All of us who were young at that time– protestors and those who served – were doing what we felt was right, whether that meant serving when called or trying to change our government’s policies. I realized I was missing half the story of the war. As I touched the letters chiseled into the granite, tears filled my eyes. What had we done in Vietnam, and what had we done to these young men who had served?ĭecades later, I visited the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington DC, and was stunned by the sheer numbers of names on the wall. The few times I did encounter veterans in the years after the war, I felt the same overwhelming despair I had in high school. They kept their heads down, and tried to get on with their lives. In the Vietnam era, protests were widespread, and veterans came home, unwelcomed, even vilified.
Young people are protesting once again: impassioned, ardent, and articulate. Now, just over fifty years since President Johnson first ordered “boots on the ground” in Vietnam, we’re facing another crisis of confidence in our government. The government reacted to us with tear gas and guns, turning against its own citizens. During the same years, anger in African American communities spilled over into violent protests. With a profound loss of faith in our executive and legislative branches, we headed for the streets, hoping our sheer numbers would create a change in policies.
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