FORT CAMPBELL — John Colon was tossed into a body bag, toe-tagged and deemed dead after he was shot five times during a brutal attack on Feb. 19, 1968, during the Vietnam War.
When Colon awoke, he was in the dark. He heard someone say, “Leave Colon. He’s dead.” Then he felt himself rolling on what he thought were logs. Later, he found out they were the bodies of 17 soldiers killed that day.
On Sunday, Colon was among many of the Vietnam veterans who wept after getting a welcome-home ceremony — more than 40 years after the battle that nearly killed him.
Colon, 64, stood in formation with hundreds of the 1,100 to 1,500 Vietnam veterans who traveled from all over the country to get the recognition they had earned so long ago.
“This ceremony is our way of giving them the welcome home they never received,” said Sgt. 1st Class Peter Mayes, a public information official. “It was a very controversial war, and a lot of the veterans weren’t given a lot of respect when they got home.”
Thanks Revrick
that is soo nice,we should give thanks to all vets
If anyone needs health care today, it’s those soldiers who have fought and are still fighting in the Middle East. Check this out:
” I am a Army veteran of the first Gulf War, I was a driver of a Bradley Fighting Vehicle. My unit fought the Iraqi Republican Guard in three campaigns and my vehicle was point for the brigade. I drove for 172 hours straight, engaged in 100 hours of sustained combat and witnessed literally thousands of enemy combatants die in that short span of time.
Since being honorably discharged from the service of my country I have struggled with PTSD, depression, substance use disorder, homelessness, social and health issues. It took me 7 tries and 15 years to go through the VA bureaucracy to get the help that I needed. Nothing has been given to me that I have not fought for with my life, either in the Gulf War or with the VA. I gave freely of my time and service, the same was not done for me.” read it here: http://ptsdasoldiersperspective.blogspot.com/2009/01/statistics-effects-and-realities-of.html
I think that all of us here, regardless of our political beliefs, need to contact our state senators and our district congressional representative to make sure the funding is in place for these brave souls. About half of our tax dollars are spent on the military (and that doesn’t count what was termed a few years ago as the “unknown unknowns”, because there has to be some off the book spending also occurring). I think a significant portion should be spent on putting these broken people back together, don’t you?
that is very touching, good for them! they deserve it
Yes, the Vietnam vets have been mistreated and deserved/deserve much better. The war did not get help when Walter Mondale mis-reported the Tet Offensive.
Paul in Boca – you are right, all of our veterans deserve the best care. What scares me, though, is that the government can’t help a relatively small population (veterans) with healthcare, yet they want to run healthcare for all of us?
Agree 200% Tim & Paul. My dad was in the VA Hospital in Nashville Tn. after open heart surgery. My wife and I went to get him on the date he was to be release. When we got there we were told he couldn’t go home that day. When I ask why, I was told to ask him(my dad).We got to his room and found that he was ‘sentence’ 6 more days ’cause he called a nurse a bitch. He said she drop some of his food in the floor and wouldn’t replace it, she just put it back on his tray. It were funny but made me mad at the same time. It were also his punishment that he wasn’t allow to use the phone to call anyone to tell them of this. So I drove nearly 200 miles and couldn’t carry him home. That was around 30 years ago, I hope it is better now.
I guess that it is because I don’t feel the need to get involved in the politics of the VFW and the American Legion, but I never find out about these events until I read about them in the paper. Does anyone know of a website for ‘Nam vets that keeps track of upcoming activities?
Tim,
This is not me speaking (DJ will vouch for that!), but I came across it and found it extremely interesting:
“I AM AN AMERICAN CONSERVATIVE
This morning I was awoken by my alarm clock powered by electricity generated by the public power monopoly regulated by the US Department of Energy. I then took a shower in the clean water provided by the municipal water utility. After that, I turned on the TV to one of the FCC regulated channels to see what the national weather service of the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration determined the weather was going to be like using satellites designed, built, and launched by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. I watched this while eating my breakfast of US Department of Agriculture-inspected food and taking the drugs which have been determined as safe by the Food and Drug Administration.
At the appropriate time (as regulated by the US congress and kept accurate by the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the US Naval Observatory), I get into my National Highway Traffic Safety Administration-approved automobile and set out to work on the roads build by the local, state, and federal departments of transportation, possibly stopping to purchase additional fuel of a quality level determined by the Environmental Protection Agency, using legal tender issued by the Federal Reserve Bank. On the way out the door I deposit any mail I have to be sent out via the US Postal Service and drop the kids off at the public school.
After spending another day not being maimed or killed at work thanks to the workplace regulations imposed by the Department of Labor and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, enjoying another two meals which again do not kill me because of the USDA, I drive my NHTSA car back home on the DOT roads, to my house which has not burned down in my absence because of the state and local building codes and fire marshal’s inspection, and which has not been plundered of all its valuables thanks to the local police department.
I then log on to the internet which was developed by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Administration and post on freerepublic.com and fox news forums about how SOCIALISM in medicine is BAD because the government can’t do anything right.
The only reason government doesn’t work is because conservative Republican administrations defunded and/or patronage staffed them with people with ties to special business interests: to wit the last FDA, Dept of Interior and Agriculture under GWBush. No one seems to have a problem with pumping over $500Billion to the Defense Department – which last I hear is a socialized entity.”
Would national healthcare be perfect? No. Would there be bugs in the system? Yup. Are any of the institutions listed above perfect? No. Are there bugs in those systems? Yup. Like it or not, in November of last year, Americans voted for a change in government, which includes our health care systems. 72%, in fact, according to a June 20 NYT poll (http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/21/health/policy/21poll.html)
And I won’t get started on the salaries of CEO’s of for profit insurance companies. How many procedures are denied with an eye not to the health of the patient, but to the earnings statement for the next quarter?
You know VA hospitals cant be sued for malpractice? Makes you wonder about the effectiveness of tort reform. Its really a pity, my grandmother is a PA for the them for last 30 years she was telling me about the rampant aids problem many Vietnam vets have. Hard to not be sad about something like that. Much like the american people in general (but to a much worse extent) they seem to have been abandoned by the government.
As a Vietnam Vet..Thanks for this caring for my fellow brothers in arms…..
It’s about damned time! Our Viet Nam vets were treated horribly by those that they were trying to protect and defend. More than any other vets, our Nam vets deserve our thanks, praise and adoration for fighting a thankless war that they were prevented from winning by the very politicians who sent them there in the first place. God bless you heroic, underappreciated Viet Nam vets!
I agree with your first comment, Paul. Gov’t can’t properly provide high quality medical care for those who need it. The VA has been a mess for decade after decade after decade…believe me Paul, it goes back a lot further than GW Bush. There are some things gov’t can do, and some things they can’t do as well as the private sector. The USPS is crying and cutting staff, hours, branches, while using archaic equipment, yet UPS is doing just fine, and uses state of the art processes. I’ve only used UPS for shipping packages for years now. It may cost a bit more, sometimes not, but I have that choice…do I want cheap, risky, slow, sloppy service by out-of-shape gov’t drones who spend hours @ day hiding in their loud rusty jeeps behind shopping centers, or do I want to pay a few cents more for fast, clean, careful service by people happy with their pay using high tech equipment in reliable vehicles? Well, it’s my choice.
I’m glad the gov’t sets high standards and inspects my food, my roads, my elevators. I’m glad they regulate air routes. I’m glad my gov’t took us to the moon, but 30 years of space shuttles pretending to discover things that were discovered in the 60s I could have done without. I bet private enterprise would have advanced space flight faster, and’ll do a far better job of it in the future, hopefully with sensible gov’t regulation.
But you’re right…Congress needs to be prodded to help the vets who are in dire need of help…wait…it’s in Congress’ hands? Uhh…will we have to do that to get help for our Moms and Dads and wives and kids??
The Canadian health system is “sick” & “imploding”: http://www.google.com/hostednews/canadianpress/article/ALeqM5jbjzPEY0Y3bvRD335rGu_Z3KXoQw
Paul—it’s not just conservatives not liking what the O man is doing: http://www.bizjournals.com/nashville/stories/2009/08/17/daily7.html
Paul in Boca – Yes, there are some gov’t agencies that do make life a little better, but why do they (the Federal Gov’t) want to get directly involved in healthcare? Why not look at what is broken and fix it instead of replacing it? Maybe tort reform, and maybe allowing people to shop for the best health insurance policy like we do with home/renters insurance, car insurance, and life insurance (at least above the little that some companies give their employees). The free market works in many industries; why not health insurance?
Tim:
http://wonkroom.thinkprogress.org/2009/08/05/are-health-insurers-making-too-much-money/
Please read the article, it’s really mind blowing. It’s too bad that in the richest country on earth, the profits of corporations are more important than the health of the people who populate it.
Paul – Until Nobama gets serious about tort reform, I refuse to believe that he is not in the lawyers pocket on health insurance.
Paul…how about national car insurance and national homeowner’s insurance? Geico and State Farm and Allstate make billions, too.
DJ,
How about this. Car insurance companies and homeowners insurance companies are not involved in every day life and death decisions for their clients. Did you click on the wonkroom link and read it? If not, I sincerely wish you would, as it shows simply staggering profits for companies that deal in life and death every day. So let’s say we get national health insurance. Everyone is worried that some bureaucrat is going to decide on a treatment. Today, that decision is being made by some accountant somewhere, and his or her only concern is this month financials.
If money will solve all your problems, you don’t have any problems. That’s my concern about the healthcare issue. The focus from each side has been dollar driven; we’re either not paying enough or we’re going to pay too much.
We must provide coverage for all because the uninsured are increasing costs. But we can’t provide coverage because it will cost too much.
We have the finest healthcare system in the world. But we are providing such shoddy care.
Our medical folks are totally driven and selfless. But they’re out to cut out a kidney so they can buy a new Beamer.
Folks, let’s back up. Take the money and devisive comments out of the equation. That money is going to change hands whether it goes to the insurance company executive, stockholders, the government, a Trilateral Commission Appointee or a black hole. But it’s definitely a sunk cost.
Let’s fix the broken stuff. Tort reform. Physicians should not have to order test after test to protect themselves from medical malpractice. Limit malpractice claims and malpractice insurance drops to a managable level. Electronic Medical Records. Why duplicate a test in another area because information is not shared between facilities. Funding for medical training. In the past, towns would send their best and brightest to school in return for them to bring those skills back to the town. Let’s subsidize med school, nursing school, dental, etc. and reduce the huge school loan debt graduates bring.
When you are trying to solve a problem, you take it a step at a time. When I’m trying to fix something around the house, I don’t focus on the getting the money….I get to the root of the problem and then see what I can afford. I might have to do it in steps, but I don’t tear out the second floor because I need to replace the roof. I’m afraid we’re overhauling the engine when it’s the tires that need replacing.
Do I have any idea what I’m talking about? Probably not. But I’ve been through it; huge medical bills, bankruptcy, etc. But money wasn’t the solution. The caring and dedicated medical staff at Kosair’s Childrens Hospital made the difference and helped us keep our sanity.
Well…generally speaking.
If money will solve all your problems, you don’t have any problems. That’s my concern about the healthcare issue. The focus from each side has been dollar driven; we’re either not paying enough or we’re going to pay too much.
We must provide coverage for all because the uninsured are increasing costs. But we can’t provide coverage because it will cost too much.
We have the finest healthcare system in the world. But we are providing such shoddy care.
Our medical folks are totally driven and selfless. But they’re out to cut out a kidney so they can buy a new Beamer.
Folks, let’s back up. Take the money and devisive comments out of the equation. That money is going to change hands whether it goes to the insurance company executive, stockholders, the government, a Trilateral Commission Appointee or a black hole. But it’s definitely a sunk cost.
Let’s fix the broken stuff. Tort reform. Physicians should not have to order test after test to protect themselves from medical malpractice. Limit malpractice claims and malpractice insurance drops to a managable level. Electronic Medical Records. Why duplicate a test in another area because information is not shared between facilities. Funding for medical training. In the past, towns would send their best and brightest to school in return for them to bring those skills back to the town. Let’s subsidize med school, nursing school, dental, etc. and reduce the huge school loan debt graduates bring.
When you are trying to solve a problem, you take it a step at a time. When I’m trying to fix something around the house, I don’t focus on the getting the money….I get to the root of the problem and then see what I can afford. I might have to do it in steps, but I don’t tear out the second floor because I need to replace the roof. I’m afraid we’re overhauling the engine when it’s the tires that need replacing.
Do I have any idea what I’m talking about? Probably not. But I’ve been through it; huge medical bills, bankruptcy, etc. But money wasn’t the solution. The caring and dedicated medical staff at Kosair’s Childrens Hospital made the difference and helped us keep our sanity.
Well…generally speaking.
Oops…forgot to say great post! Looking forward to your next one.
Ummm….I have no idea who the other revrick315 is because it’s a pretty common handle, but thanks for the “Oops, forgot to say great post” at the end.
Revrick,
That was spam. I usually catch those and delete them, but that one slipped by me. It had a link to colon cleansing something or other in it. I deleted the link. They copy someones name and sometimes the entire comment (like yours) and add their spam link. I recognize the name and don’t pay as much attention as I should. This one slipped past. I’ll try not to let that happen too often.
Oh, cool, I’ve been complimented by a colon cleanser….it feels so…cathartic…