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Three days after graduating high
school George Brondsema went to Marine Corps boot camp. After completing his training, he was sent to Vietnam where he would
serve as an infantryman. Eventually he would spend two tours there between 1965 to 1968. He was awarded fifteen medals and
ribbons for his service. George Brondsema is the author of Born in the '40s, Raised in
the '50s, Died in the '60s. According to the book description of Born in the '40s, Raised in the '50s,
Died in the '60s, “Like many young men that were born into the era immediately following the end of
World War II, George Brondsema was brought up with the belief that there was no higher calling than to serve one's country
through military service. Patriotism was undeniable, and following in the footsteps of your father, who had just defended
this country, made this an easy choice for many young men. In early 1965, most people in the United States had probably never
even heard of Vietnam and wouldn't be able to locate it on a map.
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Over the next decade it would become
all too familiar. This is a story of one young man's experience in dealing with a war that divided a nation and made us
more cynical as a people. There have been many books written about this time and place in history-this is just one man's
experience, and doesn't attempt to speak for all those who spent their youth and subsequent life dealing with the aftermath.
One thing is crystal clear, however-these young men didn't create this war or lose it. Not one major battle was ever lost!
These men were made to feel that they somehow failed the country, but the reality is that this country failed them.”
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