Viet Nam Vets
We are coming home. We made it! Just a wakeup and then we board the big freedom bird and head back to the "World". Does it get any better than this!
Then we remembered that you left some of our brothers behind. You didn't care! You didn't get them back. And you broke our hearts.
Then we got home and what did you do? You called us "Baby Killers" and you broke our hearts. You spit on us and you broke our hearts. You threw things at us and you broke our hearts. You turned your backs to us and you broke our hearts some more.
Many of us turned to drugs and alcohol to ease our pain. And all you did was shake your head and say, "What else could you expect from us." And you broke our hearts.
Many of us committed crimes because of how we were mistreated. And all you did was shake your head and say, "What else could you expect from us." And you broke our hearts again.
Many of us killed ourselves because we couldn't take the pain anymore and what did you do. Nothing! You just shook your heads and said, "What else could you expect from us." And our hearts broke again.
Over the years we tried to hide the pain we felt and retreated from life. You made us feel ashamed to admit we ever served. And you broke our hearts.
We are getting older now and we are starting to come back and standing proud because we served with honor and are not ashamed anymore. You broke our hearts over and over again, but we had each other and are becoming stronger.
We did what you asked us to do and then you threw us away. The pain of what you did to us will never go away. When you turned your back on us you broke our heats again. The shame is yours.
Now we have a place to go and visit our brothers an sisters that gave all. We built it ourselves. It is sacred ground to us. Our pain is something we learn to live with but we have our Wall. We shed our tears and try to heal ourselves. You can't take that from us.
We served with honor but you didn't care. Well we are proud now of our service and won't let what happened to us ever happen to our brothers and sisters who are serving today. Our hearts have been broken many times over the years but now we know that the shame is yours, not ours. We are Viet Nam Vets and we are now prould of our service and we know the shame is yours, not ours.
Some day we may be able to heal. But remember this; the shame has alway been your, NOT OURS!
http://www.virtualwall.org/iStates.htm