Unexpected homecomings

OPINION Unexpected homecomings Lee Fisher returning from a combat assault with the 101st Airborne Division in Vietnam, 1969. Photo provided by Lee Fisher. With this year celebrating the 250th anniversary of our country, there are thousands of events scheduled to commemorate how we started, where we are and everything in between. Parades, block parties, city celebrations, music fests and the like will fill our lives with history, significant figures and hot dogs. As a Vietnam veteran, each of these has always brought to me not just appreciation but also what it means to be a responsible citizen. For millions of men and women, Vietnam was a simple equation: Our country called, and we went. For many, the return from Vietnam meant a few loved ones at an isolated airport gate, bus station or train station. There was little if any fanfare, but these meaningful greetings were enough to propel us forward to productive lives, honoring those we had left behind.

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