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 years
later videos" on TV. These videos show two sides of the infantry in
Vietnam. One side depicts the infantry fighting heroically and the
other depicts the infantry committing some kind of atrocity. I served
on the front lines with the infantry/grunt in 1970-1971. With many
grandchildren, I don't want this mixed message to be my legacy. In
those years, the infantry especially became the most maligned soldiers
in our country's history. We were known as the baby killers and
monsters of Vietnam. Those names continue to haunt us today. By
seeing and experiencing my life as infantry-"grunt"-at that time,
I hope the reader of True Grunt sees the infantry as moral men of
intelligence and courage. They fought in some of the worst conditions
of war. It is also a story of hope as one Vietnam Veteran regains
his life, overcomes personal tragedies, and even disease from Agent
Orange. 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. No
asterisk needed.