This is written for my own personal reflections:
I was a Cold Warrior. How about you? Especially if you were a Vietnam veteran the term "Cold Warrior" was originally a term of derision used by the left to describe anyone who resisted communism—but I embraced it. I am proud to say I was a Cold Warrior, someone who actively resisted the communist effort for world domination.
Here's a little sidebar: most people don't know it, but the gymnast Nadia Comaneci was a Cold Warrior, and she has never received the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Look at the list of those who have—rap musicians, actors, community organizers. Yet a woman who risked her life to defect from communist Romania is not included.
When I was a young man, I had a wife, a child, and a good-paying job. But one day, while watching the news, I saw a demonstration where Americans were protesting the war in Vietnam, waving Vietcong flags. At that moment, I decided the United States—and freedom itself—was in trouble. I knew I needed to do something about it.
I understood very well that it was possible we could lose. Losing to the communists would be dangerous, as they were vindictive and had long memories. Everyone who had served in the military during that period could very well have found themselves in slave labor camps, had the communists gained control. During the Vietnam War, it seemed entirely possible to me that this could become a reality in the long run.
When I told my wife about my decision, she shared it—without my knowledge—with my mother and brother. Ultimately, I gave up my well-paying job and enlisted as an Airman Basic in the United States Air Force. My original plan was to join the Army, but my mother was so opposed to the idea that I feared she might have a breakdown. As a compromise, I joined the Air Force.
What I didn’t tell her was that I knew the Air Force had ground combat units as well—just not as many as the Army. I left my job selection to my recruiter, allowing my path to unfold without feeling that I had compromised my principles too much.
How about you what is your story?
I was a Cold Warrior. How about you? Especially if you were a Vietnam veteran the term "Cold Warrior" was originally a term of derision used by the left to describe anyone who resisted communism—but I embraced it. I am proud to say I was a Cold Warrior, someone who actively resisted the communist effort for world domination.
Here's a little sidebar: most people don't know it, but the gymnast Nadia Comaneci was a Cold Warrior, and she has never received the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Look at the list of those who have—rap musicians, actors, community organizers. Yet a woman who risked her life to defect from communist Romania is not included.
When I was a young man, I had a wife, a child, and a good-paying job. But one day, while watching the news, I saw a demonstration where Americans were protesting the war in Vietnam, waving Vietcong flags. At that moment, I decided the United States—and freedom itself—was in trouble. I knew I needed to do something about it.
I understood very well that it was possible we could lose. Losing to the communists would be dangerous, as they were vindictive and had long memories. Everyone who had served in the military during that period could very well have found themselves in slave labor camps, had the communists gained control. During the Vietnam War, it seemed entirely possible to me that this could become a reality in the long run.
When I told my wife about my decision, she shared it—without my knowledge—with my mother and brother. Ultimately, I gave up my well-paying job and enlisted as an Airman Basic in the United States Air Force. My original plan was to join the Army, but my mother was so opposed to the idea that I feared she might have a breakdown. As a compromise, I joined the Air Force.
What I didn’t tell her was that I knew the Air Force had ground combat units as well—just not as many as the Army. I left my job selection to my recruiter, allowing my path to unfold without feeling that I had compromised my principles too much.
How about you what is your story?
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