Photo By Maj. Thomas Blackburn | Joe Galloway, co-author of the book "We Were Soldiers Once...and Young," speaks to...... read more read more
CASPER, Wyo. - "These veterans were denied a simple thank you and welcome home when they returned from the Vietnam War," replied the greying, highly experienced war correspondent.
He is a man who has seen the war that ravaged the jungles of South Vietnam and blaze across the desert of the Persian Gulf region. Through his eyes, one of the first large scale battles was fought that started an eight-year ground campaign in Vietnam. One of the most popular Vietnam War books ever written, "We Were Soldiers Once ... and Young," which has sold over 1.3 million copies since 1992, was penned by him and Lt. Gen. (retired) Hal Moore.
The man is Joe Galloway.
During the Wyoming Vietnam Veterans Reunion held in Casper, June 4-7, he was the guest speaker of a veterans and family member barbecue on June 6. There he mingled with many veterans who served in the war in which many veterans returned home to icy receptions and little gratitude.
"Those words spoken today in communities all across America are balm for old wounds," Galloway said, when referencing the 'Welcome home and thank you' theme of the reunion. "They are the key words emphasized by the Vietnam War 50th Anniversary Commemoration project."
Galloway is traveling the country, working alongside the commemoration project that is commemorating the Vietnam era veteran for their service in a war that was strongly opposed in the 60s and 70s. The project is chartered by Congress.
"The Commemoration is urging communities and states, everyone, in fact, to come together and hold events welcoming home all Vietnam veterans," Galloway said.
The Wyoming reunion saw nearly 700 veterans come through the doors of the Casper Events Center, and on the night that Galloway spoke, the entire floor space in the main event area was full. It was a wonderful surprise for the veteran correspondent. He was amazed at the scope of the reunion and the turnout.
"I was proud to be invited to participate and speak to and for those Vietnam veterans."
Galloway brought many to cheers and laughter as he recounted several stories, including clarifying some misleading scenes in the movie "We Were Soldiers," which was based off his book.
"You see the sergeant major hand me that M16," Galloway said when referencing a scene from the movie. “That never happened. I brought my own.”
As the weekend unfolded, the veterans in attendance openly weeped as the ongoing welcome home theme was said to them. This was true during the barbecue as memories of the war filtered back into the arena floor. It was a unique scene as so many of the veterans came home to a unkind reception.
"Some weep for their brothers who fell in battle and are forever 19 or 20 years old .... while we have all grown older and lived a full life," Galloway said, discussing the numerous tears shed during the reunion. "It is only as you live that life -- marry a good woman, have children you see grow and mature -- that you realize fully what your friends who died in combat can never know. We try to live our lives partly for them. But we now know the terrible sacrifice they made so that we might live. And that brings tears to all of us."
For the generation that served in Vietnam, they were an assembled assortment of young men and women who boarded a plane or ship for Southeast Asia. There, they gave a year of their lives in service to their country, some giving it all. For those that returned home, in the shadows of the men who fought in Europe, Pacific and then Korea, they returned not as victors, but as bearers of bad deeds.
"They call those who fought in World War II "The Greatest Generation," Galloway said, when referencing the many veterans he had seen. "The Vietnam veterans may not be the greatest generation but by God they are the greatest of their generation. They did their duty and they never turned their backs on our country, even when the country turned its backs on them. If there is one word that captures them it is honorable."
For some current Wyoming National Guard members, the reunion saw them thanked in great numbers by the veterans assembled. Even as the appreciation was shared, there was never a moment where an elder veterans was shaking hands with a soldier in uniform.
"The thanks and appreciation that we received from the Veterans was amazing," said Sgt. Mike Rabig, a soldier in the 67th Army Band. "The pride that Casper showed for the military is like nothing I've seen in my 17 years of service."
"Many Vietnam veterans took a quiet solemn oath that never again would one generation of veterans turn its back on a younger generation of veterans," Galloway said. "We were determined that those who took up arms for our country would be honored and welcomed properly when they came home. We appreciate the fact that our fellow citizens now understand that it may be all right to hate war, but they must never hate the warriors sent out to fight under our flag."
In the eyes of a famous war correspondent, there is no more hate for his fellow generation. Finally, they received their just appreciation. And thanks.
| Date Taken: | 07.06.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 07.06.2015 17:36 |
| Story ID: | 169178 |
| Location: | CASPER, WY, US |
| Web Views: | 280 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Famed author Joe Galloway shares Vietnam experience for Wyoming vets, by MAJ Thomas Blackburn, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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