This is a day I reflect back on the many people in my life that served in the military, especially those that saw the horrors of combat. Of all the family members that served in WWII and the Korean War none ever spoke in detail about what they experienced. When I was in the Army from 1966 to 1968 I was spared from going to Vietnam due to an injury to my arm during basic training. Because of the injury I spent 9 months in an orthopedic ward at Fort Hood, Texas, including 4 months as a patient and 5 months as a hospital corpsman waiting for further orders from above. During my time as a corpsman I worked on that orthopedic ward where most the patients received their injuries from Vietnam, mostly from land mines. I do not remember any of them ever talking about their ordeals. Most the home town boys that served in the military when I did and ended up in Vietnam have passed away, some from alcoholism and others from depression related to PTSD.
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