My name is David Dvorachek. I served in Vietnam as a grunt with the 4th division up in the West Central highlands of Vietnam from April 968 into April of 1969. The LZ Lambeau event was an absolutely great experience for me - a chance to finally start some healing. Here’s a bit of my Vietnam background, how I came to attend the LZ Lambeau and my experience at the event itself. I’m sure many other veterans experienced something similar.
It had been 41 years since I left Vietnam and in all that time I never spoke to anyone about what I went through over there and no one ever asked me. In fact I have an older brother that was there 2 years before me and in all that time we never spoke to each other about it and we probably never even used the word Vietnam in conversation.
I first heard about LZ Lambeau in December of 2009 and quickly decided that “I could never go to such an event - it would be way too difficult.” But then as the months went by I started to change my mind. A point that made the decision for me to attend was that I sometimes write my feelings down just to get them out of my head. In one of those writings I spoke my feelings that it sure would be great if at sometime in my life yet, there was a “parade” for Vietnam vets to acknowledge then for serving. I wouldn’t go to such an event myself but would just need to know that it took place. I also wrote of how great it was in the past few years, to see soldiers coming back from Iraq with crowds of people waiting to welcome them as they got off the airplane. These two thoughts came together about a month before LZ Lambeau and I decided it would be a mistake for me to not actually see it myself. So I decided to go, knowing I could leave quickly if it became too emotionally difficult. I should also note that earlier this year (2010) I developed a full blown case of PTSD from my Vietnam experiences, likely triggered by a lot of recent travel out of the US for my job. I never knew what PTSD was like for anyone else suffering from it but I sure found out. It really added to the need for some healing for me.
I went to LZ Lambeau to see the motorcycle honor ride on Friday, ended up walking into the atrium, and stared in wonder at the various displays, etc. It all brought back some tough memories, but also welcome ones that started me on a healing journey. The enlarged pictures in the atrium stopped me in my tracks. The soldier on the hill top in a trench by his bunker - staring out over the perimeter - my mind quickly put me in that position in the picture. I ended up going back with other family members on Saturday, stayed for the program in the stadium, and then decided to return on Sunday. My brother that was in Vietnam before me attended with me on both Saturday and Sunday. For the very first time we shared some of our Vietnam experiences on those two days. All of the displays and other items were so well done - sitting there for veterans to see and get only as close to as they felt comfortable in doing. Over those three days. I wrote some thoughts on the blank sheets in the atrium, wrote on the large maps out in the parking lot and spoke to a lot of other veterans.
What stands out so much from the event was that as another veteran greeted me, and as I started doing myself after the first day, is that one veteran would look at another and simply ask “Were you over there”? The question was never “Were you in Vietnam” but simply “Were you over there”. And then we would talk a bit, sharing a bit about what outfit we were in and where all we served. It was so great finally sharing something of my experience in Vietnam with someone.
There is one more awesome thing that my brother and I experienced at LZ Lambeau and that I will remember for a long time. As we started to leave on Sunday afternoon, walking toward our car, I stopped back in the atrium to use the restroom. My brother waited for me in the atrium and strangely, when I returned, neither of us said anything to each other but instead of leaving, we gravitated back around the exhibit area. We found ourselves stopped near the large white sheets of paper that were posted for anyone to write their thoughts on. That’s when it happened. Someone gently took my arm and asked “Were you over there”?. I looked and it was a young lady probably about 50ish at the most. I responded that yes my brother and I were both over there. She asked a few more polite questions and then started to tell her story. She was not a veteran but was about 14 years old when her older brother was drafted and sent to Vietnam. Her older brother had been her best friend, her hero, the one she looked up to so much. She told her story and ended with the statement “His body came home but he did not”. I assumed then that he was killed in Vietnam but she clarified further that he did come back alive but was never again the same fun loving brother she had known. In fact she has never been able to talk to him again as she had before he served in Vietnam. A sister of hers was there with her standing in the background and we then all shared some more conversation about what she told us. In the end I encouraged her to write something about it on the white sheets placed there as a bit of healing, which she did. As my brother and I finally left, making our way to our car we were so overtaken with what happened and this lady’s story. Here was someone at LZ Lambeau, that was but not even a veteran, but they were suffering much the same as many of us Vietnam veterans were, and needing the same type of healing.
For me LZ Lambeau just excellent. I am so glad I attended. Many many thanks to all the organizers, workers, etc., that made it all happen. I am deeply indebted to all of you!
David Dvorachek submitted this to 