"I JUST WANTED TO TELL YOU..."

By J. Sean Keane

I just wanted to tell you how much I appreciate www.vietvet.org. I am not a veteran - I was only a boy when that conflict ended - but I have recently made email contact with a few Vietnam Veterans and have the utmost respect for those that answered their country's call. I'm amazed at the willingness of most vets to talk about something that must have been the most difficult trial of their lives.

I just wanted to tell you personally how much I appreciate what you did. I have travelled enough of the world to recognize how precious my freedoms are and how incredibly lucky I am to have been born in the United States. The ultimate outcome of the Vietnam War in no way mitigates the respect and support that all Veterans deserve from the rest of America. I'd like to think that if I had been older when it ended, I would have been vocal in my support of those who served. I guess I'll never really know, though.

I'd like to be able to tell all Vietnam Veterans how much I respect them and that I believe most Americans feel the same way (but don't always bother to say so). I guess I'll just continue doing so, one-at-a-time, as I make the acquaintance of more Vietnam Vets and fly the Flag proudly as a reminder of all who sacrificed for our country. For whatever it's worth --

Thank you.

Sincerely,
J. Sean Keane

Copyright © 1996 By J.Sean Keane, All Rights Reserved

J. Sean Keane is a 30-year-old, full-time graduate student in Electrical Engineering at the University of Arizona. He has been happily married for eight years and has no children.

His Master's Thesis concerns improving the computer displays used by commanding officers to assess battlefield conditions. To balance out his understanding of real warfare, he has become interested in the personal side of soldiering, particularly the experiences of Vietnam Veterans.

You can contact Sean by email, using this automatic email form.

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