LOTS

Vietnam soldiers were the most hated soldiers in the world made so by the ilk in their own country fueled by the likes of Hanoi Jane. I salute you Spc. Sabo and all my brothers in arms from the Vietnam conflict.

BS. Pure BS. People hated the war, and the people who forced it to go on and on, not the soldiers. GUys were not gung ho to go to Vietnam, all of the ones who came back hated everything about it, their leaders, their government, and the public who let them down.

Heroism of the kind that's truly humbling - makes you wanna wince everytime you hear the word "hero" tossed around so easily nowadays to describe something like a catch in sports or somebody checking into rehab or going to AA

Panhead does not know what he is talking about. It is pure mythology that Viet vets were hated. As someone who was against the war in Viet Nam I had on a number of instances discussed this very topic with my contemporaries both in and out of the armed forces. No one that I met had anything other than respect for those who had served in Viet Nam. Many vets I have met had great misgivings about the war then and now. It turns out that as the leaders of the time, Robert McNamara (who contributed much to starting the whole damn thing) for example have written their memoirs, that the anti-war movement was correct in their assessment of the war. This in no way diminishes the sacrifice of those who had to fight this war or the valor they often showed. But just as then, I really wish there were not 58,000 names on the Viet Nam war memorial in Washington. Our leaders placed these men and women in harms way to simply to prove a political point and this very definitely is dishonorable.

@nytweed, sorry to tell you that I personally know vets who were spit on when they wore the uniform during Nam. I can trace many friends on the Wall. It makes me so sad that some of them were so disrespected.

nyt..you may think of it as mythology but what Hanoi Jane did during the Vietnam war was no myth...Her photos being taken with the enemy and looking through the gun sights of the enemies gun was and is no myth, Her radio speech on Vietnamese radio was no myth where she spoke against the US soldier and the US.....Mythology my ass......

Were you there and managed to make it home only to be met by protesters carrying signs refering to us as women and baby killers spitting at us. Accusing us of all kinds of evil. We were asked by our country to go not that we had a choice but we didn't jump the border to our nothern nieghbors, no we faught and many died way to many. Only to be welcomed home by hate. I was there don't tell me I don't know.

Susan E: You are a first class idiot. You have no idea what you are talking about. Those who pushed the war on and the soldiers who were in the thick of it, were all hated. The soldiers most of all. Perhaps you would do well to read a little history before you start spouting off your mouth and proving to everyone just how ignorant you are. Shame on you for even having an opinion about this.

Too late almost, and certainly for him. It's time for the Vietnam Vet to get his due, but I think until Jane F. drops dead, that will never happen.

Sadly, there were large numbers of forgotten soldiers in that era.

The mythology was not what Jane Fonda did, it was regrettable and she regretted it. What was the myth is that the soldiers were hated by the anti-war activists. I was one and we did NOT hate the men, we loved them, it was the leaders we weren't fond of. I have a number of friends on the wall and some who were also in VVAW, and some who came back very very damaged with no visible wounds. Susan E is right.

I did not go. I was against the war, demonstrated against it in Washington and was lucky enough to have been born on June 8th. (#366) And I don't have to read a history book about it to know what was what, Maureen, I was there and part of it. You are wrong.

I understand the feelings many have about Jane Fonda. I don't share your feelings, but I understand why many feel that way. She was just doing what she thought was right, but she was wrong. She just wanted the war to go away and thought that was a way to do it. Big mistake.

RIP soldier. Now to the Jane Fonda BS since some on this post seem to have diverted this into a fight about her. As a Viet Nam vet I could care less what she did. She did what she thought was right and in my opinion had more balls than 95% of the republicans of that time. Why......... because even though she may have been wrong she at least had the guts and courage of her convictions to actually go to Viet Nam and try to stop the madness. Where were the Ted Nugents', where were the Rush Limbaughs' where were the Dick Cheneys'. It seems that the republican party, as a whole, had decided to skip this war as not worth fighting FOR THEM, while cheer leading that the war was just. They certainly weren't going to risk their sorry pimply butts by going to 'Nam. So hate Jane Fonda if you want but if you are at the same time going to revere the likes of Ted Nugent, Cheney, Limbaugh et al, ad nauseam, ad infinity, to me your side has already lost any credibility on the patriotism point.

Don't like my opinion.....Don't read it, or don't reply to it. I only expect outrage from the Faux patriots here anyway.

They [we] are not forgotten.

Most Americans will never know or understand what war is like. To imagine it, think of the longest time you've been without sleep, the most exhausted you've ever been, tired and hot and sweating, ready to drop where you don't even care any longer about anything. Now you are ready to begin a day in a soldier's boots!

Ferrosynthesis: I rarely say something so bluntly on postings but here goes: You are wrong! By your own boast you did not go. You did not serve in combat, where you don't know whether this breath is your last. You stayed here at home, feeling noble as you protested against the war, feeling love for the GI. No, you did not go. My guess is that you never got any closer to combat than a John Wayne movie, or perhaps a protest at an induction center or, more likely, the airports when GIs came back to "the World." Not only do I see you as wrong, but also as self-delusional. Noble? In your dreams. Why didn't you protest in the halls of Congress? At the White House? Where the decisions and the policys were made? Rather than where the GI s were?! It's noble of you to agree that Jane Fonda was wrong, but that doesn't undo the harm a friend of mine, a POW in Hanoi, suffered at her hands. Oh, by the way, I am a Viet Nam combat veteran. I have at least 20 friends on the wall, some of them still MIA.

Lulu: I, too, know GIs who swere spit on - and worse - as they came home. I was lucky. My Freedom Bird sneaked into a desert base late of a November evening. Too far out into the boonies to be worth going to for a demonstration. Even so, we were warned to not go off base in uniform, to go to town only in civies, and perhaps suits to the nearest airport (Los Angeles).

My Father Served Stateside during Vietnam. The Myth is that they were not hated. They were treated exceedingly poorly by the citizens of this Country.

Go read the Vietnam Forums at www.patriotguard.org . See the experiences of the very people that lived through it.

The ignorance is astonishing.

It's interesting ... because both sides are right.

Returning soldiers WERE taunted, but if you look up news reports, you won't find many (if any) reports of "spitting". But even that wasn't EVERYWHERE or EVERY soldier. In many places in the country this didn't happen. One of the problems, most returning came through the San Francisco area, which was the "hippy capital" of the US.

In general, of course, they were not regarded as heroes, but they weren't universally hated either. We have come a long way in the way our country treats our returning vets, and that's a great thing.

How we view it really depends upon where you grew up and what you experienced at the time. We have the mythology of the 60's (actually about 65-75) but much of what we "remember" as a society only happened to a minority of people.

As a Vietnam Vet (USAF F-4 Driver) myself I can honestly tell you from experience that when I got back to the USA, I was called a lot of things that hurt and still hurt to this day. I did my job, I didn't run to Canada, I didn't protest I did what was expected of me. I am proud of the time I spent in the Military and Proud of the guys that I was with. I am NOT proud of what was done over there. I have friends and memories on the Vietnam Wall and have been to the wall once. I cried when I saw the names of MEN I knew (my brothers name is on that wall as well)who gave their all for a political battle that we were told we WILL NOT WIN, and that we all knew would never be allowed to win. I have been on more than one mission in an aircraft loaded to the hilt with ammunition was on line to the target and told to retreat and drop the ordnance. I wonder how many of they guys on the ground lost hope when they seen us fly over and the leave without doing anything at all. How Many died because of what we were told to do and what we did. How many guys gave their all to protect their fellow comrades, returned home in a body bag that had NFV (Not fit for viewing)written on it. How many wives, brothers and sisters, mothers and fathers will never know what their loved ones went through or are still going through to this day. I am very proud of Spc. 4 Leslie H. Sabo Jr. I am proud of what he did. I especially proud that he is finally getting the recognition he deserves. RIP brother.

Thank you for your service Spc. 4 Leslie H. Sabo Jr.

RIP

You are right I did not go. I do not know combat. I did not boast I did not go, I said I did not go. I did protest. It is my right and if I thought we were doing something wrong it was my obligation to protest. And we did NOT denigrate the soldiers, not the people I was with. We welcomed them, and many joined us. Many of them knew that what was going on was wrong. Many believed in what they were doing. They were doing what they thought was right and deserved and received our respect. I never denigrated a veteran, nobody I protested with ever did and I don't know anybody who did. I don't doubt there were some instances, but not where and when I was involved.

You say why didn't we protest at the white house etc. WE DID. That's where we were. Bryant Park, Washington DC the Pentagon, Downtown America, all those places. We walked house to house to explain our positions. I am not saying this was as courageoous as going to Viet Nam, it wasn't. But I don't feel guilty not going and I do feel proud that I was part of an activity where for the first time in history the population of a country changed policy (got us out of the war) by peaceful protest. We supported the troops by trying to get them home where they belonged.

Viet Nam was a national tragedy on a lot of levels and I see the wounds are not yet healed.

Susan-Don't assume the sh!t you spew is for "all" and "every" typical libturd trash believing you speak for everyone.

You don't even deserve to read the story of such a brave man.

Agreed very late, but there should be no statute of limitations on this award either since it required significant proof, so what does it matter if the proof was there immediately, or after 100 years?

Agreed.

What struck me in the article is that it took an act of Congress to extend the deadline for this soldier.

In my opinion, if you need to make exceptions to the rule, the rule itself should be re-examined. A heroic act by a soldier doesn't have a time limit, and neither should the recognition.

S T U D

I quite agree that there should be no "statute of limitations" for the MOH. A colleague of mine was awarded the Silver Star (downgraded from the Air Force Cross), primarily because I needed at least two eyewitness statements to support his nomination. Had I been able to get that second statement, I would - without hesitation - have put him in for the Medal of Honor, and my commander was in total agreement. If I could get that statement today, I would inestigate re-nominating him. His mission was that red-hot: heroic, and way above the call of duty. He, unfortunately, has taken his final flight West. May he rest in peace. Slow hand salute, my friend.

God Bless you brother for a job well done.

22 years old. Another example of old rich men sending poor people's children to die for no reason.

South Vietnam was occupied by the French.Vietnam became a sewer when the French began to leave in 1954,the last french soldiers,left in 1956..Saigon,now known as Ho Chi Min City,was called the Paris of South East Asia during the French occupation!

The French battled the Communist and left,that's when the US said it would send in Advisers in 1960,to help the South Vietnamese at the time.

It escalated into an all out war,and it was lost.The North Vietnamese had to much help! China and North Korea.They'd kill 10 North Vietnamese and 20 more would replace them!

Oh I would say the Billions in defense spending that proved to be so profitable for the arms industry was reason enough for the rich. Remember we dropped more bombs on Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam than all combined sides in World War 2. Pretty safe to say those munitions factory owners were sad to see the war end.

Michelle, this article is not about the politics of Vietnam. It's about one brave man so why don't you get off the soapbox. It's getting very, very old.

Michelle, had we not stopped bombing the North, the outcome would have been different.

Oh and please, unless yo tu were there, do everyone a favor and STFU

MACV - DAO NhaTrang 73/74

Viet Vet-981266,

I am sending you an email through your vine account

I was in Viet Nam in 1968-69 as a grunt ... I pretty much agree with Michelle ... If you were there maybe we should compare stories.. !!

But you are absolutely right Viet Vet. If we had stopped bombing it would have ended very differently... Thanks from those of us on the ground !!

I think I smell me some Tigers in this post.

this story is about a human who cared more for others than his own life...regardless of the circumstances...that's character...thats love...thats courage and words cannot give justice ( my apologies for attempting )

Hades420

Do you remember the last enlisted man to die under combat conditions and the place? I do, I personally kinew the man.

Good lord starbuck49, thank you for your likely service, but this isn't a contest is it? Who knew the more important enlisted casualty from Vietnam is not a Jeopardy I have ever heard of.

Next week, he won't even remember his name. The ONLY way to honor this gentleman who gave his life and all who gave their lives in an unjust war is to NEVER enter any more wars of stupidity.

starbuck

One of the consolations we have is the guy that put us there did not get the chance to finish what he started (or we started). I think it would have been a different story if JFK had lived. Here is to thinking so. To you Spc. Sabo, thanks brother, we won't forget. My oldest brother is with him. HURRAH!

CSGM USA RET

We're still dying from the Vietnam War every day thanks to Agent Orange... The cancers are eating us from the inside out. At least Sabo got to go out in a blaze of "glory". I think that's better then sitting here dying a very slow and agonizing death... R.I.P. Sabo, we'll be joining you soon...

His paperwork was found in 1999 and they just now presented it. That's your fine and much efficient government at work.. Gee, and there some out there that actually want them to run healthcare.

Old & tired: Yes, we'll all be joining Sabo too soon. And I agree: Thank You, Agent Orange! I don't know whether I have any cancers, but my diabetes and heart disease are quite enough. Yes, our "fine and efficient" government, the one led by anti-war folks at the highest levels. They don't want to anything that might bring a smidgen of respect to GIs, especially us Viet Nam Combat vets. I specify Viet Nam Combat vets to differentiate us from Vietnam Era vets, who never got near combat.

What is unforgiveable is the way the country treated us when we returned home.

You're right, starbuck49, it was. But there are those of us who remember and because we remember that treatment, may it never happen again.

Hey Bilfer, look at the bright side!! The media usually shows us pics of the dust off choppers loaded with dead and soon to be dead or just the rows of body bags piled up at the LZ's.

Billfer, Starbuck49, Annie, and Old&Tired: With your permission, I'd like to add benediction (curse?): May those who treated us as they did when we came back to the World receive the same treatment, whether in this world or in the next. That they deserve equal treatment is unquestionable - they do. To Hell with them? No. To Hell for them! And yes, I still feel anger at how we all were treated when we came home - and have been since.

You shouldn't feel guilty, those of us that served in Vietnam did it so you could live free and have fun.

Andres, no way should you feel guilty. I am glad you did not end up in that mess. I did two tours with the 5th Special Forces Group. What angers me is that so many that did not go, draft dodgers and protesters, whatever now claim to have been Special Forces, Force Recon or SEAL's. I along with thousands of others were Vietnam Combat Vets long before it was COOL to be one.

Don't feel guilty Andres. Accept the luck of the draw for what it is. Never once during my tour did I ever say "Boy, I wish there were more people going through this."

I wouldn't feel guilty. I served, in fact was drafted into the Marine Corps. Didn't want to go in but did what I was expected to do. It was just a matter of the luck of the draw as to whether you were drafted and then if you went to Nam. By the way, I was a 23 year old college grad when drafted, reported to Parris Island Dec 1, 1969. The first lottery was held in early 1970 while in bootcamp. My number was in the high 300's plus being 23 would equal no go. Talk about the luck of the draw

Your during your "part" by remembering those who have come and gone. Don't you ever let somebody tell you differently.

That's all we can ask.

Andres: Those of us on your string all are saying the same thing: do not feel guilty because your draft number was high. You are, as charleslennon says "doing your part by remembering those who went - but didn't come home." Thanks for that. Thanks for caring. It's folks like you who help to make our going there worth while.

Amen brother.