Perhaps Someday
Posted: Wednesday, April 01, 2009
by David Tanguay
It has been 40 + years now since my tour of duty in Vietnam I got there in December of 1967, my first tour ended in Dec. of '68. During my first tour of duty I was in the infantry so I seen my share of combat. Although I had bullets zinging by my head, at times I made it through without ever being hit.
I was only 19 years old at the time I seen many good men die on both sides. We were constantly being air lifted by helicopters all over northern South Vietnam. As we looked down from the choppers, we could see bomb craters all over the land where fighter planes would drop 10,000-pound bombs.
My second tour of duty I spent as an M.P. (military police) I was on duty in the rear away from the combat zone. After spending a whole tour right out in the thick of it all, serving as an M.P. was an easy job.
I'd like to go back to Vietnam some day only this time as a tourist. Of course, we lost the war the North Vietnamese have taken over South Vietnam. We never should have been there to begin with.
The North Vietnamese army endured many hardships fighting us Americans. They had 10,000 pound bombs dropped on them, we Americans had to put up with artillery and rockets fired at us but the North Vietnamese never had air support over us.
We lost almost 60,000 good men over there I couldn't understand a need for war then just as I don't see a reason for war today.
Perhaps someday! "WE" as the human race will learn to live together as a people I certainly do hope so.
You know one day after a firefight when conditions quieted down some I happened to look up a hill and seen a North Vietnamese soldier looking down at me. It never entered my mind to pick up my rifle and shoot at him I just stared at him and him at me. Then he smiled at me and ran off the hill.
This incident led me to believe there is hope for us as a people that someday we will unite as a united people throughout the world.
Picture of me taken during a fire-fight
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Top-level comments on this article: (3 total)Oh My God David, you are a hero fighting a war I can't imagine ! I hope someday you will go back there as a tourist like you said. War is really bad!Please log in to respond to this comment.Thank you for commenting Hilda, yes war is bad and I wasn't a hero just doing my job.Please log in to respond to this comment.
That is a wonderful story about the North Vietnamese soldier and you. It actually gave me a chill, and hope.Thank you, Sir.Please log in to respond to this comment.Yes Ken that North Vietnamese soldier was only human just like me. I don't see any reason why we can't all live in peace, thank you for commentingPlease log in to respond to this comment.
hi david,i abhor war, wrestling, boxing, rooster fights, dog fights, anything that hurts and wounds another living thing, on purpose no less.i was encouraged from the footage of our President meeting foreign heads of state. just imagine what could happen if we could repair our status in overseas countries, and all work towards a war free world?thanks for sharing,my best,suePlease log in to respond to this comment.Yes Susan, now that Bush is out of office maybe we can accomplish something constructive in the world, thanks for commenting.Please log in to respond to this comment.
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