Have you ever been to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C.? If not, you really should consider making a visit if you ever find yourself inside the Beltway. The memorial consists of the Three Soldiers statue, the Women's Memorial, Constitution Gardens, and the most prominent feature, the Memorial Wall. The Wall is actually two black granite walls, each more than 240 feet long, meeting at an angle of 125 degrees. On the wall are inscribed the names of more than 58,200 men and women either killed in action or listed as MIA.
Having been there I can tell you it is truly an impressive and humbling experience. It wasn't surprising to see vets visiting on the same day I was there, wearing their combat jackets, dress hats, or ball caps. Though I purposely avoided looking at these men for an extended amount of time, I could easily identify most of their units by the tattoos and patches they wore. Most were infantry or helicopter crew; completely logical when one considers they bore the biggest casualty numbers during the war.
The most saddening part of the whole experience was knowing that these brave men and their surviving brethren returned home to accusations of being ?baby killers?, imperialists, and other such nonsense. Though there were a small handful of atrocities committed by Americans in Vietnam, the vast majority of the stories about them were proven to be untrue. Yet instead of returning as war heroes, they returned as political enemies.
We obviously can't change the past, but we can still do something today by showing our support for Vietnam veterans. Thecheapplace.com has a collection of Vietnam patches that accomplish the task with integrity. Sew one or two on your jacket; put one on your favorite ball cap; if you're guitar player who puts stickers on his case, save some space for a 'Nam patch. There are so many ways to use these patches, I'm sure you can find something that works for you.
Thecheapplace.com has this one item called the ?Never Forgotten The Wall Vietnam Patch.? I can't describe it to you because of its intricacy, but I can recommend it as a first Vietnam patch. It is a gorgeous piece of work which can be worn with pride. It sure will attract attention while honoring the vets at the same time. You really should take a look.
You can also find rocker patches, circle patches from the various military branches, and even a Purple Heart patch. I know many military men are buried with their medals when they pas on, so a handful of comparable patches would make a great addition to the family history album, just as a reminder to future generations.
If you've been to the memorial Wall in Washington, I hope you are encouraging others to go see it as well. It's an important reminder of one of the watershed moments in U.S. history. It is a war that forever changed the face of our nation; it is a war that should never be forgotten.
