High School Social Studies Class - Back Again

I was asked back again to the High School Social Studies Class who started studying Vietnam. I was asked to speak to three classes, each one hour and forty-five minutes. The teacher and I spoke and decided I'd follow the same format that we did late last year. I would speak of things in my life prior to being drafted and the being drafted, my time in the service - especially Vietnam and finish off with what happened to me after the service. I gave them some books, my helmet, dog tags, web belt, etc. along with some letters that I wrote home. They would have these for a week or two to look over before I came to school. My rules were that I do not consider myself a Mr. and to call me Mic and that any question is good. Based on the question I may answer it, not answer it or answer it privately. It's odd just how much I had to say and talk about and that each class was so different. I didn't have to really write anything down as it is always in my thoughts. Luckily, the teacher was there and would jump in with a question on something I had talked about in a different class she thought was important or just switch it up. The classes were very respectful and, except for one, the questions were few. One that I talked about that was of great interest was drugs in Vietnam, did I use drugs, etc. Those were not asked but some of my letters I gave to them addressed drug abuse since I worked at a hospital and we had that coming into the ER. The second was whether or not I used drugs which was a no. On that, I told them of growing up in a family with an alcoholic father and what I saw as far a GI's on drugs and the impacts to them and that because of that I had no desire to use drugs. However I did tell them that there were several times I did drink and it somewhat disatrous. My biggest concern was that I was telling them stories of my time in Vietnam is that I would not do it honorably. I tried to cover all the bases, the strange, the funny, the painful, death and the terrible sadness. A week or two after the classes I again received a large envelope with notes from some of the students. I was so touched by them and answered a number of them who had questions or said something that touched me and I want to respond to them. What I'm thinking is that over the next week or so I'm going to put the words of a few of them on this blog. I was touched and pleased with what they had to say and want to share them should anyone read this blog.