TRAVERSE CITY — Northern Michigan Vietnam War veterans are sharing what they went through after the war.
It’s been 50 years since the Vietnam War ended and when Saigon fell to the Viet Cong and the U.S. military evacuated.
“There have been a lot of changes. Lost some very good friends over there, says John Lefler, Vietnam Veteran, ”That took a very long time to deal with that and get over that.”
Many Vietnam veterans don’t share much of what they went through because they were faced with a lot of backlash when they came home.
“It gets better. But you never forget. You know, it’s in my mind at times. I can smell court icing. I can hear things.”
Gary Fender was a draftee and served a little over a year in the Vietnam War when he was 19.
He remembers coming home and the people around him acted like nothing happened.
“I came back and I showed up at my job, and they were like. Can you be here tomorrow? I just got out of the army, man. Y’all give me a break, says Fender, “But you didn’t get a lot of respect when you came back home.”
John Lefler, the President Of The Grand Traverse Veterans Coalition, served as a combat engineer in Vietnam. He worked 12-hour days seven days a week, with the eight hour day on Sunday.
He worked on heavy machinery used in combat. He says he never wants veterans today to feel the same way they did.
“Nowadays, the Vietnam veterans have made it our mission to make sure that doesn’t happen to future veterans. And as far as the way we’re treated nowadays, with total respect, it has changed 150% since back then. There’s just a lot of respect.”
Lefler says most veterans find comfort in hanging out with each other. Many Vietnam veterans suffered from mental health issues, substance abuse disorders and side effects of Agent Orange. A chemical that is used to kill the vegetation.
“When it comes to talking about things, when it comes to Vietnam. Pretty much the only people you’re really comfortable with and discussing what’s going on in southern Vietnam were veterans, or ones that have been through the same type of situation that we were in at the same time.”
Fender had a friend during combat named Joe, who was injured in his face by a water buffalo.
Fender wasn’t able to see his friend because he was sent to Yokohama. Several years ago, through the power of social media, they reconnected.
“He kind of took me in under his wing from what I’ve heard, you usually get somebody like that. A couple of years ago, I was sitting there thinking about him…. This Facebook thing is pretty cool. I did a search on Facebook, and I knew he was from Iowa…. I typed in his name. Bing. I got a thing back…. I said, ‘No, you’re too young.’ He said, ‘You’re talking about my grandpa.’”
Fender went to Iowa and they still talk often to this day. Both Lefler and Fender want other veterans to know they have each other and encourage them to ask for help.