Folks, I truly hope I offend no one by what I have to say. That is not in any way my intent. I may have posted this before, I honestly can't remember nor find it if I did, but with the 4th and all this talk about the war I just felt it needed said even if repeated. Please try and understand where I'm coming from. As a Vietnam Vet I recieved no homecoming parades, no thank you for serving untill many years later, nor did my brothers and sisters in arms. On the contrary, I was spit on, cursed at, attacked, denied jobs, lost family and friends that no longer seemed to know me and in no way was interested in the Hell I went through. Easier to ignore and forget. That just adds to the pain I live with every single day and I'm far from alone. Please don't have the attitude of saddly way to many that seem to feel, " You done your job so we need you no more. Why should we remember you?"
Here is the casualty totals for the following;
WW I - 116,516
WW II - 405,399
Korean War - 36,574
Vietnam War - 58,209
Persian Gulf - 3
Here is the casualty totals for the following;
WW I - 116,516
WW II - 405,399
Korean War - 36,574
Vietnam War - 58,209
Persian Gulf - 382
War On Terrorism - aprox. -62,006
Now that being said, I'd like to inform you that none of those numbers are correct. They all fall far short of the true numbers! Why?
Because they only include those that died in battle while those wars were going on. Confused? I'm talking about all of those who came home only to die from wounds, of body and mind, and from fatal illnesses directly due to their service during the war. Let me tell you, they are just as dead as the poor soul who died quickly from a bullet. The only differance is that they made it home only to suffer long drawn out deaths in front of families and friends. Many, such as in my case with Agent Pink (Pure Dioxin), Agent Orange (Dioxin mixed with jet fuel) and Agent Brown (Dioxin mixed with muddy river water) have even passed on the health problems on to our children. That to me is an even greater pain I can't begin to describe. I'm not dead yet but there's no doubt my life is being cut short as both my lungs and heart are failing along with vertually all my other organs as well. Not to mention bone, nerve and muscle damage. I'm in the hospital on the average of one week per month. But we are not included in the casualty count, except may be on a little known incomplete fact sheet some where in a filing cabinet locked away from prying eyes, if at all. You won't find our names on the Vietnam Wall, nor any other monument anywhere. As far as the government is concerned, our stats are better off forgotten, over looked, ignored and not mentioned nor thought of. My question is why? Well just imagine how high those casualty counts would climb if we were counted. Not to mention the all mighty dollar factor of paying out pensions. I have severe heart and lung problems dianosed by the leading heart hospital in the Country, Barns Jewish in St. Louis. My lungs are so scarred that doctors that see the xrays come back shaking their heads and telling me I'm lucky to be alive at all. I've suffered massive heart attacks and a tripple bypass then a year later stents. Though the VA says I have no lung nor heart problems. They even went as far as to tell me to stop taking all my medications. My private heart doc told me I'd have been dead in a week if I'd listened to the VA doctors. Why did they do that to me? If I'm dead there is no one needing treatment nor compensation. I don't recieve a service connected pension because they only recognise certain cancers and Diabetis II. I don't have cancer but my pancreas puts out way too much insulin so my blood sugar levels drop as low as 40. They admitted my exsposure but had the gall to tell me sorry tough luck! My story is just one of countless other's just as bad or worse. It's pathetic how we that made it home to die are treated and forgotten. I take Morphine when the pain gets too much to bear though I'm supose to take it every 4 hours. I fear the addiction so I grit my teeth till I can't any more before taking a dose. I tell you not for sympathy for me but for that of the thousands like me. Some confined to VA Hospitals that will never see the outside of those walls. No folks, they'll die there forgotten by the citizens they gave their lives for and often by family too. Sooooo, here is the point of my message. I would like to see a monument dedicated to all, from every war, who made it home only to die from wounds and illness related to our service during said wars. Why, because if you haven't grasped by now, we are the forgotten, uncounted casualties and our deaths are just as final as those who died and were counted. I certainly mean no disrespect to my fallen brothers and sisters, and I think if they could speak, they'd feel the same as I. If you agree, I'd like to encourage each of you to write your congressmen and anyone else you feel the might help and request a monument of some kind be made. Even if it's just a plack somewhere. Just so we're not forgotten. Just so we count. Is that really so much to ask? Please, I'd love to hear your opinion on this, especially those of my fellow vets...... Lee Spirit Hawk ^i^
USAF
Diabled Vietnam Vet
