dean

Ain't that the truth. I like to think of myself as being fairly articulate, but I would have a very difficult time trying to adequately convey just how surreal wartime experiences can be if I ever felt the desire to do so.

Matt_in_VA

Dean with you on this point.

As a Viet Nam era veteran, it is amazing to me what a difference that twenty years made, between Viet Nam and Gulf War 1's returning troops.

As a draftee in the first draft lottery in 1970 I had the experience of being spit on, and called a "baby killer" at the Port of Authority Building in NYC on my way home for a week end leave. I am very happy that attitudes have changed dramatically over the years towards our military. Perhaps I have a clouded point of view as someone that has served in the military and one that over the last decade works closely in support of our military troops providing technical support. I am not sure that most people understand the sacrifices that they make.

I have a co-worker that will cut business trips short and fly home late at night so that he can be with his wife and kids after a three day trip! I will use him as an example of the sacrifice that most troops make being away from home for extended periods of time.

On a slightly different topic: That is one of the topics that "burns my butt" when convicted prisoners complain about being shipped out of state and not being able to visit their spouses and kids. Not even to mention "overnight visits to allow for sex"?

mikegarrison

I know a guy who ended up marrying a woman who he first met when she was calling him "baby killer" and screaming at him. People are strange.

dean

I probably shouldn't be posting the skeletons in my closet on a public forum, but I'm too old to care.
I can empathize, I had two somewhat similar experiences within a month of my returning home and being discharged. The first was in SD just days before my discharge. As I recall, my antagonist lost a substantial number of teeth when a barstool slipped out of my hands. Long story made short. no charges were ever filed in the case.
The second incident was after my discharge, and took place in Maine of all places. The instigator in this case ended up losing about half of his little finger when he made the grave mistake of putting it in my mouth while trying to gouge out my eye during the ensuing brawl. Although I did nothing to provoke the fight, I was charged with assault. I pled guilty and received a year's probation. No one ever screwed with me for years after that about anything.
Several years later I successfully petitioned the Governor's office to have the charge expunged from my record. It's rather ironic that I ended up a parole officer several years afterward. It's not a part of my history that I'm particularly proud of, and fortunately I've mellowed over the years and I'm not quite so full of piss and vinegar, but damn it felt great at the time.