I attended the dedication ceremony for The Moving Wall (Vietnam Veterans Memorial replica) last Saturday. The dedication reminded me of a letter to the editor in the Atlanta Journal Constitution (“Lessons America Learned in Vietnam Helped Save Lives in Persian Gulf War”) I wrote 20 years ago when the troops returned from the Persian Gulf War.
The troops were hailed as heroes. We were very proud of the success of those troops.
We should realize that a country not only achieves greatness because of its successes, but also because of lessons learned. The successes we had in Desert Storm and succeeding wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are in part because of lessons learned in the past. Someone had to pay a price for those lessons learned.
I would like to thank another group of heroes for paying that price. Vietnam vets can hold their heads high realizing that the price they and their comrades paid was not in vein. The political and military decisions that were made in Desert Storm and succeeding wars were a result of some of the lessons learned in Vietnam. It can be concluded that the loss of American lives in Desert Storm and succeeding wars were kept to a minimum because of the price paid by Vietnam vets.
Although we all hate war, we have learned that it is not necessary to hate the warrior. The Vietnam vets did not come home to parades or thanks from a grateful nation. However, this country poured out its heart in a richly deserved tribute to the heroes of Desert Storm. Thus, the Vietnam vet paid for another lesson learned. This country should welcome home the veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts with the same tribute of thanks.
The investment made by the men and women who served in Vietnam paid off in big dividends and saved hundreds and probably thousands of American lives in Desert Storm and succeeding conflicts.
Never again will one generation of veterans abandon another.
Kelly Reid
Goleta
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