Many military veterans who’ve experienced combat would rather leave those memories on the battlefield. But locally, there’s one man willing to share.
At the request of his daughter, Karin Carlin, who teaches at East Leyden High School, Vietnam War veteran James Malinowski planned to talk to students in her class on Veterans Day, Nov. 11. Malinowski, 68, was at first a bit hesitant about meeting with his daughter’s students, but changed his mind.
“I kind of felt the same way, but I thought I could put something together,” he said. “A lot of [veterans] do not like to talk about anything regarding the war.”
Malinowski planned to speak to students in two classes that her daughter teaches.
He spent a good amount of time working on what to say, but knew he would get plenty of questions from students.
Malinowski spent two years in the Army, with one tour of duty in Vietnam from July 1968 to July 1969. He was in the infantry and belonged to 101st Airborne Division.
“It was kind of a good division to be in because of their reputation,” he said.
Malinowski said he would try and share the good and the bad that came with his experiences. He said when he returned home after his tour, he was so happy to be back and just wanted to get on with his life.
But over the past several years, he’s reconnected with people he’s served with. He’s also involved in other military-connected organizations.
“I’m a member of the American Legion and a big volunteer with USO,” he said.
As a volunteer with the USO, he works at the organization’s center at the O’Hare International Airport. The airport location offers a place to relax for active military personnel and their dependents, as well as information, refreshments, and technology to check their email and phone home.
Malinowski enjoys doing this. He feels that people’s views on the military have changed since he was drafted.
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“I think that as time went on, a lot of people have understood it, and it’s turned a corner. Now the military is well-respected and now Vietnam veterans are getting their due that they didn’t get,” he said. “On Veterans Day, people appreciate what the active military has done and is doing.”
He hopes to express that overall sentiment to his daughter’s students.
“I’m going to tell them about my experience,” he said. “Tell them about the food and how and I got through my year. You did what you had to do keep yourself out of trouble so you could get back home.”
Twitter: @DavidDPollard