Share your Vietnam stories – from the war zone or from the home front – with Minnesota Public Radio as part of The Vietnam Tapes. From the program description:
The Vietnam Tapes is a special Midday program featuring audio letters from the Vietnam War. Dan Kleven of Willmar, Minn., spent 11 months in combat in Vietnam in 1970. He recorded his thoughts on cassette tapes in the field, and sent them back to his family. The hour-long program includes audio from Kleven on guard duty, interviews of his fellow "grunts," and his description of a dangerous raid into Cambodia. The program also includes a view from the home front during this troubled time in American history.
- The program airs Friday, July 4, 2008 at 1 p.m. ET | Noon CT
- You can also listen to the program and see the slideshows anytime online
This is an open discussion. Discuss reactions to the program or your own images and personal stories from the time here. Links to related Gather articles, images, or videos are welcome.
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Julia Schrenkler
Interactive Producer
Minnesota Public Radio
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Comments: 4
In the late 1980's I was a salesman making a sales call with my regional salesmanager, Bob. We were waiting in the reception area when a woman came in with her son who was wearing his Army Class A uniform and was very tan. Everyone in the lobby shook his hand and patted him on the back while his mom stood proud and beamed. I looked over at Bob and he was crying. He said "when I got back from Vietnam all I got was the finger". While in a buyer's office we noticed many Boy Scout plaques and momentos on the wall. Bob complimented the guy on his Scout stuff. The guy explained that he was a former Scoutmaster and that his two sons were Eagle Scouts. Bob said, "I was an Eagle Scout too, that was probably the reason why I made it out of Vietnam alive". Both guys were crying.
I do owe him some thanks. I was a dumb kid out of college who learned alot and grew up alot during that time. Makes me appreciate what people in our Armed Services do. Both those who enlisted, and those who were drafted.
For as much as the Move On folks, Charles Rangels, and the political left wants to continully bring up the "draft" in today's war and occupation of Iraq, I don't think it could ever happen again in the United States.
Freedom isn't free. Freedom is what sets us apart from the rest of the world. Freedom is why people float on rafts here or swim thru rivers to get here. Freedom is why most of the world doesn't like us. The prosperity that we have earned because a bunch of guys 200+ years ago had a great idea and that thousands of people have died defending.