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Society changed so much during Vietnam. I grew up in a small town that had lost quite a few boys to WW11 and Korea and they weren't forgotten. It was with pride that we viewed the boys fresh out of high school going into the military, whether they were drafted or had enlisted. And when they came home on their first leave, it was to open arms, friendly waves, and big hugs. It was like the next step to becoming a man. And they were loved for being where the government could use them.

And then came Vietnam and everything changed. Not so much or at all in our small town but on the nightly news. When coming home, they were called baby killers, they were spat upon, they were made fun of. And a part of me broke, even though I was in high school, to see this happen, and it has never been repaired. These were guys my age, many of them drafted, so if they didn't go, they would have to leave the country and never come back.

I lost someone in Vietnam. I remember exactly where I was when I was told and exactly how things looked, and how I was frozen between stair steps holding my breath. I have talked with a few wounded military men and how they suffered more from the treatment they received when they got home than from losing limbs or being paralyzed. Vietnam was our downfall as a nation.

Today there is no draft board. Men and women sign up of their own free will for the reserves, knowing the possibility that they might have to go to war again, and pocket the money given them, thinking themselves safe from another war or conflict.

The military serving now are there because they have to be, whether of their own choosing or not. They made their choice by signing up for extra "free" money. Does that make them any less of a soldier than the generations of soldiers before them? Do they feel less pain or sorrow? Do they miss their families any more or less?

Whether they believe in the cause or not, whether they want to be there or not, whether they are wounded or killed, they still represent our country. And, they are due our respect, love, and support. They are doing their job. And some do it with their lives. Do you really feel you should withhold support when you sit home in your recliner and watch football holding your children on your lap? All soldiers need support. We are suppose to be one of the most civilized countries in the world. Why not show it by supporting a soldier you know? Why not support them all?

Learn more about this author, Linda Steinbiser.
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