Political Quotes

“today, as I have for a number of weeks, I rise to speak about 11 North Dakotans who did not come home from the Vietnam war. Each of these men gave his life for our country. Before I begin speaking about the 198 North Dakotans who died during Vietnam, I wish to thank my great friend, Bill Anderson of Rutland, ND. Bill is a marine, and he is a veteran of the Vietnam war. Bill grew up in Rutland, attended the University of North Dakota, and then started law school at the University of Colorado. It was the late 1960s, and young men with college degrees were being drafted. So Bill left law school, enlisted in the Marine Corps, and was trained to be an officer. In 1970, he arrived in Vietnam and became the commander of the 2nd Platoon of Delta Company, 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment. Bill's own written words about the impact the Vietnam war had on him strike me. He didn't choose to write about his blindness caused by the malaria vaccine that he took or his lymphoma caused by Agent Orange exposure. Instead, Bill focused on his experience in Vietnam and on the greatness of the 18- and 20-year-old Marines with whom he served. Bill writes: I am proud, every day, of the Marines I served with in Vietnam. They did not shrink from danger. They did not flinch at combat. They did their duty with steadfast courage of United States Marines, and for that Americans can, and should, be proud and grateful. I am grateful for Bill's service to our country.…”