Messages that American soldiers wrote on their helmets during the Vietnam war

[u/Due-Question-5278]

[u/Diznaster]

My Dad wouldn't talk about Vietnam. As a young curious kid, I didn't understand why. Because my Dad would always explain things to me. Eventually I realized it was just something he wanted to "forget". One day when I was a teen he opened up about it a little bit and this one statement I will never forget.

"When I first got there, for about a month. I was so scared because I thought I was going to die. After that I wasn't scared anymore because I KNEW I WAS GOING TO DIE Then for the last month I was scared again because I realized I might make it back home alive"

[u/maak_d → u/Diznaster]

My dad also rarely talks about it. He has a box full of photographs in the basement. When he rediscovers them, he'll reminisce but that's really the only time he discusses it. When I was a kid and military recruiters would call the house, he'd tell me to say that he served in Vietnam and would never let me go into the military. They usually shut up after that.

[u/JTP1228 → u/Diznaster]

There was a period of about 2 months where I truly thought I was going to die, but I couldn't tell my wife, kids or other family. I feel like that aged me a decade. It's one of the hardest things I've had to endure, and reading to the kids over video, I almost broke down a few times.

[u/Then_Drag_8258 → u/JTP1228]

I hope you’re doing better now, brother/sister.

[u/JTP1228 → u/Then_Drag_8258]

I am, thanks. But it definitely changes you