Marking the 50th anniversary of the start of the Vietnam War, President Obama gave a speech in front of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall lamenting the way returning veterans were treated by their fellow Americans following their tours of duty.
Acknowledging that the Vietnam War marked “one of the most painful chapters or our history,” President Obama addressed the issue of how soldiers are treated and were treated when they arrived back on US shores following the controversial conflict.
Standing in front of the memorial, President Obama described the “shame” of how Vietnam vets were welcomed back, saying:
“You were often blamed for a war you didn’t start, when you should have been commended for serving your country with valor. You were sometimes blamed for misdeeds of a few, when the honorable service of the many should have been praised. You came home and sometimes were denigrated, when you should have been celebrated.”
He continued:
“It was a national shame, a disgrace that should have never happened. And that’s why here today we resolve that it will not happen again. And so a central part of this 50th anniversary will be to tell your story as it should have been told all along.”
Of the lessons to be learned from the 60,000 serviceman lives lost and countless others ruined by the Vietnam War, Obama said:
“Let us resolve that when America sends our sons and daughters into harm’s way, we will always give them a clear mission, we will always give them a sound strategy, we will give them the equipment they need to get the job done. We will have their backs.”
President Obama also spoke of ending veteran homelessness as well as funding college for Iraq and Afghanistan vets.
He'll say anything to try to get votes! He makes my blood boil.
A "National Shame"? – no it was the LEFT's shame. There were no conservative republicans out there spitting on vets. The liberals OWN this, not the nation as a whole.
MINE TOO
I was not alive when the vietnam war was going on. But from what I learned and read about and this is my god given opinion is we should of never been there and our men and boys should of come back to better then what they did. I had 2 uncles in that war and they don't talk about it period. But the government has ways of getting us into wars to try and start our economy and jobs kinda like now. I'm not saying we shouldn't hurt people who hurt us but come on almost 11 years in this war and we beat up a statue! We should NEVER disrespect a soldier weather you agree with the war or not they give there lives for us weather they believe in the war or not!
What about 'Nam Vets that suffer still today from the effects of Agent Orange exposure? Enough with the rainbows, butterflies and empty promises on the campaign trail. ACTIONS speak louder than words and from where I'm sitting, it's all just a pathetic ruse. He cares not about our Vets. If he did, he would have given a cost of living increase to our disabled Vets and elderly in any of the 4 years we have had to endure his "CHANGE". Oh, and thank you so much, Obama, for your diabolical plan to kill off our elderly and disabled with your "Health Care Reform". Congratulations, it killed my father…..Obama has one foot out the door and the other on a banana peel, God willing.
You got that SO right!!!!!
This is why are country can't come together to do a damn thing, if you dont like the captain you poke joke in the ship, which sinks us ALL not just the left……..or the right.. what happened to working for a common goal…..you really think Any president is conpletely to blame all alone… Every american might not have the same beliefs but we should stand strong against she people who want to year us down. Not tear ourselves down while others watched and laugh….
Don't poke holes in the ship, (bang auto correct on my phone)
Your history books do not reflect the true stories of why we were in Vietnam. Ask your uncles. We were there once again to save France's butt. Most Vietnam veterans are true patriots, and did what they thought was right. All wars are started by old men and young men fight the wars. All war is horrible, but we must celebrate those who fight for us, no matter whether the war was right or wrong.
Obama is only looking for votes at the expense of anyone who gets in his way. Too bad everyone doesn't see the bs he tries to feed us.
I was around when our boys got sent to Vietnam. WE never should have been there. Nothing has changed over there other than the fact we lost a whole bunch of men. Then they were treated like sh– when they came home. All wars are horrific but Vietnam was a senseless war, I salute all the service men that were there..Gd Bless you all.
Then don't listen to him, you have choices ya know no one is forcing you to listen or watch him!!! DUH!!!!
I applaud the President for finally saying what should have been said years ago! To those of you who don't support him, I should not be surprised but I am! This should not be a Republican or Democratic issue, it should be an issue of all American's not just a select few! If my historical facts are correct I do believe there where just as many democrats and republicans that died and lived. If you want some one to blame blame your ancestors for being Disrespectful towards our returning vets! Shame on all of you for making this a political issue and not an American issue!
Amen, Maureen!
Amen, Maureen!
Ya'll are only pissed off because a Republican didn't say it first!!!!
Past administrations have apologized before you just don't remember. I find it just like Obama to do this now during the election. Are you kidding me. Our soldiers today have been shamed in more ways than one. I hear from some soldiers that they have their hands tied over there. They can't shoot unless they are shot at and they hate the politics of it all. The soldiers go in to win the war not to be sacraficed without a fighting chance. Just like Nam. All soldiers will say the same they hate the political aspect of it all. I do too. I remember the viet nam issues back in at least 1966. The war ended about 1975 and I know we have apologized several times for not giving the viet nam vets a correct homecoming. Obama is not the first President to recognize this mistake.
I Agree! My dad was there & still has nightmares!
wow no matter what this President does he gets criticized, Well said President Obama! To all you haters sometimes its better to keep quiet, If this man climbed the highest Mountain , stood on his head on hot coals trying to fix this nation you would find fault with it.If he speaks you complain if he does not speak you complain, common give the guy a break! The only thing you Rightys would applaud is if he resigned, but guess what he is not going away.Quit he will not do! Thank you President Obama for Honoring our Vets all of them with the special emphasis on Vietnam!:)).
The don't shoot unless shot at policy has been in place for several years!! For all you die hard Republicans today's speech is no different then any other Memorial Day speech in my life time!! Vietnam ended in 1968 or 69, with all the troops being pulled out in 1971 and 72. Our troops today are given more respect for their service then in any other war in the history of the US (other then the civil war). Call George W Bush and complain to him about sending our father's, brother's and sister's into battle without having the appropriate items needed to defend and protect themselves from the enemy. I will say that Obama sees and addresses the devastating aspects of war and does not Glorify it like a past president did and would continue to if allowed. I never have been or will be a proponent of war. His speech today was not one based on the fact he is running to be President, he gave it as The PRESIDENT!!!! If my memory is correct and I do believe it is, it was George W Bush that sold us all as American's that we had no choice because of W.O.M.D. (weapons of mass destruction) when there simply wasn't any!!! So, if you all want to place the blame place it where it belongs. There are no politics when it comes to WAR we all lose!!!!
So many of the still do. It also messed so many up not only physically but emotionally and that is so very sad.That war was the purest helll anyone went threw. Still makes me so sad.
Let's keep supporting our President!
He is lying. Don't you get it. Take a look at his past comments. Too many for me to count. You are darn right we will criticize him for saying one thing and doing another. You check it out for yourself and get yourself out from under the "Charisma Spell" he has you all under. This man has lied his way in and he is going to lie his way out of office. No matter what I will make darn sure I don't vote for him again. Just read the book he wrote. He wrote it. I am not a righty or lefty, I am a constitutionalist and he does not believe in our constitution nor does his administration. You will wake up when it is too late. There has been an apology previously in past years for how the Vietnam Vets were treated. He really didn't have to apologize for us again. Look it up. I will give you this, I thank him for getting up and speaking for all the vets but I will not give him credit for apologizing for the Vietnam Vets, we have done it before and it was water under the bridge but for his need to try and get votes. Just like he said he wouldn't go to war and he would bring our troops home. They are still over there and now it is worse because the terms of engagement have changed and he has all of our troops in harms way. Do your research. You will see. Mr. Obama get our of the White House and take your lying crew with you including Erick Holder.
Things are not always as easy as it seems,they all lie i suppose left right whatever. DO NOT call me a lier and if he repeated the apology rightfully so there can never be enough apologies for how nam vets were treated and it was the 50 year anniversary so it was the right thing to do. Why not give him credit for making the apology again on the anniversary. SO why have History books if it is allunder the bridge we dont need to hear about it again? I am just saying no matter what he does he gets attacked that was my point was nothing wrong with what he said just nit pickers need to stir the pot like the saying goes " if you dont have something good to say say nothing at all!
First of all I didn't call you a lier. I said he lies. I wasn't talking about anyone else I know others lie but for the moment we were talking about Obama. I still stand by the fact that he lies. So let it be in the history books, he doesn't have to use it to get votes. Lets see the viet nam war was over in 1975 he feels the need to apologize for it now. It was done in the past is all I am saying and for him to bring it up now only the apology, he is just fishing for votes. Also, we all know about how the returning Viet Nam vets didn't get a proper welcome and if I am not mistaken we took care of that with a special welcome for them. I tell you he is doing it for political reasons and that is all. If not why hadn't he done it for the past 4 year he has been in office. Only now when he is trying to get reelected. End of line for me.
Who is supporting him, now me. Well I take that back, by the way he is spending our hard earned money I guess we are supporting him. But I say no more. Not one more penny. They better not raise that debt ceiling again. For sure! LOL That is laugh out loud without the smile.
Marking the 50th anniversary of the start of the Vietnam War, President Obama gave a speech in front of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall lamenting the way returning veterans were treated by their fellow Americans following their tours of duty…………..he was making the speech there so i think it was the right place and the right time to repeat the apology in my opinion . nuff said you have your opinion i have mine thats what makes this country great doesnt make me wrong or you wrong. I just cant see him making a speech there without bringing it up for what ever reason nuff said.
His whole speech about supporting vets is a lie. Since he has been in office, he has cut benefits and basic housing allowance (BAH) for veterans and their families. My son-in-law is overseas right now and my daughter is working 2 jobs to support herself and her son because her BAH was cut 40%, and their total income was BELOW the poverty level. The average person on welfare made more money than their total household income (this includes her husband). This is a crime and a disgrace. This is Memorial Day and millions of people are reflecting on it. Obama gets up and makes a speech like that to get the votes. He flip-flops constantly on issues and falls whichever way the wind blows the hardest. He is so phony it makes me sick.
If you read what I said this is what I stated no matter where you stand on the wars the people who fought should always be shown the respect for that. We did not do this with the vietnam vets. I was commenting on what Mr Higgs had stated earlier.
Who is supporting him, not me. Well I take that back, by the way he is spending our hard earned money I guess we are supporting him. But I say no more. Not one more penny. They better not raise that debt ceiling again. For sure! LOL That is laugh out loud without the smile.
Don't listen to the President of the country? What the hell kind of advice is that? Or, maybe he could try giving a speech and following it up with TANGIBLE actions. This won't help vets, it's more votes. Just like telling us he is doing so much for the economy and appoints LARRY SANDERS, again.. The man Harvard ousted for being a financial conspiracy on two legs..
Summers*, excuse me. Damn t.v. shows…
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Linda Gibson
You may want to do some REAL research before you say he has never thanked the Vietnam Vets before. Maybe the fault lies with the media coverage or your inability to research and see how he has thanks vietnam vets in the past…..on memorial day…Jerilyn is correct…you are blindly biased with your disdain of the President
Tanina Anderson
I don't believe you……..I'm in the military….been in the military for 13 years. No way they are living below the poverty level unless they are living beyond their means. Unless they have so much debt that is being eaten away that their check is little to nothing.
Where do they live where BAH has been cut by 40% so I can look that up! The Obama administration has killed more terrorist with drone strikes this year the than every year of the war!….all this without sending our troops to EVERY corner of the planet when it is not needed.
You don't like the President?…..fine, I can respect that, but if McCain thanked the vets ON MEMORIAL DAY….ON THE 50th ANNIVERSARY and he was running for President would you criticize that? or say he IS a vet so he gets a pass?
Stop being so divisive. He said thank you and he apologized. On memorial day. On the 50th Anniversay. Yes he's up for re-election…….can't help that the 50th anniversary fell on that day LMAO!
Linda Gibson
When they raise it again and you keep paying your taxes I want you to suck it up, go back to your computer and bang away on the keyboard. And when the Republicans get into office and they raise your taxes I want you to log on once again and say how thankful you are that a Republican did it and that was your whole argument. You're gonna pay either way. Maybe instead of being the top commenter on a blog you could be an actual activist and effect some positive change…maybe run for office…something. I'm serving my country….how are you?
It's all too easy to blame your opposition for everything. You present nothing insightful at all in your comment.
Name one presidential candidate that hasn't said "anything" to get elected? Since when did Obama become any different from the rest of the pack? Get real…
I don't disagree with what Obama is saying at all… I may not like the some of his policies, but I at least know when to actually agree with the president. Playing party politics is too easy these days. Just stick to what you think is right based on the issues, not based on your stupid affiliation.
Great way to put it Fernando!!!!!
Hey Linda, why not run for an office and lets see how many times you bend to pressure from one side or the other. Seems to me you would not stand a chance in politics today!! Being the President one must always be willing to concede on one issue or another. From everything I have read, you only think Republicans get it right nothing could be farther from the truth. I bet you would rather see our gay/lesbian men and women in the military to be booted out. You need to look at the whole picture and see the glass as half full instead of half empty!!! Every one was against the Vietnam war not just Democrats!! I bet your one of those who believes that only the middle class and poor families should pay taxes and that the wealthy don't have to.
Hey Linda who raised your taxes to support a war, Bush did, and then gave the richest a tax break!! Which made it a burden on the rest of us, so keep your they better not do this or that to yourself!!! LOL WITH A SMILE!!!
Whats the matter Ryan? Can't stand it when the mirror is held up to you? You cannot deny the truth of my comment, so you dismiss it as 'not insightful' – how typically liberal. The fact is that it was NOT 'The Nation' rejecting Vietnam Veteran Heroes – it was a specific segment of our society known as the 'Counter Culture' Left – and THEY have never apologized for their shameful behavior. The Right has ALWAYS considered Vietnam Veterans heroes. If anyone has posted a 'nothing' comment here it's you, sir.
No no… You are automatically assuming I am a bleeding liberal. Which I am not. I tend to lean on the conservative side on plenty of issues. You blaming your opposition for something like this just shows you blame everything on liberals, simply because they are liberal and not for any other reason. Don't like the mirror held up to your face, huh? You can sit there all you want and think of some elaborate way to try and prove me wrong, but when you base your argument on "well those liberals are to blame.." you are only preaching to your small insignificant choir who only think "if you are not with me, you are against me". Good luck with life blaming others for everything… It takes a nation to screw up the care for our veterans. Not just one side of the narrow spectrum you willingly choose to ignore. Good day, "sir" (Don't mind the sarcasm)
fernando1162 I guess by they, you mean the "Republicans." If you think your taxes are not going to be raised with Obama you are in for a big shock. Check out the debt he has gotten us into. Trillions, we will never pay it down and he just keeps spending like it's water. It isn't hard to see that if you spend more than you have, you have to raise more money. We need to quit spending and get a balanced budget. A budget one that we can stick to until we get things under control. Look you little Fernando, I have been serving my country for a long time now also. However, I doubt that I am the top commenter on this blog. Just so happens that I did have something to say and I said it. Now when someone asks me a question I try and answer as honest as I can. I do not want to run for any office. I know that I am not qualified to hold any office. Now I try and be as informed as I can be. I also know that I can be wrong on some issues or things may come up that I rethink but I try and weight both sides. So if you are serving your country, what are you doing on this blog answering the top commentater? You sound just like Obama. Criticize others and then turn around and do the same thing. No problem. I try and effect change by writing to my congressmen, and women and let them know my concerns. Go check out the UN'S web site regarding Agenda 21. That is the kind of thing I am totally against. I am for the constitution of this great country and will stand by that. I do not want to be part of a one world government. This is the United States of American and by golly I wish to keep it that way. If you want a socialist country then go find it somewhere else.
Linda, I guess you don't get it. This is not a Republican or Democratic issue, it is an American issue. There are no party lines when it comes to this. WE ALL FAILED THE MEN RETURNING FROM VIETNAM!!! You where alive back then so you take some of the blame for this as well, I was not born until after that war came to an end. The point here is IT WILL NEVER HAPPEN AGAIN!!!! You need to do some research and stop telling every one they are wrong or call them liers because you don't see things the same way. I swear you should have more common sense!!!! I state it again, WE AS A COUNTRY LET THESE MEN DOWN, not one party or another. There where just as many Democrats and Republicans alike that where against the war in Vietnam!!! Get a grip Linda!!!!!!