French novelist Marcel Proust is possibly the originator of the oft-spoken and poorly paraphrased,
“Never meet your heroes, you’ll only be disappointed.” The original quotation appears in Proust’s “In
Search of Lost Time.” Loosely, it says, “Never meet the people you admire; you’ll be disappointed.” I
have never read anything by Proust, as I do not speak French and generally do not socialize with those
that do. (Before any of you “Frogs” get too worked up, I am of French descent (Charpentier), and I am as
likely to surrender as the next guy.) But alas, this is not about the French. I am here to take issue with
Monsieur Proust.
I am a reasonably well-read and somewhat less published historian of little note. I have interviewed
numerous military veterans as a military historian, or more specifically, as an oral historian. I have
interviewed generals and enlisted people; transport, scout, and attack helicopter pilots; fighter, bomber,
and transport pilots; clerks; regular soldiers and elite special operators; common medics, doctors, and
mental health officers; some were in combat, and others were not. I could go on and on. A few
interviewees are World War II and Korean War vintage, but most are Vietnam Veterans.
The people I interview are not the bullshit “I love the smell of napalm in the morning” types. They are
not the “Born on the Fourth of July” types, either. Not that I avoid those people; they just don’t come
up. The people I interview are regular people. Men and women who honorably served their country,
volunteers and “volunteered” (“Greetings…”) alike. It has gotten so that I laugh out loud when one of
them tells me, “I didn’t do much.” (Usually followed by, “I know someone who DID do stuff. I’ll introduce
you!”) Then I know to hold on because something special is about to happen. They do their interview,
tell me the latest in a long line of incredible stories, and then give me the names of others to interview,
too. It’s a family tree of sorts. More than family, really. These are my heroes. I have met many of them in
person (Most of my interviews are over the phone.), and not one has disappointed me.
As a historian, I am a late-comer to the Vietnam War. As a young history nerd, I always loved military
history, but like many other “history buffs,” the romance and gallantry of the Civil War, or the heroism
and sacrifices of World War II attracted me. As an elementary school kid, I remember a little about the
Vietnam War from the television news. To me, it seemed so dark and depressing. I never wanted to
study Vietnam. Then I started doing oral histories.
My first interview was with my father-in-law, a generous man with a heart of gold, and then others.
Before long, I realized that all of the romance, gallantry, heroism, and sacrifice was in the Vietnam War,
too. It just wasn’t in the thirty-thousand-foot view like the other wars. It was in the individuals. The men
and women who answered the call to did their jobs heroically. They deployed alone and came home
alone. Sometimes they had to remove their uniforms when they returned to avoid the scorn of
misguided protesters. No parades, no homecoming feasts or speeches. Those who didn’t stay in the
military kept their heads down, spoke nothing of Vietnam, and moved on with their lives. Some adjusted
well, while others did not. Most suffered in silence. That was 50 years ago. They are a little older and a
little less mobile than they once were. These are my heroes. Not one of them has disappointed me. They
are also my friends.
So… shut up, Proust.
