"You ain't doing to these guys what you did to us."

Vietnam veterans refuse to let anti-war protesters tear down this generation of soldiers and Marines



In Staunton and Augusta County we've been going up against the anti-war protesters for over four years -- ever since their very first appearance on the streets of downtown Staunton when President Bush and Congress were considering going into Iraq.

I'm a baby boomer. I grew up during the Vietnam War and remember the angry anti-war "peace"-niks who rampaged across the country vandalizing buildings and vehicles. I also saw how middle America didn't respond, didn't stand up on the streets to those people, didn't publicly come out to support the soldiers and Marines fighting half a world away.

I remember those Vietnam days.

That's why we've countered the angry left at every chance. And many in our ranks are Vietnam veterans who were treated with cursing and disrespect and items thrown on them when they returned home from war. They are still encountering disrespect from the anti-war left at the modern-day anti-war rallies.

Those vets are determined this new generation of military men and women will not go through what they did when they were told, in America, not to wear their uniforms when traveling because it was too dangerous. In America! Something was terribly wrong with that ... and it can never happen again.

So when a support the troops Marine vet, protesting Cindy Sheehan's anti-war appearance in Philadelphia yesterday, was asked by the anti-war crowd, “Why don’t you join the Army if you like the war so much?” he responded:

“Lady, I’m a Marine who has four years of combat service, and you ain’t doing to these guys what you did to us.”