Fernandina business owner: Vietnam memory a reminder of what’s still special about America
I arrived in the Mekong Delta in 1965 after completing U.S. Army Special Warfare training and the Defense Language Institute where I learned to speak Vietnamese. I was assigned to a five-man advisory team in a small district on the banks of the Mekong River, consisting of a captain, three sergeants and a first lieutenant as assistant team leader (myself).
Over the next year we would participate in more than 150 combat operations with our Vietnamese allies. I was the only member of our small team who was not wounded (thanks to a busy guardian angel).
Every morning our hosts would conduct a small ceremony, raising the South Vietnamese flag (yellow with three red stripes) while they saluted. The Americans always stood at attention out of respect but did not salute. We did this every morning for months.
One morning, my captain asked me to take our small assault boat down the river to the town of Sadec and get supplies from our regional headquarters. As I cruised out of the canal and headed downstream into the main channel of the river, I saw a large ship heading upstream. As I got closer, I could see it was a U.S. Navy tank landing ship.
As I passed by its bow and swung around the stern, I saw the most beautiful sight I had seen in a long time ― the American flag flying proudly on its stern.
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To me, the beautiful “Stars and Stripes” represented everything that was good in the world: A nation that respected human dignity as it tried to promote democracy and human rights around the world. America is a country composed of people from every nation and corner of the Earth; every race, religion and creed was represented on that flag.
Out of all that diversity and complex mix, there is one unifying characteristic, one common element found in all of us ― courage. People came to America with barely the clothes on their backs. They left behind their home, their friends and families to start anew in a strange land. It takes courage and it is in our DNA as Americans.
In these trying times, let us focus on what unites us. We are a special breed of people and when we pull together, we will overcome all obstacles.
Kevin Connelly is a veteran and the president of Apollo Sunguard, a manufacturer of commercial outdoor shade structures and products. He lives in Fernandina Beach.
This guest column is the opinion of the author and does not necessarily represent the views of the Times-Union. We welcome a diversity of opinions.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: In America's divisive times, a call for unity from local Vietnam vet
