I’m a military brat. From the time I was 2 years old until I was 21, my father served his country well. He was a criminal investigator, first in the Air Force and then the Army. We moved, hmm, about a million times.
Vietnam started when I was 11. By the time I was in my early teens, my friends were regularly saying goodbye to older brothers and fathers headed for Southeast Asia. For a few, it was a final goodbye.
The Tet Offensive exploded when I was 15. It was a confusing time. Anti-war demonstrations, demonization of the military, and the evening news — all were huge sources of worry.