"Objective journalism and an opinion column are about as similar as the Bible and Playboy Magazine." - Walter Cronkite
I remember my initial phone call to the Rockdale News. "Hi, my name is Pete Mecca. I'm a Vietnam veteran and would like to talk to someone about the opportunity to write stories on our local veterans."
The reply was prompt and to the point. "I like it. My name is Michelle Kim. How quick can you get here?"
Thus began my weekly column "A Veteran's Story" and the opportunity to interview over 300 of my brothers and sisters from all branches, all ranks, and all wars. Michelle offered the "opportunity of a lifetime," not just for me, but for hundreds of men and women to tell their stories of duty, honor, and country. "A Veteran's Story" has given veterans, and their spouses, the "opportunity" to complete their journey home.
Veterans mostly talk only to other veterans about their experiences in a foxhole, a cockpit, or in the belly of a submarine. Veterans understand that John Q. Citizen can't relate and that usually the general public just doesn't care, but for a veteran who may be home physically, mentally they are still stuck on a Pacific beach under murderous fire, shivering uncontrollably on a frozen tundra, or picking off leeches as they slosh through a filthy rice paddy. And they go to bed each night with images of buddies whose lives ended in sand, in snow, or in murky water. Why them; not me, is a common mantra.
Life does go on, but for a spouse trying desperately to understand their mate's anxiety, and yes, even unpredictable mood swings, the journey home can be a difficult road to travel for any couple. Some complete the journey; many don't. I have had the honor to interview but a few of the millions of men and women who served and did what had to be done while a sometimes complacent society takes the sacrifices of the United States military for granted.
The Rockdale News offered me a breeding ground to mold ideas into a narrative, mature as a writer, and try to do some good in this old world before a religious fanatic or a haranguing politician detonates a nuclear device. It is the veteran who understands the revulsion of war, and it is the veteran who suffers the consequences. I sincerely believe the good folks at the Rockdale News will never truly understand how much they contributed to an opportunity for me and other veterans to say to each other, "Welcome home."
The Rockdale News is closing the doors, shutting down an honest hard-working network of individuals who worked for their community non-stop to report the news, fairly and openly and professionally. They, too, are the victims of a derisible news medium built around entertainment rather than authentic journalism, a bottom line, and the shabbiness of internet and Facebook newsflash shenanigans.
"We don't go into journalism to be popular. It is our job to seek the truth and put constant pressure on our leaders until we get answers." - Helen Thomas
For the veterans interviewed and for the many stories you published, thank you Michelle, and thank you Rockdale News.
Hoooah!
Pete Mecca is a Vietnam veteran, columnist and freelance writer. You can reach him at aveteransstory@gmail.com or aveteransstory.us.
