Now an American

[Stick]

Dianna, the Grand-daughter that lives here has a friend who's parents are Vietnamese and today Dianna asked me if I would drive her over to her friends fathers business.
A few hours ago Dianna and I walked into the store (that sells Vietnameese herbs and spices) and up walks this little man with slanted eyes.
I know that last year Lindas dad went back to Vietnam to visit family and I asked him how he got to America in the first place. He told me that he had just been commissioned ARVN 2nd Leutenant after going through OCS when America left Vietnam but that part of the peace negotiations bringing the final cease fire to the war, errrrr, police action was the protection of ARVN forces that surrendered their weapons and he was subsiquently put in jail for seven years and after he got out of jail in 1975 he was told that he could not stay in Vietnam. He had to leave and ended up in the cargo deck of a ship headed to Japan. In Japan for three weeks there was an American Navy ship in the harbor and unbenounced to him he ended up on that ship headed to the San Francisco. He has no idea where the rest of his family is and couldn't find any of them last year when he went back to Vietnam last year.
This is the first time in many years that I've spent any time with a Vietnamese and I'm happy that I did.

[1CAVCCO15MED]

I am sure there are tens of thousands of stories like this. Such a pity. I can't help but think we got the cream of the crop.

[reconeil]

That once U.S. Allied ARVN Lt. is fortunate to be now talking about his long ago experiences and even getting to visit the old sod.

MANY other brave warriors or comrades in arms weren't near as lucky.

MANY were left to fend for themselves, denied help, and some even to be slaughtered by enemy at whim by American Administration & Departments of State & Defense,...just as at Benghazi, Libya.

Unfortunately for all Brave & Courageous Americans & Allies, despicably shameless political ruling elite call/called-the-shots even way-back-when in Vietnam and now more recently at Benghazi.

Both abysmal national failures, carnage and loss of Brave Lives were largely sacrificed due POLITICS.

Neil