Uncle Shelby's Circus

It’s been many years since the Army and Vietnam. Several years of my youth were wasted in the lies and betrayals of our politicians. For that I can forgive. For betraying my brothers that were left forever behind I can never forgive. For deceiving us and leaving the remains of more than 58,000 of my brothers and sisters on a black granite wall on the Capital Mall in Washington D.C. I can never forgive.

I’m not a martyr, I was just a young soldier doing what he thought was right, never giving a second thought to the traitorous acts my countrymen would resort to in abandoning my brothers.

But that’s a different story that many others have told many times… more often than not, the theme and facts falling on deaf ears and immoral consciences. I have a different purpose and a different story to tell.

I feel fortunate to have experienced the Army and Vietnam, relatively unscathed. I only wish we could give all of my brothers and sisters the same peace instead of an etched name on a black granite wall.

To my children, I write this so you may have an insight to who I am. An insight to what developed in my teen years through the experiences in Vietnam.

To my loving wife and the love of my life, I write this with your encouragement and support with the hope that something here helps explain who I am.

As so many others have said before me, we went there as youthful teenagers. Within weeks we were 50 years old emotionally. We missed the transition from teenagers to young adults and from young adults to middle age. We missed a lot of life’s natural emotional and mental growth processes.

We were the youngest group of soldiers in U.S. history. We were the only U.S. soldiers to lose a war. We wore the black hats, we were the bad guys. Our purpose was noble because we believed the lies of our father’s generation. Our country’s purpose was anything but noble.

We returned the anti-heroes. We received no celebrations. It was as if no one cared. Sometimes people spat upon us as we stepped onto American soil for the first time in a year. The American public was against us. Our neighbors resented us. Our childhood friends treated us like freaks and outcasts.

We stand alone through our experiences. I make no excuses… I had fun. I learned to make the best of a bad situation.

Welcome home my brothers.