My father, a Viet Nam veteran of two tours

[Maestro]

just told me that he wanted to smack * because he is tired of the flippant attitude he has regarding military deaths in Iraq. He says the war is totally unjustified and worthless. The older my dad gets the more I am radicalizing him.

[Kurt Remarque]

1. i'm having a vietnam flashback myself

remember "vietnamization?"

[NYC]

7. Iraqification

will be the new word.

[tabasco]

2. Your Dad is correct.

Bush doesn't care about troops getting killed.

[wadestock]

3. confirms everything I've heard from my VN buddies....

Nam was fought over a believe at the time that we were really at risk from communist aggression.

This is all about nation building for "business interests".

[mediaman007]

9. Could anyone imagine that the Iraq threat would be any thing at all

compared to the Soviet Union. I suspect that we could have held Iraq in check for 20 or 30 years. We've managed to scare Castro off for longer.

[jody]

4. Your dad and I probably served there at the same time. He and I

are not alone and we have an obligation to make certain that your generation and their children do not make the same mistakes again.

[UTUSN]

5. Give Him a Bear Hug n/t

[JimmyJazz]

6. Your dad is right. This war is unjustified, worthless and illegal!

And you tell him we said thank you for his service to this country that we love so very much - no matter what the right wing neo-cons say. :toast:

[Zomby Woof]

8. This son of a Democrat and Vietnam vet thanks you

And thanks to your Dad! :toast:

[Maestro]

10. Thanks to all. I'll show him the thread next time he is over.

It's getting bookmarked.

He flew tours in Viet Nam, at the time he admittedly admits that he was indoctrinated to get the "gooks" but over time grew very bitter at how the war was undertaken from the White House putting too many soldiers in harm's way for no reason since it became clear that the White House would not let the military do what it needed to do to end the war soon. He later saw how fruitless the whole venture was. He served on the Kitty Hawk and Hornet in '66 and '67 I think.

He doesn't even talk about it much. He has some incredible super 8 film of bombing runs they went on and other military aviation film that beats much of what you would see on the newly christened Military Channel, but he refuses to let me digitize it. He just gets it out occasionally and usually ends up drinking when he sees it.

Anyhow, I think he has seen far too many parallels with Iraq, but what put him over the edge is this constant ignorance for the amount of death and carnage taking place in Iraq while * just sits there and says that democracy is on the march.