Gerald Carlson, 981st 67-68 asked me to post this for him. He got it from John Doyle a co-worker who is a Vietnam Veteran. John got this from his son who is the author.
There are lots of days I feel cynical, today wasn’t one of them.
I stood for 4 hours today in the August heat of DC to pay respect to the service of John McCain. I stood with fellow Veterans, active duty, and a survivor of the Forrestal fire. I stood with an old lady with a walker, and I stood with Asian women still wearing the streamers of South Vietnam. I heard Spanish, French, Russian, and at least one African tongue. I saw Red Cross volunteers, young kids in suits, and many all in black, despite the hot sunny day.
However, the absolute high point was that I spent the wait alongside a former Army infantryman, who lost both his legs in Vietnam only to come back home to dedicate his life to helping the disabled and the combat wounded.
What I will remember most from the whole experience is that I got to spend four hours with thousands of people who came to honor a man best known for being tortured and losing a Presidential election, but who will be remembered as a man who never lost faith in his country.
Michael B Doyle
USMC 2000 – 2008
August 31, 2018