As the Vietnamese celebrate the 25th anniversary of the end of the war today, many veterans will reflect on the sacrifices made and the ones who were lost overseas, Meadows said.

Saturday, April 29, 2000

As the Vietnamese celebrate the 25th anniversary of the end of the war today, many veterans will reflect on the sacrifices made and the ones who were lost overseas, Meadows said.

"It’s kind of sad," he said. "I look back on it a lot. I’m sure others will remember, too. We’re glad to have it over. We’re glad no more men and women had to go over there. But the circumstances that happened you still have that thing in the back of your mind that they’re still over there, the communists, ruling the country."

More than 58,000 people lost their lives in Vietnam and the surrounding areas in a fight to give freedom to a country in the midst of a Communist takeover.

And Meadows always will regret that those sacrifices did not make more of a difference in the world.

"They might have ended (the war), but they ended it the wrong way," Meadows said. "You went over there and 58,000 men and women didn’t make it back home and basically for what reason. It was a long war, but it didn’t accomplish a whole lot.

"A lot of the men feel the same way I do, we went and sacrificed a lot to just turn around and let them have it back."

And that’s what most people will remember today, Meadows added.

"They’ll remember the some that made it home and the some that didn’t," he said. "It’s kind of hard but they will remember what they did. They will remember the sacrifices they made and what they tried to do. They’ll also remember that the communists still have the country.

"I’m not bitter, though. I would defend my country any time they call for me."

Although the Vietnam anniversary seems like it will cause more pain than reason for celebration in this country, it’s still important to take a few moments to remember those who did not make it back and those who did, Meadows said.

But the remembrance is especially important for the younger generation, he added.

"Sons, daughters, aunts, uncle’s – those people know what it means because their family members served," Meadows said. "But the ordinary guy, woman or child, they don’t know anything about it. The younger generation is just happy go lucky. There have been a lot of sacrifices made and they better thank God they are free because other people in other countries aren’t."

And it wouldn’t take much for today’s youth to be called out to war, to fight once again for honor and freedom, Meadows said.

"The younger generation has to stand up and take notice," he said. "The 18-, 19-, and 20-year-old boys that are working at jobs There could be a war and one day they will tell their grandchildren all about it."

The younger generation’s apathy toward the efforts of United States veterans is not acceptable, Meadows said.

"I go to a lot of sports events," he said. "You got adults standing up but they don’t even take their hats off. Here I am a Vietnam veteran, defending what I thought was right, and it doesn’t take two minutes for the national anthem to play. It bothers you a little.

"We’re so free and we’ve forgotten about the sacrifices millions of people have made so that we can do what we can do."

It’s important to take every war anniversary and educate the youth about their significance regardless of whether or not the U.S. succeeded in its endeavors or failed, Meadows said.

"I hope everybody remembers all the wars," he said. "The younger generation, maybe 30-35 on down, they’ve got to remember and the ones that were in there they will remember because they were there and they talk about it."