World War II and Vietnam War

Kendrey, this writer is not a veteran; he is of the Vietnam War age group.  What he remembers among many things is how my generation had stood in awe of the veterans of World War II.  For example, the rage, style was the crew cut for us boys, the basic G.I. haircut from World War II.  The media, rightly, celebrated the courage of our people in defending this country.  We thought when it came our time to go to war it would be like World War II.  It was not.  The Vietnam veterans did not get sendoffs or homecomings.  Only a few had to sacrifice for the war as soldiers, while the general public paid no war taxes, made no sacrifices, and paid no attention to our men and women in the war.  This stark contrast between how this country treated its World War II veterans and its Vietnam veterans is sad, and, yes, ugly.  Yet, the Vietnam War generation had been led to expect treatment as veterans that the generation of our parents got.  So, for Robert Bly to speak up, out took courage of a special sort.  He first had to come to grips with the expectations of the World War II generation of his generation.  This certainly must have caused much internal anguish.  Yet, the World War II generation did not honor the Vietnam War generation.  This is my perspective on one of the dynamics of the time.  Bly had to come to grips with the legacy of World War II, not just the facts of Vietnam.  How much has this country learned from its Vietnam veterans about how we ought to be good citizens?  FYI  Parker Palmer is a Quaker, Religious Society of Friends.  Dr. Rux