Remembering the 1960's

The other day we were at a concert in Toronto, Ontario. The Magical Mystery Tour was a show with the 'Beatles lookalikes' backed up by the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony Orchestra. As they started to talk about the 1960's, I started to remember watching the Ed Sullivan Show with my Dad. My Dad on the couch and me in front of the Television, the video below is what we watched...........

Near the end of the show I started to remember,sitting on the couch with my Dad and watching the evening news.... in the news was stories about the Vietnam War.

Note: Vietnam War was the first war on television, night after night the war was brought into people's living room. I remember when I was eight watching the news with Dad, a photographer from the war, Eddie Adam. He took a photo on Feb 1/1968, a photo that a child should not have seen - still haunts me.

The show was over and we went home.. a two hour drive. We were talking about the show and what I remember. I started to talk about a movie I saw in 1968, Green Berets - John Wayne played Col. Mike Kirby who picks two teams of crack Green Berets for a mission in South Vietnam. I thought the ending was sad, when Kirby - John Wayne - tells Ham Chuck the sad news about Petersen.

Canada did not fight in the Vietnam War. The country's troop deployment to Vietnam were limited to a small number in 1973 to help enforce the Paris Peace Accords.

Canadians in the U.S. Military: Cross - Border enlistment: About 30,000 Canadians volunteered to fight in the Vietnam War, among the volunteers were fifty Mohawks from the Kahnawake reserve near Montreal, Quebec.

One-hundred and ten Canadians died in Vietnam and seven listed as M.I.A. - Misting in Action.

Peter C Lemon was born June 5 1950, he lived in Toronto Ontario Canada. Year of Service with the U.S. Army 1968 -79. Sergeant Peter C Lemon U.S. Army , company E 2nd Battalion, 8th Cavalry 1st Cavalry Division, he went to Tay Ninh Province, Republic of Vietnam April 1970. He was awarded the U.S. Medal of Honour for his valour in the Vietnam war, other awards include the Bronze Star; Air Medal; Army Commendation Medal and the Purple Heart.

Windsor, Ontario and Melocheville, Quebec have monuments to the Canadians killed in the Vietnam War.

There were no veterans organizations nor any help for the veterans from the Canadian government. Many of the veterans moved permanently to the United States. There is still an ongoing pressure from Vietnam veterans to have their comrades remembered on Remembrance Day.

We Were Soldiers: 2002 American war film that dramatizes the Battle of la Drang Nov 14, 1965. It is based on the book We Were Soldiers Once and Young. Lieutenant General (Ret.) Hal Moore and reporter Joseph L Gallaway, both whom were at the battle.

Canadian Vietnam Veterans: Vietnam War Poem - A Special Person By Adam Dowell

There is a person I'm proud of, and happy to see; This person is a friend to me; This person doesn't regret it, believe me; This person went and saw things I'll never see; This person was shot at and survived to have me; This person arrives home just like you and me; This person is my hero and I'll never forget; This person is my Dad, " a proud Vietnam Vet."

Poetry of Vietnam War: The LZ Sally Poetry Page - This site has poetry written by combat veterans. It was inspired by the the strong bonds of brotherhood, created under these conditions, along with many fears, pains and visions not witnessed before nor since.....http://www.lzsally.com/popage.htm

Lt. General Hal Moore talks about the Battle of Ia Drang.

Joe Galloway was the newspaper reporter at the battle of Ia Drang Valley of South Vietnam's Central Highlands. He wrote the book "We Were Soldiers Once and Young".

Adrian Cronauer made famous in the movie Good Morning Vietnam, interviewed
April 2009 .

Sp4 - E4 - Army Regular 101st Airborne Division Rob G McSorley - lenght of serivce I year, his tour started Oct 11/1969 - awarded the Silver Star, (KIA) Vietnam War. Canadian Vietnam War Veterans Memorial, Windsor Ontario Canada, Sp4 Rob G McSorley - North Panel 12W Row 107.