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Vincent Okamoto a highly decorated Japanese American Vietnam Vet sums up who the real heroes of the war were and still are. "The real heroes are the men that died, 19-, 20-year-old high school dropouts. They didn't have escape routes that the elite and the wealthy and the privileged had. And that was unfair. They weren't going to be rewarded for their service in Vietnam.
And yet, their infinite patience, their loyalty to each other, their courage under fire was just phenomenal. And you would ask yourself, how does America produce young men like this?"
And yet, their infinite patience, their loyalty to each other, their courage under fire was just phenomenal. And you would ask yourself, how does America produce young men like this?"
Why America is still raw over the Vietnam War
Posted from pbs.orgPosted in these groups: 
Vietnam War
Vietnam War
Posted 7 y ago
Responses: 3
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"And I think a lot of the divisions that we experience today had their seeds in the Vietnam conflict, and we haven't really gotten over them."
Exactly. The counter-culture of the '60s rejected our traditional American culture and imagined that they could invent a superior culture of their own from whole cloth. Their "improvements" gave us the drug culture, the breakdown of the traditional family structure, the rejection of personal responsibility, and a lawless, self-centered approach to life - as it sought to destroy our traditional culture.
The toxic divisions in our country today are simply these two views of life and culture continuing to drift apart. If this division continues to deepen our society will fail as have all other once-great cultures that have come before us - victims of their own internal cultural rot.
IMHO.
Exactly. The counter-culture of the '60s rejected our traditional American culture and imagined that they could invent a superior culture of their own from whole cloth. Their "improvements" gave us the drug culture, the breakdown of the traditional family structure, the rejection of personal responsibility, and a lawless, self-centered approach to life - as it sought to destroy our traditional culture.
The toxic divisions in our country today are simply these two views of life and culture continuing to drift apart. If this division continues to deepen our society will fail as have all other once-great cultures that have come before us - victims of their own internal cultural rot.
IMHO.
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As a Vietnam vet who served with these heroes,thank you Vincent Okamoto,I have always felt after coming back, the disconnect from the generation of my peers that did not serve,maybe that is why the bonds made so many years ago with my Brothers still remains to this day
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Sgt (Join to see)
SGT Philip Roncari I agree Phillip. It was a culture shock coming back home, and I was distrustful of civilians for many years after. I still detest the counter culture protestors that we have around today, in greater numbers it seems.
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SSgt Terry P.
Sgt (Join to see) - SGT Philip Roncari You have expressed my feelings,along with most all VN Veterans exactly.
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I know that when I came back, there weren't that many that joined when I did..
some went to college first.. found out they were not ready yet. Some got into Ford, GM and Chrysler... where their parents
Worked.. I went to my first reunion
When I got back. While their I got 20 to join the Air Force Rdserve.. they wanted
The best.both could offer. Out of that group, 4 stayed in to get 25 years each.
One of my former teachers didn't like my recruiting because I didn't get permission. Who needed permission
I didn't recruit on school property, I did it at our reunion at the k of C Hall. I considered the issue dead.. not her..
it was a school activity she said.. the district Atty ruled in my favor.. she was determined to make life miserable for me..
I went.back again 5 more years later... she followed me everywhere .. I didn't recruit, I enjoyed myself... just wartching her have a lousy time .. I stuck with those that served we hads'thing in common
Even though they joined later.. several times I didn't go back home, I was O'seas
Or too far away when stateside..
some went to college first.. found out they were not ready yet. Some got into Ford, GM and Chrysler... where their parents
Worked.. I went to my first reunion
When I got back. While their I got 20 to join the Air Force Rdserve.. they wanted
The best.both could offer. Out of that group, 4 stayed in to get 25 years each.
One of my former teachers didn't like my recruiting because I didn't get permission. Who needed permission
I didn't recruit on school property, I did it at our reunion at the k of C Hall. I considered the issue dead.. not her..
it was a school activity she said.. the district Atty ruled in my favor.. she was determined to make life miserable for me..
I went.back again 5 more years later... she followed me everywhere .. I didn't recruit, I enjoyed myself... just wartching her have a lousy time .. I stuck with those that served we hads'thing in common
Even though they joined later.. several times I didn't go back home, I was O'seas
Or too far away when stateside..
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