Counterpoint: What's special about vets is disruption, not danger

"What's so special about veterans" (Opinion Exchange, Nov. 9), on why most veterans don't deserve special benefits from the federal government, reveals a deep misunderstanding of what is involved in U.S. military service.

As a case in point, when World War II began, my father had a solo veterinary practice in Waseca. In college, my father had joined Army ROTC, so he was called to active duty. He had to leave his veterinary practice for more than two years.

The livestock and pets of the Waseca area continued to need veterinary care while he was gone. Another veterinarian picked up many of my father's former clients while dad went overseas.

My father never saw combat. He served in the Army Veterinary Corps, but the Army was rapidly becoming mechanized and had only a fraction of the horses that it did during World War I. Like many veterinarians, he ended up testing food, serving as a sanitation officer or treating stray animals that wandered into camp.

When my father returned home to his much-reduced practice, he often went to farm auctions and occasionally bid early on small items, hoping he would not have to buy them. That way, a friendly auctioneer might say, "Bid from Doc West. Good to see you back in town." My dad said it was the only advertising he could afford at the time.

As for me, President Lyndon Johnson sent combat troops to Vietnam for the first time a month before I graduated from high school. I had a college deferment from the draft but saw no end to the war.

My dad said that if I were going to serve there would be advantages to being an officer. My college did not have Army ROTC and my eyesight was not sharp enough for the Air Force, so I joined Navy ROTC. After graduating in 1969, I was assigned to the USS Eldorado, homeported in San Diego. I spent 31 months on active duty, almost half of it in the Far East.

The Eldorado was a flagship of the amphibious navy, meaning that we carried an admiral. Mostly, we went from port to port to show the flag. However, every month we were in the Far East, we visited Da Nang, Vietnam.

I never saw combat. Because we visited the war zone, the Department of Defense officially considers me a Vietnam vet. However, my service cannot hold a candle to what my friends who served 13 months in-country went through.

I know three names on the Vietnam War Memorial. With one of them I had shared a school locker in seventh grade.

I would also remind readers that, contrary to the article, many Americans were not appreciative of the sacrifices made by their fellow citizens in that war.

A few years ago, Camp Ripley held a ceremony to honor Vietnam veterans. I attended, and a couple of friends who had served in Vietnam joined me. When it came time to walk in front of the assembled crowd, I could not bring myself to do it, because I had had it so easy compared to them.

Nevertheless, what I know is that when people sign up to serve in the military, nobody knows how it is going to turn out. Where and how they serve after joining is out of their control.

I agree that many occupations are crucial to society's success, but the difference between serving in the military and those other professions is not so much the danger as the disruption. The military takes many away from their chosen careers and families. Just ask the thousands of Minnesota National Guard members and their families what kind of sacrifices they had to make during the past 20 years.

I gave almost three years of my life in direct service to this nation, delaying the start of a permanent career. I took several college classes on the G.I. Bill after I received my honorable discharge and later used a VA loan to buy a house, but have not used any veterans benefits since. Hopefully, I will not need to use VA benefits in the future.

But for those who do, I think something more than an "Atta, boy!" is deserved.

Tom West is a retired newspaper publisher in Little Falls, Minn.