Yes you're right mate "Welcome Home" is more prevalent today than it was back then, however the crazy part is is that it is offered more by the people of the government than by the government as per example of cuts made to GI benefits and the needs of the vet.
Sorry you feel that way, Jack. My "welcome Home" to you and my shipmates come from my heart as one who was actually spit on (I remember spit running down my dress blues) and called a baby-killer by a college girl and her companion in California, while riding a bus. Yes, I consider myself to be a Vietnam Veteran, (I have the ribbons to prove it as I'm sure you all do) but I am not connected with with any government agency, although I have spent a considerable time
jumping through government hoops" for what should be a given. Again, I say "Welcome Home" and Thank YOU for YOUR service, Vietnam or otherwise.
Don Sooby, ABH-2
V-3 Div
Feb 1962-Apr 1966
"AS ONE WHO WAS ACTUALLY SPIT ON (I REMEMBER SPIT RUNNING DOWN MY DRESS BLUES) AND CALLED A BABY-KILLER BY A COLLEGE GIRL AND HER COMPANION IN CALIFORNIA, WHILE RIDING A BUS."
I attached to COMRIVRON15 ATC152 10 DONGTAM The 9th Division 1968 and acording to the Chief at TI SF. June 1967 I was being attached to the smallest US Carrier the Navy had to offer 56'158 tons flight deck 18x39, the Chief said Son the US Navy always strives to meet our enlistment contract, my dream sheet said an Aircraft Carrier, I was 16 and joined the Navy reserve 1965, to avoid being drafted and sent to Vietnam. (My mom signed my dad would not both fought on US Navel Ships S Pacific following Halsey across the Pacific, and both ended up in Toyko Harbor. 1945 MOM a Lt Navy Nurse on The Uss Merrsey and DAD a First Class GM Guncaptain 5"38 on his 4th Kiser Coffin 3 sunk from under him, his thought for me was take my chances with the draft the Navy was a very dangerious place) after 1.5 years in Vietnam, my dads wisdom was aparent, I was seriously wounded twice and spent a total of 4 months in Japan convolessing, no ironey here, each time as soon as most of the wounds healed over, the Navy sent me back to my boat in the delta of Vietnam, I was wounded 4 more times but only Officers like John Kerry can give themselves 3 minor self inflicted (purple hearts) enlisted men have to die to get their 3rd. SORRY the long winded, history was necessary to get me home to the Kitty Hawk, my next tour, and back to Yankee Station of of Vietnam, then to Bremerton for drydock and out of the Navy on Medical, the Schrapnel from the 5 B-40 and 50 rpg's is still working its way out, this was unacceptable to the Navy. I left Vietnam on a commercial flight, to Clark PI, then onto LAX, where the fine people who operated it (our government) decided the protestors should be alowed inside so the heat would not cause them to stroke out, 200' of 20' deep protestors spit on my whites, we all barley made it out the door without doing something that would land us all in jail. Now thats my home coming!
