JOIN VT | NEWSLETTER
VETERANS TODAY ON : FACEBOOK | TWITTER | FORUM
|

Obama to Vietnam Veterans: Welcome home

vietnamveteransVietnam Veteran Salutes President Obama

He had me at “my fellow citizens.”

But of the many remarkable things Barack Obama said as he assumed this office of president, this simple phrase spoke volumes to me, and no doubt to many of my fellow Vietnam veterans, numbering some 2.5-million with another 6+ million who served during the Vietnam era:

For us, they fought and died, in places like Concord and Gettysburg; Normandy and Khe Sahn.

I’ll leave the analysis to others. I know what hearing that from the lips of our new President meant to me.

Vietnam, like Iraq, was a terrible mistake. But, as Vietnam Veterans Against the War have said for 40 years, it is possible — and fitting — to honor the warrior, not the war.

By mentioning Khe Sahn in the same breath as Lexington, Gettysburg, and Normandy, Obama has done that.   


Korean War Veteran Talks About Obama
T.R. Billings, a former drill sergeant and radar instructor at Fort Monmouth, has lived in Long Branch with his wife, Jennie, since the 1950s. They raised 11 children, including Marlow Tatum, who is serving with the National Guard in Iraq. Billings, a Korean War veteran who also served as an instructor in Vietnam during that war, said he has experienced much prejudice in his 76 years. But as he rejoiced over the swearing in yesterday of Barack Obama, he said he has no animosity toward white Americans. (Video by John O’Boyle)

Related Posts:

  • No Related Posts

Short URL: http://www.veteranstoday.com/?p=4502

The views expressed herein are the views of the author exclusively and not necessarily the views of VT or any other VT authors, affiliates, advertisers, sponsors or partners. Legal Notice

Posted by on Jan 21 2009, With 0 Reads, Filed under Vietnam War. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.
Apply for VA Loan Now Advertisement Get Educated at Excelsior College Get Educated at Excelsior College Get Your Loan Now Get Your Loan Now Get Your Loan Now Apply for your VA Home Loan Now Apply for your VA Home Loan Now Apply for your VA Home Loan Now Apply for Jobs on HireVeterans.com Now Apply for Jobs on HireVeterans.com Now Apply for Jobs on HireVeterans.com Now Become a Consultant

COMMENTS

To post, we ask that you login using Facebook, Yahoo, AOL, or Hotmail in the box below.
Don't have a social network account? Register and Login direct with VT and post.
Before you post, read our Comment Policy - Feedback


Comments Closed

4 Comments for “Obama to Vietnam Veterans: Welcome home”

  1. I predict that the Army and Navy will have a big problem if Gays are allowed to openly enlist and serve. Mark my word. I did not care for nor vote for Obama, but we were taught to salute the rank/ uniform– not the person. Christians are admonished to pray for the king [president] so that he may respect the Law [U.S. Constitution] and be favorable towards the preaching and teaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ. We MUST obey the President in all things that are lawful– unless they interfere with our pure worship of God Almighty and His work.

    I hope that I am wrong about Mr. Obama. I hope he does a great job in rebuilding America with it’s terrible economic woes and challenges. But I am a serious student of history and the Bible, and I must obey God as Ruler rather than men.

    Tom Schuckman
    Wisconsin
    DoorGunner–240th AHC, BearCat, RVN: 68-70.
    http.//tomschuckmanjournal.blogspot.com — my URL/ Blog.

  2. If you have to say that you “hold no animosity toward white americans” T.R. – - – it makes me wonder whether that is truly how you feel.
    Actions speak louder than words.

    This should be a turning point for Black and White Americans alike and I hope it is.
    Understanding the human condition like I do, I am not expecting race relations miracles from either “side” . . . at least in the short term.

    I hope Obama does a great job and as my President he has my support.

    Americans should not delude themselves however that this presidency is going to improve their lives. If you want a better life . . .you are going to have to get off your duff and do it yourself! Nobody, not even a president, is going to hand you the good life. You have to work for it and sacrifice for it.
    Dennis Byrne
    Vietnam 68-69

  3. There is too much talking about things that have to be done, but it takes years to get them done. The claims backlog is so huge, that it will take a miracle to rid of the claims that are pending in the va regional offices and the board of veterans appeals. It seems that every claim, or the majority of the claims are denied and therefore, the process takes even longer to clear. There is no ending to this rainbow.

Comments are closed

 

Email Newsletter icon, E-mail Newsletter icon, Email List icon, E-mail List icon Join Our Daily Newsletter
  View Newsletter ARCHIVE

WHAT'S HOT

  1. Former Prisoners of War – You Are Not Forgotten
  2. Veterans Encouraged to Sign Up For Creative Arts Competition
  3. Egypt Military Rejects US Threats & Braces for General Strike
  4. Top 10 Veterans Stories in Today’s News – February 10, 2012
  5. Did JFK Nail an Intern a Day – Or Try to Anyway?
  6. Veterans File for Class Certification in Chemical, Biological Weapons Testing Case
  7. Act Up Against ACTA
  8. The 2012 Voting Experience – The Most Important of a Lifetime
  9. NATO Killed Children in Afghanistan
  10. DOD Opens More Jobs, Assignments to Military Women
  11. Media Whore Awards Show; The Nominees Are:
  12. Militia Group Finally Going to Trial
  13. U.S. Department of Defense Contract Awards for Feb. 09, 2012
  14. Bamboozeled- The NDAA Trojan Horse
  15. West’s Shenanigans against Syria, Iran
  16. Top 10 Veterans Stories in Today’s News – February 09, 2012
  17. New Online Enrollment Application Available for Servicemembers
  18. Army Looks to Ensure Consistent PTSD Diagnosis
  19. All We are Saying is Give Justice a Chance and All We are Doing is Telling Truth
  20. Chat I Just Had With Homeland Security
  1. xx: correction “resonance”, “recon mission” sorry,
  2. xx: And to make things fair, and in defense of FBI, they were flying a resonance mission in small aircraft in area to...
  3. Debbie Menon: For some TRUTH about the Lobby’s activities in the US visit : http://www.irmep.org/ Files...
  4. xx: Michael, I know the locations of the Ranger Units, he was stationed else where….
  5. Michael Chester: This part was added by our editor. I am sure he has the documentation to prove this if he said it. I...


Apply for VA Home Loan Now!



SubscribeVT Radio Home Page







Archives