SC Vietnam veterans join for a healing mission

When they were serving in Vietnam, some of their buddies died. They did't get much time to grieve. Some of their buddies were wounded and they never saw them again. Because of the Internet, they have been reaching out to try to find the people they served with and in a lot of cases, they find them.  This is one of the ways they find people they have not seen in over 40 years.

U. S. Army Lost and Found Listings

There are newer veterans searching as well as discovering what they have in common with Vietnam veterans.  All of this is finding some kind of healing closure as well as re-connection.  Taking them to Walter Reed is a wonderful idea.  They see the wounded but they also see the care they receive.  They see the strength in the wounded as well as pain they carry offering hope the pain is not unconquerable.

SC Vietnam veterans join for a healing mission
by SUSAN TRAUTSCH on OCTOBER 8, 2010
The South Carolina Combat Veterans Group is taking part in what they consider to be a ”healing mission” over the weekend of October 8. Approximately 100 members of Combat Veterans of the Vietnam War are traveling to Walter Reed Army Hospital in Washington, D.C. to visit patients who have returned from combat in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Commander Tommy Olds, a Vietnam veteran, says this is a trip to help heal both physical and emotional injuries. He says this is an opportunity to close painful gaps of memories that he and his comrades have experienced.

Ninety percent of these guys making this trip were Vietnam veterans. One thing a lot of us went through when we went to Vietnam, we saw the loss of a lot of our comrades on the battle field. A lot of them were injured, or perhaps lost their lives. And it’s real difficult, even after 40 years, it’s difficult to deal with to not to have the closure of being back here in the states when we returned here from Vietnam.
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SC Vietnam veterans join for a healing mission