In the years since it happened, the Vietnam War has come to be a great source of shame for Americans. We don’t seem to like talking about it much— but that’s not surprising considering the full extent of our horrific actions against the Vietnamese people.
The purpose of the Vietnam war is questioned by many, and unfortunately, the choices of the government were often taken out on innocent soldiers, who, unlike the soldiers who came before them, did not receive any praise or thanks upon their return.
Mike Koma is one of these soldiers, a Vietnam veteran having served in the Army’s 5th Infantry.
In an interview with CBS, Mike describes his experience upon returning home from having served overseas:
“We didn’t have a parade or anything. When I came home from Vietnam, I flew into the state of Washington, and people were spitting at us and calling us ‘baby killers’. “
But last Monday, on August 28th, 2017, Mike Koma finally got a thank you for his service— 47 years late and in the most unexpected of places!
Mike tells CBS that he had gone to WalMart that day, explaining, “I went inside to get my canning supplies because I do my hot peppers.”
When he returned to his black pickup truck parked in the WalMart parking lot, he was surprised to find something placed beneath his windshield wiper. Mike had a custom license plate on his car that read “Veteran / United States Army.”
It was a card, the front featuring a glossy, waving American flag.
When he opened it up, there was a handwritten note.
It reads, in part, “Dear Vietnam veteran, thank you so much for your service in the United States Army in Vietnam. You, sir, are a hero in my eyes.”‘
Upon seeing the note, Mike says, “That just made me tear up.”
The note, which was signed by a woman named Cindy Twigg, had a profound effect on Mike, and as a result, Mike’s wife Mary tells CBS:
“I put it on Facebook, hoping someone would know her. The note made him feel good, and that’s what I want to see him do, to heal from that war.”
As of yet, Mike and Mary have not been able to locate Cindy Twigg, the kind stranger who made such a large impact with just a few words. Mike says if he gets the chance to meet her, he plans on asking her how many of those cards she has handed out.
“I just couldn’t believe it,” he says.
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