3/13/2025
With the National Vietnam War Veterans Day approaching, a day designated for thanking Vietnam Veterans for their service, some of us struggle with the question: “After 50 years, is it too little too late?”
Just my opinion…
Even though it is hard not to, I feel that holding on to and harboring resentment about the past rejection and unjust disrespect that I faced upon returning home from a thankless war, really serves no purpose today, other than to make me appear as a bitter old man.
When I take a closer look, and look into the eyes of those persons who are offering their sentiments of gratitude today, they are in most cases younger than me. To them, I am the old man now. They are not the perpetrators of the past ignorant iniquity.
Most of the ones who I see that are offering expressions of their sentiments of welcoming gratitude are my children’s generation, 40 – 50+ year-olds. In some cases, they are the ages of my grandchildren, who are being taught to do the right thing and show respect. I am proud of them for wanting to do so.
I reply in a most encouraging way to the next generation who wants to show patriotic respect to an old vet. Doing so teaches our children and grandchildren that every generation of veterans, past, present, and future, were and are honorable men and women who have served and hard-earned their respect.
When a well-meaning person takes the time to say, “Welcome home” or “Thank you for your service,” I stand as tall as my bad back will allow, and I smile the best a bitter old man can, and I thank them, while giving them the new generational fist bump.
Try it. I feel better about myself when I do. You may also. In my opinion, I don’t think it is “too little too late.”
Robert Kuhn, 1/22nd Infantry.
Author, Rucksack Grunt.
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