In case some of you haven't noticed, Vietnam Veterans are different. We weren't welcome home by our country, so we held our own welcome home parades in Washington, DC, New York, Chicago, and LA. We wanted a memorial, not to war, but to our buddies who were killed in action and those still missing, so we built the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, DC. The MOST visited memorial in the city, by the way. We didn't want future Veterans to be treated the way we were, so we changed the entire country's attitude towards servicemen and women. We shake hands differently than "normal" people and we do a whole bunch of hugging other Veterans and their families. We like to sit facing doors or windows so we can see what's there, but if we're with other Veterans, it's OK because we know they'll have our "6" (back).
Agent Orange gave me prostate cancer and the war messed up my mind but the government recognizes PTSD and give me free money every month to make up for it. I've gone through 2 marriages because of my disabilities. And you know what? I'd do it all over again just to be able to say that I volunteered to serve my country and signed the blank check to take everything, including my life, if it were necessary.
Yeah- I'm darned proud to be a Veteran of the greatest country in the world.