Thank you

Matt:

I would like to say thank you for your letter from the perspective of a VietNam vet's wife. My husband served with the 101st Airborne in '68 - '69. I was still in high school and the things that he wrote about were far removed from my reality at the time. When he told me about a place he had been called Hamburger Hill, I just thought it was a funny name and didn't realize the meaning the name held.

When he first came home, the war didn't bother him a great deal. However, it took it's toll over the next 20 years. Nightmares of battles, anger, frustration, confusion invaded our lives. Every time it rained, the war called him back and away from me. He finally made his peace with the war on his third visit to the moving wall. He always told me about a friend from Nam that he was going to visit. His name was Bill Goodwin (Cherokee). He even tried to look him up in California during SuperBowl XIV. The last time Jerry and I visited the wall, he pointed to one panel where all of his friends/comrades were. One panel! Then he pointed out Bill's name. It took 20 years for him to admit that Bill never made it home. He dealt with terrible guilt about surviving when the others didn't. August 14, 1995 Jerry died of medical problems related to the war. Someone said that he died in VietNam but his body just wouldn't lay down. In a way they were right. He was my best friend and husband for 25 years. The war wasn't his fault but he paid the ultimate price. He did what he felt was right and honorable. I am proud of him and the others who were willing to do their duty even if they weren't sure why when it was all over. You can see the war in their eyes. Never forget their sacrifice. Say thank you whenever you can. They shouldn't be the only ones telling each other Welcome Home. Thank you for caring.