April 30, 1975 in Vietnam

[DeadheadNM]

Saigon fell on this day in 1975. I have friends whose fathers suffered years of subsequent imprisonment at the hands of the communists. Anyone have recollections of that day?

[Ironhorse]

Yes I do, I had been home from Vietnam 5 years by then and one of my first thoughts were Bill and Sandy and so many others lost their lives for nothing! Both were friends of mine, one from high school and the other I served with in Germany prior to my stint in Vietnam. I really want to say more as to what my feelings are about the fall of Saigon and our previous exit in March of '73 but to do so would involve a lot of political reference and personal thoughts. That would most likely get me my very first time out on the board after 23 years and then being sent to my corner so I will refrain from doing so. Just suffice to say I have some hard feelings to this day and I don't apologize at all about them.

The Vietnam war experience ripped this country apart and it can still be felt today by those directly involved.

[truckster]

I was 15 and lived just outside Ft. Bragg. Half my friends' fathers had been to Vietnam, although my dad went on an unaccompanied tour to the Korean DMZ in 1966. It was a very brutal moment for all of us. I am very grateful to those of you who served there.

On a related note, I feel the same futility and frustration about the buddies I lost in Iraq. We weren't treated like the Vietnam vets (which is still a horrible national disgrace), but the end result was still lives sacrificed with no apparent benefit to our nation. Maybe we haven't learned a whole lot in 50 years.

[Micmac]

I think about that place every day. I had been home for 5 years by then. I think about the B.S over there and even worse when I came home. I found my decorations the other day in some stuff I was cleaning out and put them back in a box Drive on it don't mean nothing. Xin Loi.