50th anniversary of the Vietnam War and attacks go on

50th anniversary of the Vietnam War and attacks go on
Wounded Times
Kathie Costos
February 23, 2014

Reading a post by Mark Ashwill on Huffington Post was not a good way to wake up this morning.

Jumping on the Vietnam War Commemoration Bandwagon: The Vain Search for Honor

"As we settle into year three of the 13-year Commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam War, which extends from May 28, 2012 to November 11, 2025, Americans from sea to shining sea are joining in events that "recognize the Vietnam Veterans and their families' service, valor, and sacrifice," according to the official Vietnam War Commemoration website. As with any program dreamed up by bureaucrats, objectives are a must, lest the organizers and participants lack focus and taxpayer dollars be wasted."

He ran down the list we've all been subjected to for over 40 years. I read the words until it became clear the agenda was not to honor Vietnam veterans but to subject them to what more talented writers have done to them over all these years. How can some people be so blind to the simple fact that, this is not about politicians or reasons they sent men and women to risk their lives?

This is about them. Men like my husband and families like mine. What about the contributions Vietnam veterans made to society as a whole because they did not give up on the rest of the country even though the rest of the country gave up on them?

Nothing was done on PTSD until they came home and fought for it. Everything that came afterwards, including crisis intervention, happened because of them. Frankly most are tired of people focusing on the reasons they were sent, because when they got there, the only thing that mattered was the guy standing next to them. They were willing to die for each other and that is what this is supposed to be about.

So far the only "vain search" for honor has come because of people would rather focus on everything else but the people who went.

Vietnam veterans are the majority of the veteran suicides, the VA claim backlogs that have gone up and down during every single administration like a roller coaster rising when politicians could get away with it and the press didn't care then suddenly putting all hands on deck to get them down again. During congress after congress complaining about the claims and the delay in honoring them when the report made the top of the fold.

It is all just a political game fed by people with an agenda that has nothing to do with the veterans.