Last week as most of America prepared to celebrate Memorial Day and justly honor our veterans, two stories caught my eye that reflect how differently people can view military service.

The first story was the passing of former U.S. Treasury Secretary and Texas Senator Lloyd Bentsen. While Bentsen is probably best remembered by most people for his 1988 vice-presidential debate with Dan Qualye, there has been little mention of his life outside of politics. That life included a three-year stint in the U.S. Army Air Corps, from 1942-1945 - the height of World War II. According to his biography in Wikpedia, he spent 18 months in combat, during which he flew over 200 bombing missions over Europe. At the age of 23, Bentsen was promoted to the rank of major and participated in bombing raids in support of the Anzio campaign in Italy and in southern France in preparation of D-Day. For his efforts, Bentsen was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross - still the U.S. Air Force's highest commendation for valor in combat - as well as the Air Medal with three Oak Leaf Clusters. Each cluster represented a specific campaign for which he was decorated. Bentsen was promoted to the rank of colonel in the Air Force Reserve before leaving military service.

I don't know where you stand on the politics or political party of Lloyd Bentsen. Regardless of what your opinion of him as a politician/policy maker was, there can be no doubt that he, like so many others of his generation, was an American hero. Tom Brokaw called those who won World War II "the Greatest Generation." There's never been a more apt description of any group. That's not to minimize the efforts of today's military or the troops that have served since World War II. All have made tremendous and valuable contributions of service to our country - veterans of Korea, Vietnam, the Persian Gulf War, or peacetime veterans (like J.T. Hurst, who served during the occupation of Germany). Even though Memorial Day has come and gone, we should appreciate our veterans and our military daily.

While we should we appreciate our veterans, we should always remember those that turned their back on duty. Last week, I had an opportunity to read a sickening story from the Canada Press. A reunion is scheduled for July 6-9 at the Brilliant Cultural Centre (Canadian spelling) in Castlegar, British Columbia. The reunion will be for those "draft resisters" of the Vietnam War that sought refuge in Canada. That's right - the draft dodgers are having a homecoming celebration in Canada. It has been dubbed the "Our Way Home Peace Event and Reunion." Former senator and 1972 Democratic presidential nominee George McGovern (himself a veteran) is scheduled to be a keynote speaker as is former anti-war activist Tom Hayden. Memo to McGovern: there are several reasons why you lost so badly to Nixon in '72 and yet you continue to embrace one of the main reasons. No word if Jane Fonda will grace the gathering and burn an American flag.

Until I read the story, I was unaware of the large number of young men that fled to Canada during the Vietnam era. According to the article, 100,000 men went to Canada during those years, with about half that number coming back to the U.S. after President Jimmy Carter offered them amnesty. It's ironic that those that refused to be drafted into the military basically invaded Canada.

"Due to the militarism of the U.S., we likely will want to remember in Canada the role that Canadians played by the thousands in assisting those that came to Canada," said Isaac Romano, who fled to Canada from Seattle during the Vietnam years. As far as I'm concerned they can stay in the land of the Maple Leaf.

I was only nine years old when the last U.S. helicopter left the embassy in Saigon. I had several family members who served in Vietnam - none of them were drafted. They served their country voluntarily. They didn't protest or burn flags and draft cards. For many years, those who did run to Canada and those that joined them in dodging the draft denigrated Vietnam veterans. After many years, the contributions of those veterans are finally being appreciated by this generation of Americans. It's galling that these cowards feel the need to honor each other for their dishonorable actions. It's not only an insult to every veteran, it's an insult to those that stayed home to legitimately protest the war. I don't agree with what the Vietnam protestors stood for and I certainly don't agree with the current crop of anti-war activists. I will however give them credit for having the courage to not run away to a foreign country to launch their protests.

America needs a few more people like Lloyd Bentsen and a few less like Isaac Romano, Tom Hayden, and George McGovern.

Richard Evans is Editor of the Claiborne Progress