Why We Were There

Joe Pringle served two tours of duty in Vietnam. One battle seemed to stand out from the others and is ingrained forever in his memory. It was Hill 362 for Joe Pringle. After his enlistment was up, his survival guilt increased. He had a hard time adjusting to civilian life, and his nightmares increased. He was in trouble, mentally.

To come to grips with his feelings, he decided to research and find out why America became involved in Vietnam. As he began this task, he wanted to understand the Vietnamese people. One question led to another. It took a few years, but he finally found the answers to his questions through other writings--history.

When his nineteen-year-old son joined the Marines, Willie wanted to hear his dad's story about Vietnam. At first, it was hard for Joe to talk about it, but he knew his son would be going into harm's way. This could be their last talk. As he explained his research, he was saying the words out loud. As he spoke, he felt this heavy load of guilt sliding off his shoulders. He began to relax and feel at peace. He could now speak of his dead comrades who died in Operation Hastings and Hill 362 without tears. Instead, his heart was filled with the many memories of his fallen brothers. He knew the comradery he had shared with them would always be with him. He was at peace.

-- Clydine Hamilton