Today we honor all our veterans from all our wars, without them we would have no freedom. This year I honor all our veterans especially those forgotten and derided. Because of the failures of leadership they are blamed for political losses in the Congress and Whitehouse, their sacrifices and the sacrifices of their families are forgotten, even scorned. Some 41 years ago I was on Army winter field maneuvers after 3 days out in sub zero weather I sustained a shattered left kneecap, it was -20F, I spent the night in misery until evacuated the next morning. It gave me tiny perspective to what the Korean Vets suffered. Back on June 25, 1950 after the UN partition of Korea, the Soviet Union, China and the troops of North Korea invaded South Korea in bloody combat until the armistice was signed on July 27, 1953. Those who served were maligned and treated as the losers by their fellow Americans, victims of the forgotten war. KOREA It seems that those Soldiers, Airmen and Marines who fought in Korea have been forgotten. Was it from the guilt of our leaders making United States Forces subservient to UN control and rules that tarnished the image of true heroes in a war that was never won, only ending in a negotiated stalemate, that plagues us today? Being young enough to have known friends and relatives who served in both WWII and Korea has given me different perspective on how both groups were treated after the war. One uncle served in both WWII and Korea and received no respect from that second tour of duty. I served with two Korean vets in Vietnam who were outstanding, they kept us kids out of trouble, I wonder if they were also trying to win back some honor lost from their previous service.   VIETNAM Members of our U.S. Marines took a tremendous pounding defending an outpost that was abandoned and destroyed so that 3 years later the invading NVA had an open path for advancement. Many in that hellhole suffered and died as well as those supplying them. Let's not forget their sacrifices or their hours of peril. Forgotten too are the Brown water Navy and those small 4 man crews that couldn't fly away, they had to stay and toe to toe fight it out, hardly ever mentioned are the Mobile Riverine Forces, U.S. Army who fought alongside them. This is for you Ernie, it has been my pleasure to know you. Many of the fighting forces on the ground, infantry, artillery, attack helicopters, close air support aircraft owe their success to those who let it all hang out supplying their water, food, munitions, fuel and heavy ordinance. The supply troops, yeah those REMF's who weren't so REMF. All those who served in that hell called Vietnam then came home to be shunned by their home town folks, to be spat on, cursed and shunned. They were denied employment for both serving and not yet serving, but the worst was the label leveled upon them by Senator John Kerry and his Winter Soldiers, labels that denigrated them and stole their honor. Lies spread by the media that were never retracted. FOR THE GIRLS' How about those truly forgotten heroes that are all but overlooked as veterans, how honoring those who have served in the past as well as those serving now. Thank you ladies. One of my heroes has always been Col Maggie, she served the troops as a nurse as well as an entertainer, one of many who volunteered to go to dangerous areas to support the troops, I'm blessed to know this one. These ladies sacrificed too, they suffered casualties and experienced the same mental anguish as their combat counterparts. 59 civilian women died and 8 military women died in Vietnam for a total of 67. One of those. as hospital worker, died on my shift, lst. Lt. Sharon Ann Lane, she was struck down early on June 8, 1969 by those vigilant observers of the Geneva Convention and friends of John Kerry and Jane Fonda, when they shelled the 312th Evac hospital. All these women deserve the same honors as any veteran. Civilian or Military, they gave their all in service to this great nation. NEVER FORGET Don't let our current fighting forces face that same stolen honor, we owe them our freedom.