiven us because he knows what's in our heart when these terrible things happen. Your friend is finally at peace now and he has been welcomed into the arms of our Lord. His pain and guilt no longer exist and they have been replaced with unending love and everlasting life. Your angry also will pass. When someone we love leaves this life and goes on to the next the immediate response is often anger simply because we will miss them and can't understand why others don't feel the same way. The fact is he really hasn't left you as long as you remember him in your heart which you clearly do. Celebrate his life and give thanks for it, and remember him especially on Memorial Day and Veterans Day because he will be standing right next to you. He has now received his true "Welcome Home".
If you need to talk contact me. gkadow@aol.com

Father Gary Kadow, OSL
St. Patrick's Episcopal Church
Project SOS-Support Our Soldiers, Inc.
  #34  
Old 10-07-2020, 09:06 AM
Mfrench Mfrench is offline
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I had a friend who was in the 101st Airborne , who died from colon cancer, contracted from Agent Orange. He also was emotionally damaged from the horrific experiences of the war. As a member of the Special Forces he and his team were required to precede the regular forces on their missions through the jungles, in an attempt to intimidate and destroy any Cong in the area. He related many horrific stories of his encounters to me. His unit was called The Widow Makers . They would leave their “calling cards” on the bodies of the enemy. The fire fights were horrendous and they left a terrible impact on him that never went away. It was a terrible war that Lyndon Johnson did not allow them to win. Upon their return the communist rioters in the streets treated them with disdain , spitting on them when they came home. How similar that is to the way the communists of today are treating our first responders! This communist attack against our country today must be wiped out, and the weak leaders who refuse to ask for government forces to help their first responders must be replaced. I suspect they are purposely allowing their cities to be destroyed to satisfy their sick political plots to keep our country in chaos. This is a communist movement to weaken our government and turn citizens against each other, right out of Mao’s “ Rules for Insurgency”. A civil war would satisfy their goal. I could care less if some of you call me a conspiracy theorist, the citizens in the riot areas have started to take it into their own hands , since their leaders have failed them , and are standing with their first responders to defeat these thugs. They should think twice before coming to the Villages, for we have the largest number of retired military vets in the world residing here, and thousands of other citizens , locked and loaded!!!
  #35  
Old 10-07-2020, 09:14 AM
Sherry8bal Sherry8bal is offline
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Sadly, I wish more of our Vietnam Veterans were able to express what they went through over there. Those people were savages and did things so awful, no one civilized would think a human being could do. So many lives were lost because of it too. Then when they put their life on the line and were one of the "lucky ones" to come home, they were spit on and ridiculed by idiot people here who thought they knew what was going on over there because of the fake news media going on, even back then. These people are all HEROES and everyone should be thanking them for their service.

Thank you for sharing his story and God Bless!!
  #36  
Old 10-07-2020, 09:16 AM
Sherry8bal Sherry8bal is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mfrench View Post
I had a friend who was in the 101st Airborne , who died from colon cancer, contracted from Agent Orange. He also was emotionally damaged from the horrific experiences of the war. As a member of the Special Forces he and his team were required to precede the regular forces on their missions through the jungles, in an attempt to intimidate and destroy any Cong in the area. He related many horrific stories of his encounters to me. His unit was called The Widow Makers . They would leave their “calling cards” on the bodies of the enemy. The fire fights were horrendous and they left a terrible impact on him that never went away. It was a terrible war that Lyndon Johnson did not allow them to win. Upon their return the communist rioters in the streets treated them with disdain , spitting on them when they came home. How similar that is to the way the communists of today are treating our first responders! This communist attack against our country today must be wiped out, and the weak leaders who refuse to ask for government forces to help their first responders must be replaced. I suspect they are purposely allowing their cities to be destroyed to satisfy their sick political plots to keep our country in chaos. This is a communist movement to weaken our government and turn citizens against each other, right out of Mao’s “ Rules for Insurgency”. A civil war would satisfy their goal. I could care less if some of you call me a conspiracy theorist, the citizens in the riot areas have started to take it into their own hands , since their leaders have failed them , and are standing with their first responders to defeat these thugs. They should think twice before coming to the Villages, for we have the largest number of retired military vets in the world residing here, and thousands of other citizens , locked and loaded!!!
Actually you are right on track with your post!!
  #37  
Old 10-07-2020, 09:22 AM
bobnyce bobnyce is offline
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Number 10 GI, there are so many similar stories of men and boys that died as a result of the nasty things we asked our soldiers to do in Viet Nam.

I too have three friends, "On The Wall". Regretably, your friend will never make the Wall even though he was killed by it. It just took him all these years to pass.

You must be proud of his service and remember his sacrifice. Thank you for letting the rest of us who care about your good friend.
  #38  
Old 10-07-2020, 09:38 AM
Giolinh Giolinh is offline
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Very sad when we lose a good friend that has been suffering so long from combat wounds. There are many vets who served in Nam with similar issues. I was there twice. Hit heavy with PTSD from intense combat on the DMZ. Until 2 years ago, I thought I escaped the Agent Orange(any many other poisons) that were sprayed on us daily. I was diagnosed with Peripheral Neuropathy of lower legs. Intense pain 24/7, unable to sleep and walk was impeded and balance unsteady. Found out that this condition is considered incurable by many in the medical field. However, after being refused treatment everywhere I turned to, extensive reading revealed a possible remedy. But I was told the treatment would NOT work. Desperate for my life after one year of little sleep and pain that could not be abated with drugs, I wrote a personal letter to our president, Donald TRUMP. It was a "hail Mary". 2 weeks later I received a phone cal from the White House sending me to a local hospital for 40 days of outpatient treatment. I finished said treatment in the Fall of 2019. Wow! I was overjoyed. No more thoughts of suicide-sleep and pain both improved. But I still had the disease and I wanted to kick stout of my body. I was refused more treatment by the USG telling me "It doesn't work". This year I was forced to write another personal letter to Donal TRUMP asking approval for more treatment, I was hesitant to write because he was going through IMPEACHMENT hearings. But, I had a feeling that he was a champion of all of us and sure enough, another phone call authorizing 40 additional days of treatment. I finished this Spring. Despite all naysayers I was now 99% pain free and feeling great. No more thoughts of ending life early! I have 2 TRUMP flags at my Viggages home--Now you know WHY? He cares for us all-even Disabled MARINES! Semper Fi
  #39  
Old 10-07-2020, 09:49 AM
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Taltarzac725 Taltarzac725 is offline
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What a thoughtful and helpful post!!!

Quote:
Originally Posted by gman13 View Post
Dear #10 GI,

Your friend knew the pain of War, and it indeed was a war and not a conflict. Millions of young men and women served in Southeast Asia and over 53,000+ never returned home again. I was one of the lucky ones. Vietnam was like no other war in history and your friend knew that from the first day he arrived yet served with Courage, Honor, and Distinction. In War we follow orders, we don't question them and that means often we are charged to do things that are beyond human comprehension. Your friend took an innocent life but that was never his intent. I have no doubt that he was scared to death as we all were but those things happen in war and we carry the pain of that with us to our last day. Often like your friend we don't forgive ourselves but we forget that God has forgiven has already forgiven us because he knows what's in our heart when these terrible things happen. Your friend is finally at peace now and he has been welcomed into the arms of our Lord. His pain and guilt no longer exist and they have been replaced with unending love and everlasting life. Your angry also will pass. When someone we love leaves this life and goes on to the next the immediate response is often anger simply because we will miss them and can't understand why others don't feel the same way. The fact is he really hasn't left you as long as you remember him in your heart which you clearly do. Celebrate his life and give thanks for it, and remember him especially on Memorial Day and Veterans Day because he will be standing right next to you. He has now received his true "Welcome Home".
If you need to talk contact me. gkadow@aol.com

Father Gary Kadow, OSL
St. Patrick's Episcopal Church
Project SOS-Support Our Soldiers, Inc.
  #40  
Old 10-07-2020, 09:49 AM
jamorela jamorela is offline
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My brother also served in Vietnam. He was injured, received a Purple Heart, and suffered cancer from agent orange. Thankfully, he is still alive and enjoying life.
  #41  
Old 10-07-2020, 09:59 AM
Giolinh Giolinh is offline
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For MFrench and many others--You nailed it about LBJ and Sec Def -McNamara (hereinafter-L & M)
1. 4400 SAMS were allowed to enter the ports of Haiphong from CHINA because L&M were afraid that CHINA might enter the WAR. Hell, the CHINESE and RUSSIANS were already there shooting us down! We lost about 625 jet aircraft in NAM. Some of the most intense AA since WW2.
2. L&M prohibited us from shooting down and MIGS in 1964-again worried the CHINESE would intervene.(this was disregarded like many of OBAMA/BIDEN orders were)
3. We were order to stop bombing MIG bases
4. We were given very strict return fire rules--but not as Stricklands as Obama/Biden's
5. We were using OLD, outdated and inferior equipment---M-16s became jammed because of cost cutting on quality of barrels and quality of ammunition. I flew in a WW2 leftover plywood recon a/c( we lost 1/2 our Men in 2 weeks from AA). On the DMZ we were using old ammunition boxes for bunker material vice concrete and rebar(reserved for the ARVN)
6. About 1/2 of our MARINE ground forces were located on fixed defensive outposts on the DMZ in range of horrific artillery weapons and out of our range pea shooters
Have to stop here-but it goes on and on and never really reported by our "media", s/f
  #42  
Old 10-07-2020, 10:09 AM
newgirl newgirl is offline
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So sorry for your pain :-(
  #43  
Old 10-07-2020, 10:13 AM
KRM0614 KRM0614 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Polar Bear View Post
There are real heroes like your friend. Then there are entertainment and sports heroes. I don’t mean to denigrate (most) entertainers and athletes, but there is no comparison. Too bad the same word is used for both.
There are no entertainment heros. Just actors and actresses who get paid lots of money and tax write offs for every little single thing. The word hero is used for everything
  #44  
Old 10-07-2020, 10:26 AM
deestatham@aol.com deestatham@aol.com is offline
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His service to this country will never be forgotten. Thank you for sharing his story. You are a good friend.
  #45  
Old 10-07-2020, 10:28 AM
Lindsyburnsy Lindsyburnsy is offline
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So sorry for your loss. My friends husband just passed away as a result of the long term effects of Agent Orange from VietNam. So many died needlessly and again now, over 210,000 died needlessly because they would not act outside of their own political needs. So, so sad.
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