Well, then, TheAnswer...., you will no longer make comments that distort the history of the Vietnam War?

Thanks to all Veterans

Thank you msl. You are very kind. But as it were, it is like everyone being kind and generous to the poor and homeless at the Holidays and not remembering they exist the rest of the year also.
Its like the life span of a less fortunate person is the 30 days between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Of course unless someone decides they want to complain about them during the rest of the year and put them down because they lived past their projected 30 days and are now a nuisance.

Thank you for your sacrifice. I wish we could remember the vets every day and pull away from the negative discourse we have on days that are not Veteran's Day.

Seems like you're in on some serious double-secret stuff, Dean Wermer. Be careful that the Company doesn't find out your real name by way of operatives at the paper.

gazettefan - I could tell you where my information comes from but then I might be putting people at risk of violating their military non-disclosure agreement. Nothing I say would change the way you sheeple think anyway. What the media says is real. What you read on the internet is real... Doesnt bother me any what you think.

Aaahhhh, I see now Sigma. Your living in the world of "everyone is wrong and I am right". Okay Sigma, we understand. Nobody can see what you do. Do you see dead people to? Perhaps you should lay down and take a nap for a while. Or go see a doctor. But be careful he may have been a party animal in medical school.

Sigma, I will pay for your plane ticket out of this country.

And let us know how you managed to find the stuff that seems to be alluding almost everyone else.

That's because your little box is too small for them to squeeze inside.

Feel free to be specific about what the media is ignoring. Try to avoid vague generalizations.

You really think im the one living in a box? YOU need to forget the history books and look whats going on today...Outside what the media reports. Theres a real world out there...the majority of the people just dont know it.

People who accommodate in any way the attitudes of people who hate this country only reveal that there's more than one way to be a victim of terrorism. It's a type of Stockholm Syndrome.

And, again, you need to study world history and you need to get an idea about what's really going on in other countries. You need to go beyond the claustrophobic fault-finding that encourages anti-American terrorists.

If everything was "just right" (or even half way right) we wouldnt be the most hated nation on the planet, and also wouldnt have several states talking about receding from the union now would we? Do you people really think we as a country have our "stuff" together? HAHA!!! If we didnt have an over funded over populated military stationed in almost every country around the world... we wouldnt be hated so much and need such a large military or waste our tax money. The way we fight wars has drastically changed. 90% of the ground troops today are not even needed. Those that are in the military and not actually doing something protecting the country are just draining it....and feel good about it. Brainwashed!

He lives in a little box where everything has to be just right.

You know Sigma, there are more than one way to look at that. Those so implied "freeloaders" are in the military and if our country was to be all out attacked, thier party days would be over and they would be protecting our butts. Its almost like someone going to medical school and partying his/her way through school and then becomes a Doctor whom you trust your life to in the right situation. And those countries we help that you seem to despise, those are called Allies. In the time of all out war they are our backup if we should get attacked on our homeland just as we are thier backup. Thank God we have not had all out war on our land since the Civil War (and that was our own war not someone attacking us) because those so called partying drunks are here defending us. Trust me, they are doing thier job and earning their keep. Too bad someone like you cannot see beyond your nose. There is always Canada or Mexico if you don't like it here.

Just because "your country" asks you to do something does not make it right. 2012 DOD budget is between $1.030–$1.415 trillion.
We have military all over the world. Im just really sick of paying for other countrys problems. A lot of people join the military for a free ride and free schooling. They enlist, hang out at a base, party, drink, waste ammo, fuel, money, and then want me to thank them? If you truely protected the country I thank you. If you simply were part of the military in a conflict fighting for team USA and collecting a check I thank you for contributing to the deficite.

Being a vet (USMC), I appreciate all the Thanks I heard over this past weekend. But one thing came to mind on Sunday as we visited my Girlfriend's daughter who's boyfriend was back on vacation from Iraq for a couple weeks. He is not in the military but he is a fire fighter who volunteered to go to Iraq to help support the troops on a military base in a civilian way. We seem to forget these people and I feel they should have a day too. Do they not sacrafice family time, do they not put thier lives out there doing a job in the "danger zone" so to speak? I think they all need a day of recognition also. So to all the civilian personel who volunteer to a tour of duty on the battle field to help support our country's cause I say Thank you in a big way.

Just tell me thank you.

Gazettefan, I think if you and I had a lengthy discussion we would find we are 99% in agreement on most things Vietnam. Unfortunately, this forum probably isn't suited well to such a discussion.
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To Greg's question... The American Battle Monuments Commission does an excellent job at maintaining American burial grounds on foreign soil. If anyone is even overseas it is well worth it to visit these cemeteries to honor the fallen.

hg
Thank you, and all vets, for your service.

Study our American histoty, fight to preserve the Constitution, serve your communities and NEVER allow our veterans sacrifices and courage to be shortchanged and forgotten.

And, TheAnswer....., if you're into brevity, no nation goes communist just because another nation won't help it become capitalist -especially if the personnel is the same. Such an explanation renders that personnel as mindless. It's sort of like saying a person becomes a malingerer just because one employer doesn't give that person a job.

TheAnswer...., I am well versed in the entire history of the Vietnam War, including its origins. My knowledge of it includes that what you said about Vietnam (if you meant North Vietnam) potentially being a capitalist country is a myth. (And South Vietnam [a sovereign nation, recognized by over thirty other nations] was a capitalist nation, and a nascent democracy.)

The North's regime were dedicated communists who played the Chinese and the Soviets to whatever advantage possible. In the North during the war, Stalinists in that regime used brutal police state maneuvers to quash any attempt by politicos to focus on developing the North's economy over waging large scale war in the South. The North suffered greatly for this. Without that brutality, and some other important facts, the North would have never been able to invade the South. If the North was fated for capitalism, leaving South Vietnam alone would have made the difference. Communism doesn't work. Southern capitalism would have eventually spread to the North. The North's not leaving South Vietnam alone is what prompted our war effort there.

And yes, there are a lot of lessons to be learned about the Vietnam War. That's why what I said to Sigma was brief, and only focused on how the Chines and the Soviets wanted to expand communism worldwide.

I suggest that you be leery about the myths and the lies created by the Hard Left here and the communists over there when you think about Vietnam. Consider the fact that the Hard Left here never mentioned the brutality and the large scale atrocities committed by the communists in Vietnam, but only slammed our presence there. Don't distort reality from the fact that South Vietnam was lost. Ask yourself this: If we had lost World War II, would that mean we shouldn't have fought it?

Gazettefan- The roots of Vietnam started much earlier. Vietnam could have easily been a capitalist country if we would have supported them (like we started to) after WWII. Early on their "communism" was more a form of "anti-imperialism". There are many lessons to learn from Vietnam. Way too many to go over here...

Sigma, As a Vet from the Vietnam era I take total offense at you. How did we serve this country? We did what our country asked us to do no matter what. It does not matter if a soldier went to battle, or raked leaves at the white house, he did without question or argument what our country asked him to do. Even those who are war time vets but never actually seen combat, their jobs were just as important in the form of support as the jobs of the front line grunts. They all worked together to form this country's military and all did what they had to do. Jobs given them by the leaders of out country. I think your disrespect is terrible and uncalled for. Like I said, As a Vietnam Vet, I take total insult in your comments. I think you should print a front page apology to all the vets of this nation.

Sigma..., even though China and the Soviet Union were at odds with each other back then, they were both dedicated to a communist take-over of the world a country at a time.

You should at least have an inkling about this. Go to the library and study China, the Soviet Union, and the Cold War.

Sigma.....What you don't understand is that we are thanking our veterans for their service, many of whom were drafted into the military. Our "thanks" is not a comment on the right or wrong of our government's policies. I hope you are bright enough to realize the difference.

Hey Sigma.....perhaps you should find a new country to live in because you clearly don't understand the foundation that this one has been built upon. The characteristcs of our countries founders have been clearly lost in your upbringing. Ya know...things like Honor, Duty, Oath, Self-Less Service, etc. It's apparent you've never served in the military. It's one thing to disagree with the politicians who decide to engage our nation into war, but it's unexcusable and disgusting to question a soldier sworn to the duty to serve. We veteran's didn't pick and choose any of our wars....in fact those who select the wars haven't served in them since George Washington. I've got more to say...but I'm going to hold back because clearly your challenged and I should just cut you some slack...probably bad genes. I'd suggest you attend some veteran's day ceremonies and look into the eyes of those who have given large segments of their life for your right to question our "politicians". Make sure you exercise THAT right as we've given it to you.

gazettefan - "The years we fought there had a lasting effect in that region after the war was over."
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But what did it do for the US? I just see a lot of people that served for the USA team, but a lot of people that actually did not do anything for the people of the USA. Not trying to argue... just seems to be a big misunderstanding when people say they "served" their country.... ya, team USA, but not actually the country.

Sigma. ..they kept your chicken a___ from serving while you hid under your bed.

Our presence in South Vietnam helped stop the spread of communism in that region of the world. The years we fought there had a lasting effect in that region after the war was over. After we militarily defeated communist terrorism there, our Congress failed to preserve that victory by denying the promised aid to South Vietnam that was written into the Peace Accords.

North Vietnam agreed to that provision, and it also agreed to the provision in the Peace Accords that prohibited it from invading South Vietnam, which was a sovereign nation.

Congress betrayed the Peace Accords and the South Vietnamese people and our veterans because, like millions of Americans, it was too stupid to understand the importance of what Maoist China and the still Stalinist Soviet Union wanted to do to the world.

Here's some more ideas:
Learn how to properly display a flag if you have one.
Don't ask "what's it like over there?" The standard response to hide the pain and frustration you will hear is "it's hot and sandy." We are hoping this lame response will not illicit more stupid questions.
Stand up when the flag passes you during a parade. Stand up for every American flag, not just the first one. Be quiet when the flag passes you. Remove your hat and be quiet during the National Anthem. Teach your kids the same.

I think we should honor those that fought "for" our country and actually for us, Why do we honor those that fought for other countries? Like most of Iraq, Vietnam,...etc. ? Serious question here. What did the people fighting in Vietnam do for America?

One word that brings a tear to my eyes..." Thanks " , that's all it takes.

And though many surviving war veterans are injured in various ways, stop making them victims of the continual psychological aid and comfort you gave and are giving to our enemies.

A surprising number of places offer free food or discounts to Veterans tomorrow. There’s a list at:
http://www.military.com/veterans-day/vet...

Here's two suggestions:

Never tell a war veteran that what he did was pointless and wrong.

And avoid veiled insults like: "Support the troops but not the war."

One thing we should do is to contact our Senators and Congressmen right away and insist that they review and overhaul the entire VA hospital system. If they are going to get started on national health care, that would be an excellent place to start.

Older than I thought - this should have read "I think the best way to honor a veteran is three fold:"....sorry about the extra post.

As an old non-combat veteran, I have given this a lot of thought over the years. I thing the best way to honor a veteran is three fold:
1. NEVER start or enter in to unnecessary wars such as Iraq
2. ALWAYS take care of the physically and emotionally wounded veterans (and their families) no matter the cost – it is part of the cost of the war that the veteran fought for you and your family.
3. ALWAYS understand that veterans were following orders under extreme physical and mental conditions and deserve our heartfelt thanks along with the benefit of the doubt in what they had to do.
If we do not want to pay the full cost of wars – don’t enter in to them.

Well said, NVgrf!

I agree with NVgrf. They all deserve our Gratitude and Thanks.

I think that the best way to honor our veterans is to take every chance we can to offer them a heartfelt "Thank You!" for what they have done for us all.