I wish I’d gotten this ready a week earlier, in time for Veteran’s Day. I met a Vietnam veteran at Cherry Hills who was shot down twice flying helicopters in Vietnam, but he told me the reaction he received when he returned stateside—the jeering and the hatred and being treated like a criminal instead of a hero—hurt just as much. War is so inhumane; I truly wish there was never the need for another war. What we put young men through to fight these battles is sickening, which is why I think we can’t just look past Veteran’s Day. These veterans have paid a huge price and deserve the yearly recognition. Many keep paying the cost even after their service is over—the veteran who was shot down in Vietnam leads a support group at our church for those still dealing with PTSD.
This true account is from World War II. I was so moved when I read it that I thought it appropriate for this remembrance day. It’s from War Stories of the Battle of the Bulge, edited by Michael Green and James D. Brown.
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