True Grunt*

True Grunt is not about a Vietnam battle or a Vietnam journal/memoir. It is a response to seeing short 'Vietnam War 50 yearslater videos' on TV. These videos show two sides of the infantry inVietnam. One side depicts the infantry fighting heroically and theother depicts the infantry committing some kind of atrocity. I servedon the front lines with the infantry/grunt in 1970-1971. With manygrandchildren, I don't want this mixed message to be my legacy. Inthose years, the infantry especially became the most maligned soldiersin our country's history. We were known as the baby killers andmonsters of Vietnam. Those names continue to haunt us today. Byseeing and experiencing my life as infantry-'grunt'-at that time,I hope the reader of True Grunt sees the infantry as moral men ofintelligence and courage. They fought in some of the worst conditionsof war. It is also a story of hope as one Vietnam Veteran regainshis life, overcomes personal tragedies, and even disease from AgentOrange. It's time to project '50 years later videos' with just one message. Thousands of Vietnam grunts like myself were true to ourselves,our morals and our country. We won a great Victory in Vietnam. Noasterisk needed.