I believe the good book says “Blessed are the Peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” Yet it seems like our leaders want to become God. They play chess, we are the pawns.
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Nov 17, 2025 / Tony Valencia / Tectony9.substack.com - Pain, defeat, anger, sadness. Fifty years after the Vietnam War ended, these emotions continue to resonate deeply among many, myself included. My grandfather, an infantry sniper in 1968, chose to serve his country out of love, rather than being drafted. To him, fighting communism was more than a duty, it was a personal calling shaped by the absence of his father. He believed that doing what his country wanted was a way to fill the masculine void inside of him. There is nothing more fulfilling than to fight for the freedoms that millions of civilians take for granted every day. However, that pursuit let to experiences he never anticipated.
One year, one event: That is all it took for his life to change forever, along with the lives of countless innocent civilians and unsuspecting American soldiers, who believed they were fighting for the freedoms of the Vietnamese people. Around this time, the tide of the Vietnam war shifted dramatically. A horrific massacre occurred in the village of My Lai, involving no more than three dozen soldiers from Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment, 11th Infantry Brigade, and Americal Division. Innocent men, women, and children were slaughtered in their homes. Bodies lay piled upon one other, homes were burned to the ground, and women and girls were raped indiscriminately.
To them, it was “search and destroy,” even if it meant taking innocent lives. Almost no civilian escaped this scene alive. Those soldiers believed that they could evade the consequences of their actions. However, a journalist by the name of Seymour Hersh would bring their crimes to light, acting on a tip from Geoffrey Cowan, a lawyer from Washington. He revealed that a Lieutenant by the name of William Calley had been court-martialed for the murder of Vietnamese civilians. He claimed to have been ordered to carry out the mission by another soldier. By the grace of God, a warrant officer by the name of Hugh Thompson Jr. intervened, landing his helicopter between the soldiers and the civilians, saving countless lives as the massacre halted in its tracks.
After studying the event in detail, Hersh published the groundbreaking report over a year and a half after the massacre took place. Public outrage to the news was rightfully swift and loud, igniting a firestorm of grief and anger. The Vietnam war was already unpopular, and this incident dramatically intensified dissent. Anti-war protests surged across the country and the Western world. Regular soldiers expected a warm welcome upon returning home from their service; they could not have been more mistaken. My grandfather, although not involved in any of the atrocities, came home to a very hostile public. He and many of this brothers in uniform were unjustly labeled “baby killers” upon arrival. Many were unaware of what had transpired in My Lai until they returned home, yet they faced vilification, ostracism, harassment, and even spitting from civilians. For the first time in modern history, the public showed an overwhelmingly negative response to a war, fueled by haunting images broadcasted on national television.
The aftermath of the My Lai massacre added salt to an already deep wound. One might wonder: out of the three dozen soldiers that were involved, how many faced justice for their crimes? Only one: Lieutenant William Calley, who was court-martialed by an Army panel and stood as the sole convict. But the pain does not stop there. Initially sentenced to life in prison, Calley’s punishment was reduced to 20 years in prison and further to just 10 years after a post-trial review by the Secretary of the Army. Yet the injustice did not stop there. After serving only three years under house arrest, he became eligible for parole and walked free. There was no public apology given, nor any show of remorse shown for his actions, until 2009, when he allegedly offered an apology during an appearance at the Kiwanis Club of Greater Columbus. The decades of injustice stemming from My Lai continue to haunt us, serving as a stark reminder of the complexities of world conflicts.
The backlash and outcry against the Vietnam war drove many veterans, including my grandfather, into silence. After returning from the army, he got married and started a family, seemingly refusing any military benefits to distance himself from the war’s painful memories. Throughout his life, he rarely mentioned his service. You had a better chance of spotting a four-leaf clover in the middle of the Grand Canyon than hearing him discuss Vietnam. The trauma of war tortured him for decades. He often experienced bursts of anger, night terrors, and flashbacks almost daily, occasionally withdrawing from social interactions altogether. As a little boy, I would find him spending hours alone in his room or the garage. While I was too young to understand what was happening at the time, I eventually learned about the deep scars the conflict had left on him.
His health ultimately declined, leading to a diagnosis of glioblastoma in 2003, a likely consequence of his exposure to Agent Orange during his service. The disease was crippling. He went from a strong, 62 year old veteran who could fix cars and appliances, to a man reduced to skin and bones within a matter of months. I will never forget the immense suffering he endured during the last months of his life. It is a memory that still haunts me. He passed away in March of 2004, surrounded by family.
Many veterans served in wars, such as Vietnam, believing they were doing the right thing. They were convinced by their government that this is the patriotic thing to do. Some, unfortunately, were drafted against their will to serve in these wars, often under threat of punishment. Although the draft ended in 1973, the shadow of the Vietnam war looms over American society. This was the first war to be extensively televised around the world. Such a controversial and unpopular war shifted the perception of what fighting for freedom truly means. Do those in power truly believe that they are serving the best interests of the public by getting us involved in foreign affairs? Or do they have some vested interest in conflicts? A critical examination of history often points the latter. Conflicts, dragging on for years or even decades, only serve to affirm this suspicion. When thousands of soldiers make the ultimate sacrifice, and another several thousand return home with life-altering injuries, only for the mission to be lost, it makes you question the true objectives of these engagements.
Globally, thousands, if not millions of civilians, are injured, killed, or displaced from their homes as a consequence of armed conflict. Consequently, the United States is often regarded with skepticism by the world. We see this time and time again. Vietnam was neither the first or the last time this happened. We got involved in Iraq on two separate occasions, and Afghanistan for nearly two decades. When the war started, I was six years old and in first grade, and both of my grandparents were alive. By the time the war ended, I was twenty-six, attending college. My grandparents have passed on. After two decades of continuous conflict in Afghanistan, it was suddenly over.
I watched the fall of Kabul, along with billions around the world. A tear formed in eye as desperate civilians tried to flee their country, only for most to be left behind. I saw the last American soldiers board their flights, returning home not in victory, but in defeat. I had no words. History was rhyming before our eyes. It was Vietnam all over again.
If my grandfather were still alive, he would have lost all faith in this country and its leaders. For many of us, especially Vietnam veterans who lived through the fall of Saigon, the images triggered déjà vu. When will we learn that constant foreign intervention causes pain, suffering, starvation, and instability? Not to mention profound animosity towards the United States. It seems like everything this nation touches turns to stone. We get involved in foreign affairs, then wonder why the world hates us. And when soldiers commit war crimes and face no consequences, it pours gasoline on an already raging fire.
Thankfully, there are soldiers who refuse to stay silent. When they witness atrocities, they call out their peers. As mentioned earlier, journalist Seymour Hersh exposed the My Lai massacre to the world, over a year and a half after it happened. But there is always courage that shines through. Take officer Hugh Thompson Jr., the pilot who intervened to stop the slaughter at My Lai. His actions saved lives and upheld the honor of his uniform. He should serve as a moral compass for every service member. He passed away in 2006, but his legacy lives on. If he were still alive, I would have sought him out just to shake his hand and thank him. In stark contrast, Lieutenant Willam Calley passed away in 2024, living freely after facing minimal consequences for his actions. Seymour Hersh was alive at the time this article was published.
Politicians swear they’ll never drag us into another foreign conflict. However, my trust is almost nonexistent. This piece began with Vietnam, but it applies to all conflicts, both past, present, and future. We hear of wars and rumors of wars every day, yet we must never forget the cost: the lives of the next generation. Would you send your son or daughter to fight abroad for a bunch of old politicians who likely don’t care for them? Are you convinced our nation’s survival hangs in the balance, so much that it warrants putting boots on the ground? Ask yourself these questions and demand answers. Good soldiers believe they are serving a just cause. Bad ones take out their dark inclinations on the most defenseless.
To every soldier who has served in good faith, past and present: we thank you. We honor our men and women in uniform by expressing gratitude for their service through flags, parades, donations. However, I believe the ultimate way to honor them is by refusing to send them into unjust wars. Let us demand leaders choose diplomacy over warfare, restraint over reflex, and peace over pride. Let us never forget.
Source: https://tectony9.substack.com/p/make-peace-not-war-how-vietnam-shattered
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Updated on 4/26/2026 - NS