Tom O’Hara is a Vietnam Veteran. He does not fall under the conventional perception the public has of a Vietnam Vet: “…balding guy with stringy hair, with his hat on, and his fatigues…” (Appy 327)
He would not dare to put himself in that category. In fact, he claims that being sent off to Vietnam had no effect on him whatsoever. With this mindset, he has a hard time believing that “...somehow, this war has traumatized a generation of American men.” (Appy 327)
This statement is a bit extreme to me – perhaps because of what I learned about O’Hara from his story presented by Appy. O’Hara was sent of to Vietnam – but he was not involved in any direct combat. Instead, he was in charge of replenishing the pilots’ oxygen masks, parachutes and helmets before and after their missions. It was also his duty to make sure that the generals had a constant supply of coffee and beer. Every night he got twelve hours of sleep and watched American television. He basically lived in “…a three square mile piece of the United States of America…” (Appy 326)
Today he has a nice job along with a nice family and is fed up with the over excitement surrounding the Veterans. Well – I was fed up with reading only two pages of his story. How dare this man who admits to being in a safe place, basically doing a blue-collar job, claim that the effect of the Vietnam war on the soldiers sent is overrated?! He was never in a foxhole, he never faced an enemy soldier eye to eye, he probably never held a gun in his hands. How dare he compare his experience to those who trembled with fear not knowing if they were going to survive another day, hour or minute?! I am more than positive that actual fighting can induce dramatic effects – perhaps had he done some on his own, O’Hara would be signing a different tune. Just because he was shielded from the horrors does not mean that others did not experience them. And just because he can sleep at night does not mean that others are able to do the same .. one day or thirty years later.