Vietnam War

Exercise 5:

What was going on in your neighborhood, your town, your country, and the world during this time period you’ve decided to write about?

Vietnam War

According to “Timeline of the Vietnam War (1962)Military Wiki”

The summer of 1962 destroyed whatever faith that “North Vietnam” had in negotiations with the United States and South Vietnam and strengthened the militants.

While this did not directly affect me at that point in time, it certainly hit home in 1965. More details later in Memoir.

Many of my classmates, several of my dearest best friends had chosen to join the military following our graduation. Never in a million years, thinking that Vietnam was going to be in their future.

Once Vietnam came into focus, you would have young men attending their senior prom and graduation ( they deferred they active duty until they graduated), less than a year, sometimes only six months, later, they would find themselves “across the pond” far from home and family. Suddenly, they would, in some cases have to kill or be killed. These brave young men, barely 18 in most cases, left home and family to fight for our freedom.

That young man deployed to Vietnam was not the same young man returning home after serving 12 months in Vietnam. He would never be that ‘same young man’ again.

Note: These are my personal feelings, having first hand knowledge of same in 1966.

Exercise 6

One-line summary of my Memoir:

Taking a Chance on Happiness, no matter how long or how short the time.

Would not have missed it for the World