Almost 50 years after the end of the Vietnam War, 53% of Americans believe that sending troops to Vietnam was a mistake. This is only slightly less than the percentage of Americans who believed a decade ago that it was an error (57%).https://t.co/Hk00NKAQuH pic.twitter.com/Y4NlH37m1Q
— YouGov America (@YouGovAmerica) June 7, 2024
The political consequences of the upheaval became clear. While the doomed liberal campaigns of Eugene McCarthy and Robert Kennedy draw most of the focus in retrospectives of the era, the fact is that in November of 1968, Nixon and Wallace combined for 57 percent of the vote, close to the levels of historic landslide wins of LBJ in 1964 and Reagan in 1984.
Even after the Vietnam War faded as an issue with the end of the draft and the withdrawal of most American troops, the impact of those campus protests retained political heft — and gave a boost to the right.
In November of 1968, a professor of semantics named S.I. Hayakawa became interim president of San Francisco State University, a campus beset by protests and strikes. Two weeks later he climbed onto a sound truck used by the demonstrators and ripped the wires. That image, and his subsequent efforts to break student and faculty strikes and restore normal classes, made him something of a folk hero — so much so that years later, in 1976, he won a seat in the U.S. Senate as a Republican.
It would be folly to draw exact parallels between today’s unrest and those of 60 years ago. But some do resonate. Peaceful and lawful protests are out there, but they don’t have the same visual impact as police tangling with demonstrators; seeing protesters replacing American flags with Palestinian flags does bring back images of Americans waving the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese flags; and the sight of students attending an $80,000 a year university making it impossible for anyone to teach or study gives a very different meaning to the word “privilege.”
In 1970, the Ohio National Guard killed several protesters at Kent State.
A poll conducted after the shootings found that about a third of Americans didn’t know who bore more blame for the students’ deaths. About 1 in 10 blamed the National Guard.
A majority of respondents blamed the students.
It’s interesting to consider that response at this moment, given the protests at Columbia University in New York — also the site of large protests during the Vietnam War — and on other college campuses. Views of the protests on campuses and elsewhere vary widely, often depending on opinions of the Israeli military operations in Gaza that triggered the demonstrations.
If we look back at the demonstrations during the Vietnam War, though — protests focused on opposition to a military engagement now broadly regarded as a mistake — we see widespread hostility to the protesters, particularly college students.
Previous posts have noted how much Vietnamese refugees have contributed to the United States.
Thank you. Thank you. My mom is 84 years old and she's at home watching. Mom, I just won an Oscar! My journey started on a boat. I spent a year in a refugee camp. And somehow, I ended up here on Hollywood's biggest stage. They say stories like these only happen in the movies. I cannot believe it's happening to me. This– this is the American dream. Thank you so much.
...
I owe everything to the love of my life, my wife, Echo, who month after month, year after year for 20 years, told me that one day my time will come. Dreams are something you have to believe in. I almost gave up on mine. To all of you out there, please keep your dreams alive. Thank you, thank you so much for welcoming me back. I love you. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
When South Vietnam fell to North Vietnamese forces in 1975, an estimated 125,000 Vietnamese refugees fled to the United States to avoid retribution at the hands of the North Vietnamese.
Among those refugees was U.S. Navy Rear Adm. Huan Nguyen, the first Vietnamese-American ever to hold an admiral's rank. Nguyen's road to becoming a distinguished Navy officer was a long and tragic one, and begins with one of the war's most iconic photographs.
"America is the beacon of hope for all of us. There is no other place in the world where a person can go for such opportunity," Nguyen said at his 2019 promotion ceremony.
Eddie Adams' photo of Viet Cong guerrilla Bay Lop being executed by South Vietnamese Gen. Nguyen Ngoc Loan made newspapers around the world in 1968. It became one of the most enduring images of the Vietnam War.
The photo fueled the anti-war movement back in the United States, which saw the photo as proof that the war was unjustified. But Adams' photo only tells half the story, as the former Marine Corps photographer admitted.
Bay Lop was executed in Saigon, on the second day of the Tet Offensive. He was captured after murdering South Vietnamese Lt. Col. Nguyen Tuan, along with the officer's wife, mother and six of his children. One of his children survived, however, after being shot through the arm and thigh. Another bullet pierced his skull.
Nine-year-old Huan Nguyen stayed next to his mother for two hours after the murders.
Nguyen was taken in by his uncle, a Colonel in the Republic of Vietnam Air Force. In 1975, at age 16, they fled Vietnam, seeking refuge in the United States following the fall of Saigon.
Transported through Guam, U.S. Navy and Marine Corps personnel took care of Nguyen and his family. The U.S. 7th Fleet helped to evacuate thousands of Vietnamese refugees and transport them to safety in Guam. Seeing the U.S. Navy take care of his family would later inspire Nguyen to serve in the Navy.
“I was one of those refugees, apprehensive about an uncertain future, yet feeling extremely grateful that I was here at all. The images that I remember vividly when I arrived at Camp Asan, Guam, now Asan Beach Park, were of American sailors and Marines toiling in the hot sun, setting up tents and chow hall, distributing water and hot food, helping and caring for the people with dignity and respect. I thought to myself how lucky I am to be in a place like America. Those sailors inspired me to later serve in the United States Navy,” said Nguyen.
Gulf War-era veterans now account for the largest share of all U.S. veterans, having surpassed Vietnam-era veterans in 2016, according to the VA’s 2018 population model estimates. VA estimates for 2021 indicate there are 5.9 million American veterans who served during the Vietnam era and 7.8 million who served in the Gulf War era, which spans from August 1990 through the present. There are also around 240,000 World War II veterans and about 933,000 who served during the Korean conflict, the VA estimates. Some veterans served through multiple eras but are counted only in their earliest era. Roughly three-quarters (78%) of veterans in 2021 served during wartime, and 22% served during peacetime. (Veterans with wartime and peacetime service are only counted in wartime.)
...
As with trends in the U.S. population overall, the veteran population is expected to become more racially and ethnically diverse. Between 2021 and 2046, the share of veterans who are non-Hispanic White is expected to drop from 74% to 62%. The share of veterans who are Hispanic is expected to double from 8% to 16%, while the share who are Black is expected to increase slightly from 13% to 15%..
• The number of veterans in the United States declined by a third, from 26.4 million to 18.0 million between 2000 and 2018.
• There are fewer than 500,000 World War II veterans alive today, down from 5.7 million in 2000.
• Women make up a growing share of veterans. Today, about 9 percent of veterans—or 1.7 million— are women. By 2040, that number is projected to rise to 17 percent.
• The largest cohort of veterans alive today served during the Vietnam Era (6.4 million), which lasted from 1964 to 1975. The second largest cohort of veterans served during peacetime only (4.0 million).
• The median age of veterans today is 65 years. By service period, Post-9/11 veterans are the youngest with a median age of about 37, Vietnam Era veterans have a median age of about 71, and World War II veterans are the oldest with a median age of about 93.
• Veterans from more recent service periods have the highest levels of education. More than three-quarters of Post-9/11 and Gulf War veterans have at least some college experience, and more than one third of Gulf War veterans have a college degree.
• Post-9/11 veterans had a 43 percent chance of having a service-connected disability, after accounting for differences in demographic and social characteristics among veterans—significantly higher than veterans from other periods.
• Among veterans who had a service-connected disability, Post-9/11 veterans had a 39 percent chance of having a disability rating of 70 percent or more—significantly higherthan veterans from other any other periods.
Our statement on the passing of Senator John McCain: pic.twitter.com/3GBjNYxoj5— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) August 26, 2018
Heavy hearts with the loss of a great friend. pic.twitter.com/dU6kDtScU4— Mitt Romney (@MittRomney) August 26, 2018
"Some lives are so vivid, it is difficult to imagine them ended. Some voices are so vibrant, it is hard to think of them stilled. John McCain was a man of deep conviction and a patriot of the highest order.” [...] Full statement by President George W. Bush https://t.co/FQVYWIUyGL pic.twitter.com/W8LCxJXRLi— George W. Bush Presidential Center (@TheBushCenter) August 26, 2018
During Vietnam, an estimated 48,000 Puerto Ricans served in the four service branches of the armed forces. Of the More than 340 Puerto Ricans died in combat, and 17 were listed as missing in action.
Army Sgt. Jorge Zambrana has post-traumatic stress disorder from his two tours in Vietnam. He remembers picking up service members killed or wounded in action and taking them and their belongings to the South Vietnamese capital of Saigon. He also had to work at a cemetery.
He said he did face some racism during his time in Vietnam, but he would just work harder to prove himself. “I would tell my friends to follow the rules,” he said. “We couldn’t shine our boots because we were in the mud. We didn’t have time for inspections.”
He said he didn’t care what race someone was, and that in Vietnam, soldiers learned whatever job was needed. “If the guy got killed, who else was going to do it? Wherever they needed you, forget about your [specialty]. Your job was whatever,” he said.
Zambrana said he’s proud of his service and would do it all over again. “Even though I’m 65, I’m pretty healthy,” he said. “I could still man an M50 or M60. I’m still willing to fight for my freedom. Those of us who served in Vietnam served with honor.”
“Today, in a clear violation of my first amendment rights, I was silenced and forcibly removed from the Senate Floor during an adjournment in memory of Vietnamese and Vietnamese refugees which also offered another historic perspective on Former Senator Tom Hayden’s active support of North Vietnam’s Communist Regime during the Vietnam War.
I was especially perplexed by the actions taken against me because I notified the Senate Pro Tem’s office of my desire to speak on this subject matter and followed protocol. Out of respect for former Senator Hayden’s family, I also chose to wait to make my comments today rather than on the day they were present earlier this week. Nevertheless, the Senate leadership chose to censor me.
My family came to this country in search of the very freedom that was taken away from me this morning. I am deeply disappointed with Senate leadership’s actions because more than an act against me, Senate leadership silenced the voice of the residents of the 34th District, the more than 960,000 residents that I represent, whose freedoms of speech should never be silenced.”
President Johnson: I’ve been reading about all these coups out there, and all the problems of [South Vietnamese leader Nguyen] Khanh and everything. I was just wondering what’s happening to me. [Both chuckle.] I start out with a war.
Now, tell me, what’s your evaluation of the stuff we’re getting from [Ambassador Maxwell] Taylor tonight? I’m just reading it, and it doesn’t look very good.
McNamara: It doesn’t look good, Mr. President. It’s no different, you know, than what we’ve seen here and sensed here for some time. I think the odds are we can squeeze through between now and the next several weeks. But it certainly is a weak situation.
I’m going to meet tomorrow at 11:00 with Dean Rusk and Mac [Bundy] and others to reappraise it and see what we think can be done, if anything. I really don’t think there’s much we can do in the next several weeks to change the outlook. But neither do I think it’s going to completely collapse in that period.
Afterwards, though, after the election, we’ve got a real problem on our hands.
The prisoner of war had been tortured for 10 months and beaten repeatedly by his North Vietnamese captors in recent days, and there were threats of more if he did not respond properly when the propaganda broadcast began. Haggard but gritty, Cmdr. Jeremiah A. Denton Jr. slumped in a chair before the television cameras.
Pretending to be blinded by the spotlights, he began blinking — seemingly random spasms and tics. He answered interrogators’ questions with a trace of defiance, knowing he would be beaten again and again, but hoping that America would detect his secret message in Morse code.
To a question about American “war atrocities,” the captured pilot said: “I don’t know what is happening in Vietnam because the only news sources I have are North Vietnamese. But whatever the position of my government is, I believe in it, I support it, and I will support it as long as I live.”
The North Vietnamese, who lost face, were even more outraged when they learned that Commander Denton, in the Japanese-taped interview broadcast on American television on May 17, 1966, had blinked out “T-O-R-T-U-R-E.” It was the first confirmation that American prisoners of war were being subjected to atrocities during the Vietnam War.
The commander was beaten all night.
Mr. Denton, who returned home after seven years as a prisoner and became a rear admiral and a United States senator from Alabama, died on Friday at Sentara Hospice House in Virginia Beach, his son, Jeremiah A. Denton 3rd, said. He was 89.
In 1965, Lyndon Johnson’s national-security adviser, McGeorge Bundy, acknowledged the uncertainty of the Vietnam War in a memo to his boss: “We cannot assert that a policy of sustained reprisal will succeed in changing the course of the contest in Vietnam. It may fail, and we cannot estimate the odds of success with any accuracy.”The Pentagon Papers were a classified official history of the Vietnam war, which Daniel Ellsberg leaked to the New York Times. An excerpt:
...
Back in the day—as America plunged itself ever more deeply into Vietnam, Bundy also told Johnson that “even if it fails, the policy will be worth it.” In that sense, Vietnam demonstrated America’s resolve to stand up against the Soviet Empire in the midst of the Cold War, and in the words of the late John F. Kennedy, “pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship.”
But Syria? No. At best, American involvement in Syria would be a military commitment taken in the aftermath of Barack Obama’s having carelessly tossed out the phrase “red line,” in the course of a reelection campaign.
"Humiliation" was much on the minds of those involved in the making of American policy for Vietnam during the spring and summer of 1965. The word, or phrases meaning the same thing, appears in countless memoranda. No one put it as starkly as Assistant Secretary of Defense John McNaughton, who in late March assigned relative weights to various American objectives in Vietnam. In McNaughton's view the principal U.S. aim was "to avoid a humiliating US defeat (to our reputation as a guarantor)." To this he assigned the weight of 70%. Second, but far less important at only 20% was "to keep SVN [South Vietnam, then a separate country] (and then adjacent) territory from Chinese hands." And a minor third, at but 10%, was "to permit the people of SVN to enjoy a better, freer way of life."
At the conclusion of the meeting, President Sang shared with me a copy of a letter sent by Ho Chi Minh to Harry Truman. And we discussed the fact that Ho Chi Minh was actually inspired by the U.S. Declaration of Independence and Constitution, and the words of Thomas Jefferson. Ho Chi Minh talks about his interest in cooperation with the United States. And President Sang indicated that even if it's 67 years later, it's good that we're still making progress.At The Wall Street Journal, Ronald Radosh writes:
During World War II, Vietnam—a French colony—was taken over by Japan, and toward the end of the conflict, with Japan in retreat, a power vacuum developed. Ho Chi Minh, leading the Viet Minh communist guerrilla group, saw a chance to seize power before the French could restore colonial rule. He needed allies and knew that the American president, Franklin Roosevelt, had a reputation for being anti-French and anti-colonial. Thus began Ho's courtship of the U.S. by citing the Declaration of Independence and appealing to the American ideal of liberty.
His aim, according to Ho's biographer, William Duiker, was to "induce the United States to support the legitimacy of his government, rather than a return of the French."
In reality, Ho was a "disciplined Communist, who had "proved time and again his profound loyalty to Communism," according to the ex-communist German revolutionary Ruth Fischer, writing in Foreign Affairs in 1954. She had known him in Moscow in the 1920s when he was receiving his training.
Ho didn't get the U.S. support he sought, but he still succeeded in his national takeover, proclaiming himself president of a provisional government in what he called the Vietnam Democratic Republic. In October 1945, just how democratic the republic would be became clear: Ho ordered the slaughter of his political opponents, including 50,000 of the then-powerful Trotskyist communists. During a trip to Paris in late 1945, Ho told the French Socialist leader Daniel Guerin, "All those who do not follow the line which I have laid down will be broken."
As the nation prepares to celebrate the July 4th holiday, a vast majority (82 percent) of Americans say they are generally proud to be an American, citing a range of reasons for their feelings of pride, a survey finds. Roughly less than one-third (31 percent) of Americans say there has ever been a time when they were not proud to be an American. The survey also finds that more than half of Americans (53 percent) plan to attend a July 4th celebration this year.
The new PRRI/RNS Religion News Survey, conducted by Public Religion Research Institute in partnership with Religion News Service, finds that about eight-in-ten Americans report that they are extremely (51 percent) or very (31 percent) proud to be American. Republicans (68 percent) are more likely to report being extremely proud than Democrats (49 percent) or independents (47 percent), though majorities of all political groups say they are extremely or very proud.
“America’s military achievements and the willingness of Americans to serve their country in the military stand out as a source of pride for many Americans,” said Dr. Robert P. Jones, CEO of Public Religion Research Institute. “But among those who report ever feeling not proud to be an American, military actions and wars, particularly those in Vietnam and Iraq, were also the most frequently mentioned events.”
The most frequently cited reasons cited for being proud to be an American are military service and achievements (17 percent), the response to the September
By contrast, the most frequently cited reasons for ever not being proud to be an American are wars such as Vietnam and Iraq (29 percent) and the treatment of minority groups or racism (14 percent).
“American patriotism is particularly evident in the way Americans compare themselves to the rest of the world,” said Daniel Cox, PRRI Research Director. “Most Americans believe that the world would be better off if America could export its values and way of life to other countries. However, strong religious divisions exist, with three-quarters of white evangelicals and Catholics embracing this notion, compared to less than half of religiously unaffiliated Americans.”
Americans hold strongly positive views about America’s role in history and in the world today. Nearly 8-in-10 (79 percent) say America has always been a force for good in the world, and almost two-thirds believe God has granted America a special role in human history (64 percent) and that the world would be much better off if more countries adopted America’s values and way of life (63 percent). Conservatives are more likely than liberals to believe the world would be better off if more countries adopted America’s values and way of life (74 percent vs. 52 percent).
Among the Findings:
Eight-in-ten Americans report that they are extremely (51 percent) or very (31 percent) proud to be American. Roughly 1-in-10 (12 percent) say they are moderately proud, and 4 percent say they are only a little proud or not proud.Americans give a wide range of reasons for their feelings of pride about America. Roughly 1-in-5 (17 percent) say their military service or American military achievements — including the capture and killing of Osama bin Laden — have made them most proud to be American. Fourteen percent cite the response to the September 11th terrorist attacks, and 12 percent cite freedom in American society as things about which they feel most proud. Smaller numbers mention humanitarian assistance and disaster response (8 percent), personal experience or success (7 percent), the values of equality and opportunity (6 percent), Obama’s election (6 percent), or the moon landing (5 percent) as things that make them most proud to be an American.
- Republicans (68 percent) are also more likely to report being extremely proud than Democrats (49 percent) or independents (47 percent), though majorities of all political groups say they are extremely or very proud.
- White evangelicals also report stronger feelings of pride than other religious groups. More than two-thirds (68 percent) of white evangelicals say they are extremely proud to be American, compared to 56 percent of white mainline Protestants, 49 percent of minority Christians, 48 percent of Catholics, and 39 percent of religiously unaffiliated Americans.
- Nearly two-thirds of seniors (age 65 and over) report being extremely proud to be American, compared to 39 percent of younger adults (age 18 to 29).
Roughly one-third (31 percent) of Americans say there has been a time when they were not proud to be an American.
- Democrats and Republicans differ significantly in the reasons they provide for being proud to be an American. Democrats are more likely than Republicans to cite Obama’s election (15 percent vs. 1 percent) or the values of equality and opportunity (9 percent vs. 1 percent).
- Republicans are more likely than Democrats to cite American symbols such as the Constitution or major political figures such as Ronald Reagan (9 percent vs. 0 percent).
- Republicans and Democrats are about equally as likely to cite freedom as the thing that makes them most proud to be American (13 percent vs. 17 percent).
Americans who say there was a time when they were not proud to be American also cite a wide range of reasons. The most frequently mentioned reasons for not being proud to be an American are the wars in Iraq and Vietnam (29 percent) and the treatment of minority groups or racism (14 percent). Roughly 1-in-10 Americans cite some aspect of American culture (e.g. gun violence, the acceptance of gay and lesbian rights) (11 percent), the election of Barack Obama (11 percent), the election of George W. Bush (10 percent), or the role of America in the world (9 percent) as reasons they do not feel proud to be an American.
- Democrats (36 percent) and independents (30 percent) are more likely than Republicans (23 percent) to report that there was a time when they were not proud to be an American.
A majority of Americans report they are very likely to engage in the following activities related to patriotism: thanking members of the military for their service (81 percent), singing the national anthem (69 percent), displaying an American flag at their home or on their car (59 percent), attending a July 4th celebration this year (53 percent), or making a special effort to buy American-made products (50 percent).
- Republicans are significantly more likely than Democrats to report engaging in a range of patriotic activities, including singing the national anthem (83 percent of Republicans vs. 66 percent of Democrats), displaying an American flag at their home or car (76 percent of Republicans vs. 48 percent of Democrats), or making a special effort to buy American made products even if they cost more (55 percent of Republicans vs. 44 percent of Democrats).
- Roughly 6-in-10 white evangelical Protestants (62 percent) and white mainline Protestants (57 percent) report that they are very likely to attend a July 4th celebration, compared to less than half of Catholics (49 percent) and the religiously unaffiliated (48 percent).
- White Americans (66 percent) are more likely than Hispanic Americans (50 percent) or black Americans (40 percent) to report being very likely to display an American flag.
Americans hold largely positive views about America’s role in history and in the world today. Nearly 8-in-10 (79 percent) say America has always been a force for good in the world, and nearly two-thirds (64 percent) believe God has granted America a special role in human history. More than 6-in-10 (63 percent) say if more countries adopted America’s values and way of life, the world would be much better off.
- Conservatives are more likely than liberals to believe the world would be better off if more countries adopted America’s values and way of life (74 percent vs. 52 percent).
- More than 8-in-10 white evangelicals agree that God has granted America a special role in human history, compared to 40 percent of religiously unaffiliated Americans.
- Roughly three-quarters of white evangelical Protestants (74 percent) and Catholics (76 percent) believe that the world would be better off if more countries adopted America’s values and way of life. Less than half (49 percent) of religiously unaffiliated Americans agree.
More than 7-in-10 Americans think of themselves as a “typical American,” while 1-in-4 (25 percent) say they are very different from a typical American. Americans who are white and older are more likely than others to think of themselves as a typical American.
The survey was designed and conducted by Public Religion Research Institute in partnership with Religion News Service. Results of the survey were based on bilingual (Spanish and English) RDD telephone interviews conducted between June 5, 2013 and June 9, 2013 by professional interviewers under the direction of Social Science Research Solutions (SSRS). Interviews were conducted among a random sample of 1,007 adults 18 years of age or older in the continental United States (402 respondents were interviewed on a cell phone). The margin of error for the survey is +/- 3.1 percentage points at the 95% level of confidence.
“Today and this weekend, communities across the country commemorate Vietnam Veterans Day.
“This year we also mark forty years since the end of U.S. combat operations in Vietnam. On March 29, 1973, the last of our combat forces departed the country and the final release of American prisoners of war drew to a close.
“When Vietnam veterans reached their hometowns, many were not greeted with the appreciation and respect they very much deserved. In our time we must take every opportunity to thank all veterans and their families for their service and sacrifice.
“More than 1,600 service members remain unaccounted for from the Vietnam War. Their families still seek answers. Today, the Department of Defense reaffirms its commitment to take all steps to account for our missing personnel and bring closure to their families. And we salute and thank our Vietnam veterans and their families.”In California, yesterday was Cesar Chavez Day. Governor Jerry Brown proclaimed today as the day for Vietnam veterans:
Over two million Americans served in the Vietnam War and related conflicts in Southeast Asia between 1959 and 1975. More than 58,000 did not return. Of those who survived, over 300,000 suffered physical injuries in combat, and an even greater number developed post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other psychiatric ailments as a result of their service.
Our treatment of the veterans of Vietnam and other wars reflects profoundly on our character as a nation. Too many of our veterans suffer from unemployment, poverty, homelessness, substance abuse and disability. For this reason I signed Executive Order B-9-11, creating the Interagency Council on Veterans to coordinate the state’s efforts in providing assistance to veterans in need. While the Council continues to explore every possible improvement in policies and programs related to veterans’ issues, I urge all citizens to act in the same spirit by welcoming home our veterans, thanking them for their service and assisting them in every conceivable way.
NOW THEREFORE I, EDMUND G. BROWN JR., Governor of the State of California, do hereby proclaim March 30, 2013, as “Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day.”KRCG report on Missouri's observance:
IN WITNESS WHEREOF I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Great Seal of the State of California to be affixed this 29th day of March 2013.
Our country celebrates Vietnam Veterans day for the first time. President Barack Obama declared the holiday last year to mark the 50th anniversary of the war.
We spoke to a Vietnam vet who says veterans from this war were mistreated when they returned home. Lloyd Pitney [no relation] says many have largely been forgotten, left to deal quietly with the scars you don't see like PTSD and depression. Pitney explains what having a day to honor Vietnam veterans means to him.
Lloyd Pitney says, "It's a rememberance of friends. Those I didn't know that didn't come back and thinking about those who defected our country. It's nice to see the country recognizing those who came back."
Pitney says he entered the Navy to put his life on the line for his country, and got no appreciation for it until recently as more people thank him for his service.
Signed into law July 12, 1862, the measure provided for awarding a medal of honor "to such noncommissioned officers and privates as shall most distinguish themselves by their gallantry in action, and other soldierlike qualities, during the present insurrection." Although it was created for the Civil War, Congress made the Medal of Honor a permanent decoration in 1863. Almost 3,400 men and one woman have received the award for heroic actions in the nation's battles since that time.A previous post described one Medal of Honor recipient. Another was Ed Freeman. This email has been circulating lately:
You're a 19 year old kid.
You're critically wounded and dying in the jungle somewhere in the Central Highlands of Viet Nam . It's November 11, 1967. LZ (landing zone) X-ray. Your unit is outnumbered 8-1 and the enemy fire is so intense from 100 yards away, that your CO (commanding officer) has ordered the helicopters to stop coming in.
You're lying there, listening to the enemy machine guns and you know you're not getting out. Your family is half way around the world, 12,000 miles away, and you'll never see them again.
As the world starts to fade in and out, you know this is the day. Then - over the machine gun noise - you faintly hear that sound of a helicopter. You look up to see a Huey coming in. But.. It doesn't seem real because no MedEvac markings are on it.
Captain Ed Freeman is coming in for you.
He's not MedEvac so it's not his job, but he heard the radio call and decided he's flying his Huey down into the machine gun fire anyway. Even after the MedEvacs were ordered not to come. He's coming anyway. And he drops it in and sits there in the machine gun fire, as they load 3 of you at a time on board. Then he flies you up and out through the gunfire to the doctors and nurses and safety.
And, he kept coming back!! 13 more times!! Until all the wounded were out. No one knew until the mission was over that the Captain had been hit 4 times in the legs and left arm. He took 29 of you and your buddies out that day. Some would not have made it without the Captain and his Huey.
Medal of Honor Recipient, Captain Ed Freeman,United States Air Force, died last Wednesday at the age of 70, in Boise, Idaho. May God Bless and Rest His Soul.
I bet you didn't hear about this hero's passing, but we've sure heard a whole bunch about Whitney Houston, Lindsay Lohan, Dr. Murray, that sicko Sandusky, and a 72- day sham marriage.
Shame on the media !!!
| Revolutionary War | 4,435 | |
| War of 1812 | 2,260 | |
| Mexican American War | 1,733 | |
| Civil War | 140,414 | |
| Spanish American War | 385 | |
| World War I | 53,402 | |
| World War II | 291,557 | |
| Korean War | 33,739 | |
| Vietnam War | 47,434 | |
| Gulf War | 147 | |
| Iraq War | 3,479 | |
| Afghanistan War | 1,488 |
