The Man That Went To Woodstock
Although I wasn’t in the thick of the battle zone in Viet Nam I still served my country and I went when my country said “GO”.
Several years after I was back home my wife had a job for a large national retailer in their home office in downtown St Louis Missouri . This company went bankrupt and a few years later some of the employees got together for a reunion . I was talking to one of the ladies husband’s when he said “ I don’t know what you were doing in the 60’s but I was at Woodstock protesting the war .“ I almost came unglued . He just laughed along like every one did it . I just turned away and left him alone . I thought “ Too much water has went under the bridge , and there is no sense in stirring any thing up “ Needless to say that was a short evening for us . We never went to another reunion either .
When my wife first met me she ask me what my experiences in Viet Nam was like . ( The reason she wanted to know was , Her first husband was 101st Air Borne Hamburger Hill Veteran . She used to wake up with him on top choking her and she didn’t want to go through that again ) I started telling her about how the frogs invaded our camp and how I used to kill the frogs . She was sort amused and thought to herself “ if that’s all I have to put up with I can handle it “ We were married three weeks later and I’ve never choked her but she has had to rescue me a few times from some frogs .
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Charles you probably showed more restraint than I would've. I'm glad you and other VN Vets are now able to talk about your experiences. And don't EVER downplay what you personally did over there. You were where they sent you and you were WILLING to GO wherever they sent you. You, like me, gave our country a blank check for any amount - up to and including our life - and told them, "You fill it in."
I had similar experiences. Interestingly though, I now know a lot of people who didn't serve in Vietnam because of college deferments or otherwise and they are suffering their own sort of guilt n retrospect. Time does heal and most now really appreciate the damage they caused to our psyche in the way they treated us. Things have changed and we need to forgive but not forget. It's good to converse. Everyone wins.
I can think of so many things to say to the man that went to woodstock; and they are all so bad, bad, bad. They say that different folks make the world go round, but not when it comes to serving our country, I think. Thanks for all you did.
Charles, wonderful story. I turned 18 in 1973 and missed the draft by just a year or so. I was also just a bit too young to have gone to Woodstock,,,but I saw the movie,,,aside from the music I never felt like I missed much. I do want to thank you for your service and equally so for sharing your stories.
