This Looks Like a Worthwhile Project!

[_Mormons4Justice]

http://vietnameoralhistory.blogspot.com/

The Viet-nam war Oral History Project. "History Uncensored"

If you have an LDS Viet-nam experience or any other experience that would shed some light on the war and its impact on normal people's lives this is the place. This guy will not censor your story like your history book. Cool stuff!


"Ronnie Zelinka's Brother is Dead

Ron was a friend of mine that lived down the street. Like me, he was a "skinny kid" that lived in a small bungalow on Kenilworth Avenue in Parma, Ohio. I remember walking down the street and seeing the small American Flag decal on Ronnie's window that meant his brother was serving in the military.

One day, Ronnie was crying. He explained to me that his older brother had died in Viet-Nam operating a crane on the waterfront. The crane had been overloaded and apparently fell forward and killed him.

I never could be mean to Ron after that. No matter what he said or did, I knew that I didn't want to add anything else to his pain. I remember his mom and dad yelling at me for something or other. I couldn't say anything. I felt they weren't really angry at me at all.

A freak accident, that played itself over and over in my mind. Ronnie Zelinka's brother was dead. He wasn't coming back home ever again. His name is on "The Wall". To me, he was a hero I never knew. His mom and dad and Ronnie, were the heroes I did know. Carrying the one burden that no-one should ever have to carry. The whole neighborhood carried it. It never went away. I will always remember that, every time I walked past Ronnie's home, with the little flag decal in the window, that Ronnie Zelinka's Brother was dead."

[_JAK]

http://vietnameoralhistory.blogspot.com/

The Viet-nam war Oral History Project. "History Uncensored"

If you have an LDS Viet-nam experience or any other experience that would shed some light on the war and its impact on normal people's lives this is the place. This guy will not censor your story like your history book. Cool stuff!


"Ronnie Zelinka's Brother is Dead

Ron was a friend of mine that lived down the street. Like me, he was a "skinny kid" that lived in a small bungalow on Kenilworth Avenue in Parma, Ohio. I remember walking down the street and seeing the small American Flag decal on Ronnie's window that meant his brother was serving in the military.

One day, Ronnie was crying. He explained to me that his older brother had died in Viet-Nam operating a crane on the waterfront. The crane had been overloaded and apparently fell forward and killed him.

I never could be mean to Ron after that. No matter what he said or did, I knew that I didn't want to add anything else to his pain. I remember his mom and dad yelling at me for something or other. I couldn't say anything. I felt they weren't really angry at me at all.

A freak accident, that played itself over and over in my mind. Ronnie Zelinka's brother was dead. He wasn't coming back home ever again. His name is on "The Wall". To me, he was a hero I never knew. His mom and dad and Ronnie, were the heroes I did know. Carrying the one burden that no-one should ever have to carry. The whole neighborhood carried it. It never went away. I will always remember that, every time I walked past Ronnie's home, with the little flag decal in the window, that Ronnie Zelinka's Brother was dead."

So just what is it that you want as a result of this post? Thousands died in Viet Nam. And there are thousands of stories about those who died as well as those who survived with lost arms, legs, minds and lives as a result of that war.

War does that to people. It did it to the Vietnamese people. It has done it to Iraqis and to Americans, British and others who have fought in that falsely justified war.

What is it that you want?

JAK

[_Mormons4Justice]

This is an "Oral History Project". Thus, individual accounts and experiences that shoul include:

1. Miracles in Battle.
2. Normal Experiences in Nam.
3. Any Experiences in Nam
4. War Protest Stories
5. Stories of Loss
6. Whatever you want to contribute.

True Oral History leaves a legacy for everyone that wasn't there to understand everything that was there. Please feel free to email the project at pdrockton@aol.com with whatever you remember about the period. He has his Masters in American History and we support any effort that documents truth.