CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — The number of casualties from the Vietnam War calculated by U.S. government archives is 58,220.
"A lot of guys really sacrificed their all," said Don Stone during an interview with KRIS 6 News from his Calallen home.
Sixty-one years have gone by, but that war will always be hard to talk about. Stone still has a hard time keeping his composure. Even though he made it out of Vietnam alive, the war, he says, is still killing him inside.
"I saw people die, and it makes you think differently about the country and flag," he said.
Stone spent three years in the Marine Corps. The Coastal Bend native signed up to serve at 19 years old. He says what he remembers the most about that time are the hardships.
“We came back and they were spittin’ on Marines,” he said.
While deployed, Stone remembers eating 10-year-old canned foods; taking showers twice a week; and enjoying just one hot meal a week. He spent seven months in Vietnam.
Stone is not the only Vietnam veteran who has trouble revisiting that time. To help them cope, the Corpus Christi Vet Center offers counseling services at no cost for veterans, service members, and their families. Information on those resources can be found here.
More Veterans In Focus stories are available here, along with resources for local veterans.
