Working as a Veterans group, how do I best Bridge the gap between our Vietnam veterans and our current veterans? We are doing all we can?

Great topic. One would think that the impact of the war environment is the same for each generation. I disagree. I learned that early on when having many conversations with my dad (WW2/Korea) and myself back from 'Nam. His generation was built differently than mine. Coming off the Depression. Scrapping for everything. Poor. The enemy is absolutely subhuman cur that should be wiped from the face of the Earth. The list goes on. So the actual events played out differently in Dad's mind than it would in mine. Some of his events, we'd likely not see today. The inside scars may appear the same, but the effect plays out in different hues. We didn't have much more help than the Greatest Generation when it came to dealing with the dragons within. Much more help nowadays, but still a long way to go. I'd suggest that many things may seem to translate well in reality pan out less than we'd hope. The best approach is to understand there are perception, value, response, etc. gaps between the generations and to understand they exist. We now consider purposely killing allied civilians as unthinkable to be avoided at all costs. In WW2 there were instances where that was ordered and implemented. Starving Chinese were clawing over barbed wire to get food from the supply dumps. Kill them all and dump their bodies in the villages to discourage a larger human wave. Yes, my Dad's dragons were a different shade of brutal and character than mine.

I would suggest this - have the Vietnam Vets who are willing to talk about their experiences both in the military and when they got home give a presentation to the younger Vets. Encourage the Vietnam Vets to talk about what worked and what didn't work for them in their readjustment after the war.
This will make the Vietnam Vets feel valued and will help the younger Vets appreciate how damn lucky they are. Few Americans under 40 appreciate how rough the Vietnam Vets had it when they got back.

LT Michael Watson I am a member of the Scottish American Military Society (SAMS). We have Vietnam, Cold Warriors, GWOT, and ODS Vets working side by side on service projects and preserving American and Scottish military culture. We are small but we are mighty. The more we talk, the more I realize we have the same types of experiences and more in common than we'd imagine. What makes it happen is we are focused on a common goal that we all agree is important, usually to benefits others (which sounds eerily familiar, serving others...).

Looking forward to our work at the Pikes Peak Celtic Fest 14-16Jun.