Having a meltdown.  Got a call last night that the entire American Legion and other veterans are coming to hear me speak tonight.  In addition to the Daughters of the American Revolution.

I was supposed to speak to women. Now, it's many men as well. I have to entirely revise what I am going to say.  And how I'm going  to say it.  I'll do that today. 

I am never nervous to speak, but speaking to a mixed group is an entirely different ball of wax than just to women.  

Men are not good listeners to women talking.  Not being critical or judgmental, they just listen to other men speak better.  I'll give it my old gung-ho best.

Every veteran at this time in our history is a volunteer.  The last draft was in the 1960's.  They choose to serve; they are not forced by the draft.

I am supposed to talk about Viet Nam and what it was like for those of us who sent their loved ones to an unpopular war.

The children who lost loved ones in that war are now in their sixties.  That's hard to fathom.  I was twenty-eight when Ken left.  He was thirty seven.  He had already flown over one-hundred missions in Korea.

He had nineteen and a half years in the Marines when he got orders.  Six more months and he could have missed it and retired.  But his orders were for thirteen months in Nam.  We had three children. Forth grade, second grade and three years old.  It wasn't my favorite thirteen months.  His either.