
> My grandfather fought in WW1 for an adventure.  By all accounts he got
> plenty, saw a lot of quite terrible things, but didn't change a great
> deal.

WW1 was a little different I think - the modern world was a little more 
naive about war.

> 
> Everyone I've met who went to Vietnam (a couple of dozen men) went for
> the same reason, or because he was drafted and wasn't a conscientious
> objector, or because he was a career soldier and it was part of the
> job.  They all went because the government of the day wanted to show
> solidarity with the USA and fend off the totally bogus domino effect.
> 
> None of these people went to pay the price for our freedom.  I doubt
> that soldiers think much about that at all.

They may not have gone to war with that intent, but they did anyway. They 
deserved our respect.

