Show Dont Don't Forget Them By Grover WEVE WE'VE HEARD Almost nothing on the news for the past several days other than the return of the two fifty-two former American hostages in Iran Like almost every other American I am glad that these people have been returned But there is one thing that has become very hard for this writer and for many other veterans of the Vietnam War to understand There still are more than fourteen hundred American servicemen held captive in Indochina Indochina Indochina Indo Indo- china serving in forced labor gangs for the reconstruction of that country and to the United States government and to most of the citizens of this country these men are dead wiped from the face of the earth and the memory of a nation that tried to forget the travesty of that war To the veteran of that war there is no forgetting the hell of SouthEast SouthEast SouthEast South- South East Asia and there is no way that we intend to forget the brothers that we served with who are still held captive for that service There is now documented evidence that these men are alive living in that hell and there is a asick asick asick sick feeling in my stomach that the country wants to forget them We will not forget In 1972 veterans opposed to Americas America's involvement in SouthEast SouthEast SouthEast South- South East Asia protested by marches to the republican convention and nomination of Richard Nixon in Miami Beach That last patrol was active in showing the concern we felt the and the new last patrol will be effective in showing our concern for the release of fourteen hundred hostages being held today in Indo- Indo China On May 8 1981 the last patrol rides again We will go to Washington DC D.C. ten thousand and more strong to demand an explanation explanation explanation ex ex- of why this country has forgotten its veterans still in the fields of Vietnam We will not accept apologies we will not accept promises of fact finding teams we will only accept action If you care about these men if you feel this same way join with us on the last patrol Contact the Salt Lake City Vets Center to see how to help |