Posted to Great Americans by NamGuardianAngel on September 12, 2009
Vietnam veterans seem to always be showing up in the news like in this following report. They show up to do motorcycle rides for charities ranging from helping kids feel special on Christmas to helping disabled Iraq and Afghanistan veterans feel appreciated. They show up on Veterans day just as much as they show up in Washington and around the nation to honor the fallen on Memorial Day. Vietnam veterans show up, no matter what the need is or who is in need, but these acts of kindness did not always make the news. What they did wrong did. Mostly because we didn't know what Post Traumatic Stress Disorder was, so when they self-medicated or drank too much, we blamed them.
By the time Vietnam veterans were coming home, the availability of reporters was staggering. They seemed to be everywhere. Vietnam combat came into our living rooms every night and it was in our newspapers everyday. Before Vietnam, when veterans came home, they came home to become well kept secrets families held when Dad was drinking too much or was a nasty person not to be messed with. They came home just like their fathers did. After the parades and parties, they faded into their own private hell. Vietnam veterans would not let the rest of their lives become suffering in silence.
They fought for the healing available today. They pushed the government to invest in the research the rest of the population are assisted with today. The findings from investigations into PTSD ended up resulting in crisis responders showing up right after traumatic events, police officers, firefighters and emergency responders having someone to turn to and when survivors are shattered by loss. They pushed for the VA to compensate for this invisible wound they carried inside of their skin but touched every part of their lives.
The Vietnam veterans are still showing up to help. They show up to help others heal in whatever way they can. They show up to make a difference as they take leadership positions in all the service organizations as well as in businesses. They show up when one of their brothers needs someone to care and they show up when one of them is still sleeping in the woods or on the streets. They show up when they are at the other end of the phone looking for clothing to be donated to give the homeless veterans something warmer and cleaner to wear.
It is a joy to post a report like the following because when it comes to them, the next time you need help or some stranger to care, the chances are, it's a Vietnam veteran showing up.
Toledo Vietnam veterans work to serve others
Written by Chris Schmidbauer sports@toledofreepress.com
With the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, it is easy to forget the true meaning of Christmas. Often times we become so consumed with shopping, baking holiday treats, and planning family parties, that we often overlook the true meaning of the yuletide season.
Gene Shurtz sees the holidays in a different light these days. The 66 year old, who was a 1st Lieutenant in the Army, spent his Christmas 30 years ago stationed in Vietnam.
“Well the saying always goes ‘you don’t realize what you have until it’s gone,’” Shurtz said. “When you are isolated like that in deployment overseas, you spent a whole year, if you weren’t evacuated or injured in battle, away from your family and friends. It is very difficult.”
Shurtz is also the chapter president of the Vietnam Veterans of Greater Toledo, and he and his fellow veterans are working to make this Christmas a little brighter for service men and women and their families.
“We wanted to do some social functions, and we are trying to achieve some fellowship with some social functions,” Shurtz said. “The idea is to connect veterans with each other, and a Christmas party is a nice way to do that.”
The Christmas party will be held Monday December 21 at the Hooters restaurant on Monroe Street, but the party designed to bring some extra holiday cheer is just on part to the group’s mission.
The greater Toledo chapter is an arm of the Vietnam Veterans of America (V.V.A), whose mission has been not to forsake a group of veterans the way Vietnam veterans were.
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Toledo Vietnam veterans work to serve others
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