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ON MEMORIAL DAY, 1984, I HAD THE PRIVLEDGE TO LEAD THE MARCH OF VIETNAM VETERANS IN THE BURIAL CEREMONY OF THE VIETNAM UNKNOWN SOLDIER.
WE HAD BEEN INFORMED, BY A SENATOR, THAT NO CIVILIAN VIETNAM VETS WOULD BE ALLOWED IN THE PARADE TO ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETARY, THAT WE WOULD BE ARRESTED IF WE ATTEMPTED IT, SO ALL BUT FOUR OF US LEFT. I TOLD MY BUDDIES TO GRAB EVERY 'NAM VET THEY COULD FIND THAT WOULD BE WILLING TO CHALLENGE THE GOVERNMENT, BY FORCING OUR WAY INTO THE PARADE, TO STAND UP FOR OUR BROTHERS BY REPRESENTING THEM IN THE BURIAL OF OUR UNKNOWN.
WE STARTED THE MARCH FROM THE WALL, TO THE CAPITOL BUILDING, WITH ONLY 19 VETS. WHEN WE GOT TO THE CAPITOL, WE WERE MET BY ARMED SECRET SERVICE AGENTS WHO INFORMED US THAT WE COULD BE SHOT IF WE CONTINUED TO FORCE OUR WAY INTO THE CEREMONY, TO WHICH I ANSWERED; "WE'RE 'NAM VETS, WE HAVE BEEN SHOT AT BEFORE, SO YOU WON'T STOP US! IMAGINE WHAT IT WOULD LOOK LIKE TO THE AMERICAN PUBLIC IF 'NAM VETS ARE SHOT BECAUSE THEY WANTED TO TAKE PART IN THE BURIAL OF THEIR UNKNOWN!"
ONE OF THE AGENTS TOOK ONE OF OUR GUYS INTO THE CAPITOL TO SPEAK TO TIP O'NEAL, WHO TOLD THE AGENTS TO MAKE A PLACE FOR US, AS HE DIDN'T BELIEVE WE WOULD BACK DOWN. THEY SET THINGS UP TO ALLOW FOR THE PARADE TO PASS BY, THEN WE WOULD BE ALLOWED TO MARCH BEHIND IT, WHICH WE AGREED TO. I WILL NEVER FORGET WHEN GENERAL WESTMORELAND WAS DRIVEN PAST US. WE ALL CAME TO ATTENTION AND SALUTED HIM. SINCE I WAS HOLDING THE AMERICAN FLAG AND, IF HE SAW IT, HE WOULD BE FORCED TO SALUTE IT, HE TURNED HIS HEAD AND REFUSED TO LOOK AT US. THAT INSULT HURT, BUT IT WAS NOT WHY WE WERE THERE.
WHEN WE STARTED OUT, WE WERE A SMALL GROUP BUT, AS WE MARCHED DOWN 'TOWARDS THE WALL, GUYS JUMPED IN AND MARCHED WITH US. THERE WERE NO REAL GROUPS OF CITIZENS ALONG THE ROUTE, TO SUPPORT US, BUT WE WERE THERE FOR THE HONOR OF VETS, NOT ATTENTION, SO WE MARCHED WITH PRIDE AND HONOR. BUT, WHEN WE REACHED THE LINCOLN MEMORIAL AND MADE THE TURN TO HEAD TO ARLINGTON, THERE WERE 35,000 PEOPLE, ON BOTH SIDES OF THE ROAD, WITH THE FLAGS OF EVERY STATE, HELD BY VETS, TO WELCOME US.
IT WAS THE PROUDEST DAY OF MY LIFE AND TEARS FILLED MY EYES AS I HEARD THE CHEERS FROM THE CROWD. THEY HAD BEEN TOLD THAT WE WERE ON OUR WAY AND THEY REFUSED TO MOVE TO ARLINGTON UNTIL WE HAD MARCHED OUR WAY THROUGH THEM. I WILL NEVER FORGET THE EMOTION THAT CARRIED ME INTO ARLINGTON.
THE WASHINGTON POST PUBLISHED THE BLACK AND WHITE PHOTOS AND REPORTED THAT "THE PRIDE OF THE VETERANS SHOWED IN THE MANNER IN WHICH THEY CARRIED THEMSELVES. THEY WERE THE ONLY UNIT IN THE PARADE, WHICH WAS MADE UP OF PROFESSIONAL MILITARY UNITS, THAT WAS IN STEP EVERY INCH OF THEIR MARCH!" WHAT THEY DIDN'T KNOW WAS THAT ONE OF OUR GUYS HAD ARTIFICIAL LEGS AND HE STAYED IN STEP FROM THE BEGINNING, TO THE END. WHEN WE WENT INTO ARLINGTON AND RELAXED, HE DROPPED TO THE GROUND AND TOOK OFF HIS LEGS, ONE ABOVE THE KNEE, ONE BELOW, AND BOTH OF HIS STUMPS WERE BLEEDING FROM HIS EFFORT!
THIS STORY WAS CARRIED IN TWO DC NEWSPAPERS, AND ONE IN WASHINGTON STATE, BUT THEY WERE THE ONLY ONES TO PUBLISH ANYTHING ABOUT THIS HISTORIC EVENT. BUT, AS I HAVE SAID BEFORE, IT WAS NOT ABOUT OUR FAME, BUT WAS TO HONOR OUR BROTHERS!
I AM VERY PROUD TO HAVE LED THAT MARCH, I AM VERY PROUD OF THE MEN WHO MARCHED WITH ME, AND I AM VERY PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN, AND A VETERAN! AND IT WAS THE BEGINNING OF MY EFFORTS ON VETERAN'S RIGHTS, AND THE POW ISSUE, AND MY WORK IN CONGRESS AS AN INDEPENDENT LOBBYIST FOR BOTH ISSUES.
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THESE ARE THE PHOTOS OF THE MARCH THAT WERE PRINTED IN THE PAPER:
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