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1018 US Hwy 80 • Tybee Island • 912-786-9433
TYBEE BEACHCOMBER | JAN 2019 9
By Jacque Dorazio
Seventeen Days Later...
Our country honors our veterans in November on Veteran’s Day. I frequently
think of all the men, women, and K9’s that provide services to our armed
forces, but now that Veteran’s Day has passed, do thoughts remain of this
special group of American patriots, their families, and their life changing
experiences? Has the flag waving celebration waned until the next national
day off?
I have been an advocate for veterans since the 1960s. I joined Tybee’s
American Legion to offer support to vets by creating an informative website
with possible useful links for physical and mental health, feature special
events the Legion has, and to post interesting related history bytes. I realize,
after three years of providing my complimentary services to Post 154, I need
to step up my mission and feature their personal paths, putting faces on
these selfless souls that have sacrificed their youth for us.
Vietnam veteran, James Carter, is a member of Post 154, along with
numerous veteran organizations in Chatham County. He was named the
Donor of the Year in June 2007, for the Vietnam Vets of America. I met
Jimmy on Veterans Day 2015. We participated in the Savannah parade with
members of Post 154. He was in a WWI uniform, armed with his written
pages - his personal thank you to all veterans. At the end of the parade route
he recited it to the offcials at the reviewing platform.
I spoke with him about his own path. Candidly, he spoke of his issues
with PTSD and how he greatly appreciates what others do for vets. “Are the
words ‘thank you for your service’ good enough?” I asked. “Of course,” he
replied with a hearty laugh! “Ironically, people also say, ‘thank you for being
there’ and I reply, ‘Thank God you weren’t there.’” He and I share many of the
same opinions of Vietnam. Years of studying and teaching a graduate class
of this era, I realize he is also quite knowledgeable on that difficult time in
our history. Jimmy also had a hand in organizing historical accounts at the
Mighty Eighth Air Force Museum.
He is open about his journey with the 3rd Marine Division and readily
shares his book Vietnam Veteran - POW/MIA They Fought for This Country,
It’s Time This Country Fights for Them boldly displayed on the cover. It is a
strong portrayal of Jimmy turning 19 and landing in Vietnam seventeen days
later. How many more young men and women grew up this way? College
was not for him. He signed up March, 1965, and went to Parris Island for
basic training in air flight mechanics and parachutes. He was shipped to a
duty station in Okinawa, which was to last about two years. It lasted 6/8
months. The Da Nang airbase had gotten hit and Vietnam was just getting
hot. Stationed on the airstrip’s perimeter, Jimmy was assigned to anti-tank
detail. He lost half his friends at age 19 in Vietnam.
He served one tour and was offered a mere $2100 to reenlist. His mother
bluntly stated if he reenlisted he would not be welcomed home again. God-
Mother-Country-Core, Jimmy knew what he had to do. He returned to sneers
of the confused public. He joined the ranks voicing opposition to the war and
helped vets assimilate into the ‘peaceful’ society.
Jimmy faces his embedded issues head on by creating incredible 3-D
diorama scenes in bottles. He also builds to scale shrimp boats, planes, and
lighthouses. Please visit tybeeieslandamericanlegion.org to view his photos
from Vietnam, his words, and miniature dioramas - how does he get a pack
of cigarettes and matches into a tequila bottle? After you learn about his
path, recall what you were doing seventeen days after you turned 19.
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