Veteran recounts Vietnam service and difficult homecoming during Menifee public comment

A Menifee resident and Vietnam veteran told city officials during public comment that he was drafted in late 1967, served two years in the Army and spent the full year of 1969 in Vietnam.

The speaker, who identified his service and family military history but did not give his name, said he was trained as a clerk and that military service runs in his family: "My grandfather served in World War I. My father served in World War II. Five of my uncles served in World War II and Korea." He said he felt it was his duty to serve and was one of two males in his immediate family who served in Vietnam.

The commenter described the Vietnam conflict as politically fraught and largely defensive, saying U.S. forces "didn't come out ahead" and noting the war's human cost: "We lost 58,000 men and women," he said. He added that returning veterans were not always welcomed, saying, "we weren't welcomed like even an American should have been welcomed," and that the reception left him feeling isolated for decades.

After moving to Menifee, the speaker said he and others started a veterans club in their Oasis community. He credited that group with helping him "open up" and regain pride in his service, and urged the community to welcome more recent veterans from the Gulf conflicts so they, too, "feel at home" when they return.

The remarks were delivered during the meeting's public comment period; no official action or vote followed the speaker's remarks.