Video: US War Hero Throws His Military Medals into River in Heartbreaking Protest

November 23, 2016   |   Carey Wedler

Republished By: ~X~ of TFD

(ANTIMEDIA) Amid America’s post-2016 election haze, one Vietnam veteran just protested his country’s increasing societal discord in the only way he felt he could: He threw his military medals into the Detroit River.
“You’re going to have veterans angry at me,” he told local outlet WDIV-Detroit. “This is not an easy decision for me at all. It’s very hard and pain-wrenching, but I know America turned its back on America, and that’s not who we are.”

You can find the link Here to the video

The veteran asked to be named only as “Louis” out of fear of anger and retaliation from other veterans.

In the United States, it is widely believed that soldiers fight for their country and for freedom — and that these two values are effectively one and the same. Based on Louis’ act of protest, however, it’s clear he believes both have been compromised.

When he was just eighteen years old, Louis won two bronze medals for “acts of valor in combat and heroic achievement.”

Nevertheless, he admits how difficult the experience was.

“I was scared every single day. Every single day of my life in Vietnam, I was scared,” he said.

“The worst thing to me was having to take and put dog tags in my colleagues’ and my friends’ mouths and then pushing their head down,” he remembered.

Many veterans view experiences like these as cause to be more fervent in their love of country and more proud of their service. But Louis’ protest strikes at the heart of this sentiment.

“America, they didn’t turn their back on the African-Americans, the Mexicans, the Muslims or the Puerto Ricans, they turned their back on America,” he said. “That’s wrong. You don’t turn your back on America.”

The most recent election cycle saw heightened tension throughout the United States as supporters of Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump, Bernie Sanders, Jill Stein, Gary Johnson, and even non-voters clashed heatedly over their frustrations with their leaders and potential replacements.

More specifically, Donald Trump’s incendiary rhetoric triggered both latent American bigotry and equally vitriolic responses from anti-Trump Americans, many of whom supported Hillary Clinton. The issues cracked open by the election reflect how deep America’s divides currently run.

For example, a 2015 analysis from political scientists at Emory University found the most powerful factor in determining a person’s vote was how fervently they disliked the opposing candidate.

This widespread animosity likely led Louis to stage his protest, effectively distancing himself from  his past efforts due to his view that the United States is no longer the country he fought for.

“This one is for my brother-in-law, George Henry Potts, who lost his life in Vietnam in 1969, when I was there,” Louis said. “George, I love you, and this is for you and all the other veterans who lost their lives in Vietnam.”

It appears Louis takes his decades-old oath seriously and actually fought to preserve American values — not blind hatred and division (though the United States government had less noble aims in Vietnam, there is no question many soldiers were well-intentioned).

“And for all my veterans,” he said, “I love you guys, man. This is for you. This is not a disrespect to you. This is for you and God bless the United States of America.“Though veterans can apply for replacement medals if they are lost or stolen, WDIVnoted that Louis “won’t even consider applying for replacements until he feels better about the state of the country.”

As the outlet reported, “reflecting and wiping away tears, Louis promised to work harder going forward to motivate, mobilize and unify Americans.”

“In the pit of my stomach right now, I feel sick,” he said after he disposed of his medals. “I feel sad. I feel real sad. This is for you, America. Don’t hate, love, America. Please, don’t hate.”