I have closely followed Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Silently, I have wondered if this invasion will lead to the next world war. However, I am impressed by the sense of patriotism I’m witnessing. Ukrainians have returned home to defend their country. It would take a great deal of courage for someone to leave a safe home and give your life for your fellow countryman.
In my opinion, this is a remarkable act of patriotism. While reading about these patriots, I was reminded of an individual named Michael who faced a similar situation. He received a draft notice in 1965 to join the U.S. Army and be shipped off to a country he knew nothing about. His destination was Vietnam. Clearly, his situation differs from that of the Ukrainians. It’s one thing to defend your own country from an enemy threat. However, it takes a completely different mindset to leave your own country and then travel to a foreign nation to protect strangers. But that’s what Michael did.
Many Americans, including Michael, answered the call from the U.S. government and deployed to Vietnam. They were unaware they would be face-to-face with an enemy willing to die to unite their country.
Michael could have tried to have a doctor declare him unfit for service or he could have run away to Canada or Mexico to avoid going to Vietnam. Despite knowing nothing about Vietnam, he joined the Army and defended the citizens of the country formerly known as South Vietnam. And since the American government never declared war on Vietnam, it wasn’t an actual war. It was considered a conflict.
After returning home, Michael tried to forget about Vietnam. He wasn’t interested in discussing the conflict or sharing his experiences. He said the government called and he answered.
I traveled to Washington, D.C. in 2015 on behalf of my former employer. While in D.C., I visited the Vietnam War Memorial. If you haven’t been, I highly recommend it. American history was shaped by the Vietnam conflict.
Standing in front of the wall, I gazed at each name. Mementos left for the dead adorned the wall. As of now, there are over 58,000 names. There are so many names on the wall that it’s difficult to
comprehend they’re not just names. They were actual people who died in a jungle miles away from their family members.
Like Michael, I am also an Army veteran. Fortunately, I never encountered any hostile situations. However, I took the same oath as Michael to defend America from any enemies—foreign or domestic. During my visit, I spoke with a volunteer who had served in Vietnam. I told him about Michael’s refusal to visit the wall. The volunteer said the wall was a place of healing for Vietnam veterans.
Following my visit to D.C., I visited Michael and spoke to him about the wall. I told him about my conversation with the volunteer and encouraged him to put it on his bucket list. Despite hearing what his fellow veteran had told me, Michael told me he couldn’t visit. I asked him if he would take a road trip with me and we could visit together. He said it would be too painful to see the names of his friends. Michael also suffered from survivor’s guilt. His view was that it wasn’t fair that he returned home while so many others did not.
Unfortunately, Michael died before he had a chance to visit the Vietnam Wall Memorial. He’s now reunited with the brothers he lost.
Watching the stories of brave Ukrainian men and women defending their country made me think about Michael. He put his life at risk to fight a faceless enemy. Though Michael had survivor’s guilt, I am glad he returned home to raise my brothers and me. Michael Hoover was a great soldier, but he was an even better father.
Marc is a longtime resident of Clermont County and an avid reader. Contact him through his website at www.themarcabe.com or through Facebook: www.Facebook.com/themarcabe or his twitter account @themarcabe. Marc also has a podcast called Catch my Killer where he interviews family members seeking justice for their murdered loved ones. You can listen at www.catchmykiller.com.