When John Rockhold drew a low number, No. 12, in the 1971 draft lottery, his adolescence in the San Fernando Valley forever changed. Seeking to avoid the Army, he signed up for the Navy just after graduating from Granada Hills High School. As an enlisted petty officer, he spent months operating boats that dropped off SEALs at night along long and humid Vietnamese shorelines where American troops were trying to stop the communist north from taking over the south.
More than 58,000 U.S. service members died in the war, and since it ended in 1975, innumerable American veterans have returned to Vietnam, seeking understanding, forgiveness or reconciliation.
Now some are coming for more mundane reasons: inexpensive housing, cheap healthcare and a rising standard of living.
More @ LA Times
I have a distant cousin that was over in 'Nam and last year moved there with his Vietnamese wife of 25 years and he loves it and says the same about the lower prices, he thinks much better healthcare and an educated, sane people. I may even go...
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't say there was better healthcare but the healthcare is much cheaper. In Saigon, Columbia is good and was started by Americans in 1999. They now have a clinic downtown which saves a trip to the hospital which is a good bit a way.Further out in the country the expertise of the medical care deteriorates and I only like the country now as Saigon has been ruined. If you do decide to go, let me know.
Delete1. When I first saw this headline, I knew it was Vietnam vets going back. Somehow I suspect you will never see an article like this about vets immigrating to Iraq or Afghanistan.
ReplyDelete2. 58k deaths? 20 years ago, it was only 53k. Vietnam is the only war ever that keep getting creditd for kills long after the treaty that ended it.
--generic
you will never see an article like this about vets immigrating to Iraq or Afghanistan.
DeleteWarmth v hatred of Americans.
=============
Vietnam is the only war ever that keep getting credited for kills long after the treaty that ended it.
The numbers will continue to increase as deaths are attributed to Vietnam.
It's not about hatred. There were no brothels in Iraq. No alcohol. No local girl friends. No "war brides". Plus the environment was living hell. Hot, dusty, corrupt, and the women are ugly as sin after age 10. No one came back from Iraq with cool memories about life in exotic places. So no one thinks nostalgically about it. No one wants to go back there.
ReplyDelete--generic
The warmth of the Vietnamese towards Americans v their hatred from Iraq.
Delete