Veteran’s Issues 4-7-09

Veteran’s Issues 4-7-09
Peter Macdonald 465 Packersfalls rd Lee NH 03824 603-659-6217
It made me proud when the Vietnam Veteran wrote a comment to my letter the other day. It made me sad in away because I felt the understanding of the life this person has been living since he came home. We (meaning the Veteran) can be successful and appear to have everything in the world. We can be anyone that you meet and speak to on the street. There is a good chance that the homeless, bum that you see is one of us. The divorced father whom lost privileges with his family because he had no feeling or may be that person the politician just brushed off whom appeared did not look to have enough money. No one forgets where we have been or done.
I was not stationed in Vietnam. I was TAD twice to repair flight line gear in isolated camps. I did not do the 30 days minim to get my campaign ribbon In my 31 months over seas I participated in two Vietnam offensives and was station at Royal Thai Air Force Base Uborn Thailand. I did eight convoys as American Advisor across Thailand, Laos and Cambodia delivering surplus supplies to friendly camps. I had enemy mortar destroy the out house that I just vacated and a sniper bullet pass with inches of my head. My first kill was a child deep in the Bush to get my M-16 back and escape. I still remember how proud I felt the very moment. The most memorable part is my memory of the day that I set my feelings aside to complete the mission. I became a Marine that day that would effect the rest of my life. I have been blown off a runway and watched as one of my men was taken down by hung ordinance skipping down a runway. I got out of the U.S. Marine Corps with four permanent life changing disabilities. Three are combat related at separate times. I continuously remember every day the long, endless mission where this was the last second of your life. A Marine’s feelings take second place to completing the mission for the rest of his life. Even when he comes home the feeling never do as you know them.
I was in a car accident right out of boot camp. I lost my complete memory for the rest of my life. After ninety days in the hospital because of an admin error I was sent back to active duty. I learned every part of life from that day forward. I was a 17 year old Marine with no memory of life back here in the world (US) at all. I have no memory of kissing my first round eyed girl until after I came home. I met my brothers and sister for the first time when I came back. My parents had visited me in the hospital. I to this day do not remember them raising me as you do your parents.
It made me proud when the Vietnam Veteran commented on my letter because I do not belong in the same league. The existence of this Vietnam Veteran is something every U.S. citizen should be aware of. Not him in particular but all Veterans that come home from doing your dirty work. Veteran’s are your child that left high school with the hope to be a CEO, Dr, Lawyer and came home sometimes with only the memories of what he did that limited his future to just exist. I can write letters like this because my silence is a pen that never hears the degrading comments from that civilized person that has never been there. The Vietnam Veterans comments made me feel like someone cared.

Peter Macdonald Sgt USMC Semper fi