Not many people know that the Vietnam War is one of my favorite lessons in history. It was a controversial time in the U.S. when our citizens challenged the government on many issues, not just the war. But this is only just one reason why I feel so rooted to this time frame.

I was just a kid then. A kid in elementary and jr. high school wearing the then popular POW bracelet of someone I didn't know. I remember feeling bad for the families of the of Prisoner of War, not knowing where their son, brother, dad or uncle was or if he was going to come home.

 

Over the  years as I grew older, I learned more about this war (and not the conflict everyone kept calling it). I read and continue to read everything I can get my hands on about it. I've had the honor of meeting many Vietnam Veterans and learning more about this time and what they did over there. The one thing I learned from all of my studies that I hope to never forget, is that we left men over there after the war ended.

That hurts me as a patriotic citizen, it offends me as a moral person and it enrages me as a human being.

In my State, there are fifty-six Missing in Action soldiers from the Vietnam War alone. Thirty-three were Killed in Action-Body Not Recovered. There are twenty-two Presumptive Findings of Death. One Died in Captivity-Body Not Recovered.  This may not seem like many, but remember there are 52 States.

 

From the 1991 Gulf War, there are two Killed in Action-Body Not Recovered, although they are not from my State.

Do you see the difference here? The lessons we, as a country, learned from the Vietnam War and after it ended, are being carried out today in Afghanistan and Iraq. We do not leave anyone behind.  

Today, Memorial Day at 3 PM, I will use my moment of silence to pray for these 58 strong, brave and honorable soldiers who never made it home along with one POW-MIA whom I've only read about but feel connected to-Rocky V. Please remember them. They gave their country the ultimate sacrifice-their lives.

 

(c) 2010