Virtual Wall

[Black Owl]

This was sent to my by a 'nam buddy. Thought I would share it with the other vets here.

 

http://www.virtualwall.org/iStates.htm

 

This may also be of interest to our Canadian members. There are 58 Canadians listed on the wall.

 

For those that may not know it, there were over 40,000 Canadians who served with the US Forces in Vietnam. Almost made up for the 50,000 Americans that went to Canada to avoid the draft.

 

[friesman]

thanks for that link and info.

 

I knew there were quite a few Canadian guys had gone to Nam, but I didnt realize it was 40,000. That would have been volunteer then as we didnt have draft since ww2 was over.

 

Thanks to everyone (American, Canadian or any service personnel) who has servered in Nam, Afghanistan, Iraq, or anywhere.

 

Brian

[ArcsSparks]

7w line 089 last name Grimes a close friend, we served the best we knew how (if I'd had 3 weeks less in country I'd probably been on the same bird he got hit on) and died needlessly in a war that is only a distant memory now.

 

Thanks for posting

[Black Owl]

thanks for that link and info.

 

I knew there were quite a few Canadian guys had gone to Nam, but I didnt realize it was 40,000. That would have been volunteer then as we didnt have draft since ww2 was over.

 

Thanks to everyone (American, Canadian or any service personnel) who has servered in Nam, Afghanistan, Iraq, or anywhere.

 

Brian

 

The Canadians that served in 'nam were with the US forces. So yes, for the most part they were volunteers. A few were drafted, but only if they were living in the US and had registered for the draft.

 

The fact that they served in the US forces caused some dissention in the Canadian Legion. For a long time, the powers to be in the Legion would not let the VN Vets join. Going so far at one time to calling them nothing but "Bloody Mercinaries".

 

Another interesting note about the Canadians who joined the US Forces to go to 'nam. A very high percentage of them served in the elite forces, Marines, Special Forces, Rangers, Chopper Pilots etc. One, a fellow from Toronto, also won the Congressional Medal of Honor. And most, after their tour of duty, quietly returned to Canada and forfeited their Veterns Benefits.

[ArcsSparks]

The Canadians that served in 'nam were with the US forces. So yes, for the most part they were volunteers. A few were drafted, but only if they were living in the US and had registered for the draft.

 

The fact that they served in the US forces caused some dissention in the Canadian Legion. For a long time, the powers to be in the Legion would not let the VN Vets join. Going so far at one time to calling them nothing but "Bloody Mercinaries".

 

Another interesting note about the Canadians who joined the US Forces to go to 'nam. A very high percentage of them served in the elite forces, Marines, Special Forces, Rangers, Chopper Pilots etc. One, a fellow from Toronto, also won the Congressional Medal of Honor. And most, after their tour of duty, quietly returned to Canada and forfeited their Veterns Benefits.

Why would they lose there benefits? the navy had many thousand residents of the Philippines serving and they returned to there country without losing anything. they did retire after 20 or 30 years though.

Edited December 12, 2010 by Arcs&Sparks
added content

[Black Owl]

If they were drawing a military retirement or disability, they would receive their checks. But,they got no VA medical care, no housing loans, no education benefits, no SBA loans, no Vets preference on hiring and a lot of the other bennies that US vets take for granted. Some of that has been rectified now. Particularly the medical benefits through an agreement with the Canadian VA system. It was a long, hard fight though.

 

I would suspect that a lot of the benefits for the Philipiano's were received through the military bases in country.