“Happy 4th of July!” he screamed over the overwhelming fireworks display. Well, it wasn’t really fireworks. Our firebase, situated just south of the DMZ (de-militarized zone) separating North and South Vietnam, regularly received incoming fire from across the DMZ. I have to admit, I didn’t even know what day it was.

Our re-supply helicopters had just landed. The enemy waited until there were enough targets in the open before they began to drop artillery, rockets, and mortars. If you heard the incoming, you had seconds to take cover.

Frankly, I was asking myself why I had enlisted in the Marine Corps right out of high school and then “volunteered” to go to Vietnam. In 1965, America still ran to the aid of the “little guy” being bullied. South Vietnam was certainly being bullied by the communist North and its allies.

After the firing stopped, I made my way back to my bunker where someone had painted on a piece of cardboard these words: “To those who have fought for it, freedom has a flavor that the protected will never know.” By now, I understood perfectly what the author articulated.

During three tours of duty in Vietnam, half of my time was served living in the villages with the people, winning hearts and minds. The average Vietnamese farmer just wanted to live his life as he had done for centuries; farm, raise children, and enjoy life. Communism was not going to allow that to happen.

After being wounded a third time, I left Vietnam. Four years later, after our politicians abandoned our ally, communism flooded throughout Southeast Asia and literally millions died in Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos. When I returned 23 years later, the people were doing the best they could under this new system of government. For the past 30 years, Vietnam has improved economically. But, like China, its people are not really free; they serve one of the most repressive regimes on earth.

In America, since the end of the Vietnam War, there has been a gradual erosion of both our freedoms and our patriotism. A new generation has been indoctrinated to believe that America is evil and we need to be humbled and brought down. I’m not positive, but I doubt if most of these social-justice warriors have ever been to a third-world country.

They have never seen firsthand grinding poverty and corrupt governments where the citizens have no say. They have not seen Islamic Sharia law or communism keeping its citizens in bondage. Yet they parrot phrases and slogans blaming the United States for all of the world’s problems.

Upon returning to Vietnam 30 years ago, I was puzzled that none of the Americans who were highly visible during the anti-war rallies and protests came to see the fruits of their efforts. I learned this from meeting with high-ranking officials, most of whom were former North Vietnamese officials. They considered these leftist Americans as mere pawns in the disinformation campaign that guided the protests. They called them “useful idiots!”

Let’s pray this generation’s growing host of useful idiots come to their senses while there is still time. We have more to celebrate this 4th of July holiday than any nation on earth. Happy Independence Day America!

Something to think about?