July 4
I spent my 4th of July working. I worked from 7 am till 2 am. Crazy i know, but it was worth it. One of my co-workers is Vietnamese and fought in the war, but he was on the good side. I got to hear part of his story and was blown away. He fought with our military for several years and translated for us as he could speak the mountain dialects. He was eventually caught and lived for five years as a P.O.W. I can only imagine that he was hated more than the Americans by the north Vietnamese. He told me how he and some others were able to overtake a guard and steal his rifle, however, as than ran for the jungle a machine gun opened fire and three of the prisoners fell. He and the others made it safely to the jungle, where they lived for a year before being found by the US forces. Yes, I said a year. I asked him "what did you eat?" He replied in his thick Vietnamese accent "there is plenty food in jungle". He went on and told me that there was deer, tiger, and elephant in the jungle. With surprise I asked if he hunted tiger and he said yes, as if was no big deal. Wow. After being found in the jungle he was brought back to the states. His family wasn't brought over for some time later.
I asked him later if he liked this country and without hesitation he said "I love this country, so much freedom". I was too moved to say anything else. It moved me even more to watch him as we recited the pledge of allegiance and sang the national anthem. To see a man that has been through so much reflect on where he came from and the freedom he now enjoys, well, it made my 4th of July.
Yes, this is still somewhat about travel. I think it would moving and inspiring to visit sites of the wars that we the United States have fought in. To walk the ground were young men fought and died, that I may live such a comfortable life. To all the soldiers and their families, I thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Long Live Freedom!
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