In 1965 I was in the Army, stationed on the island of Okinawa, when our unit was put on alert. We prepared to go to combat, but we didn’t even know where we were going. It wasn’t obvious that we were going to Viet Nam; there were several trouble spots at the time, but no active wars. We just knew we were about to ramp it up somewhere.
Since our unit, the 173rd Airborne Brigade, was the first combat unit in, I was in the first round of soldiers to come home a year later. I didn’t come home to any abuse; the protests had not really started up yet. I came home to something more like anonymity.
Here at Sandpipers, they hold a short Veteran’s Day ceremony every year. For the first time ever, I attended and participated in a Veteran’s Day ceremony. For the first time ever, I accepted public acknowledgement and appreciation as a Veteran. That was a moving moment.
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