WW II vets right
Regarding the Bob Reichle letter “Vietnam vets & VFW” (July 23): I had the same experience with the Lower Burrell Legion, which had rules in the ‘70s that Vietnam wasn’t a real war and Vietnam vets weren’t eligible for full Legion and VFW membership.
I was told I could join socially, but could bring no guests, i.e., my wife. The VFW gave me the boot too.
I was hurt and resented them. I got an attitude about them.
It’s been 40-plus years and now, I’m actually on the side of those World War II vets. They never whined about their war. They stayed in the war until it was over — no one-year rotation. They could not retreat after hitting the beach. They had no steak dinners on Sundays and no housegirls to do their laundry like we had in Vietnam. There were no giant PXs — virtual Wal-Marts — to buy those new stereos, cars or air-conditioned barracks.
Today, a lot of the Legions around here don’t even require people to remove their hats out of respect. Must I go on?
Thomas Haugh
Vandergrift