Here's a direct quote out of Good Housekeeping, which conducted an interview
with her.
"Well, I have a lot of regrets. I feel very badly on a lot of levels. I feel sad
that so many men who went there and lost parts of themselves physically and
emotionally had to go through that. I understand why I'm a lightning rod for a
lot of their bitterness. I'm also sad that there was a misunderstanding about
who I was rooting for. I was not rooting for the other side, but it was my fault
that I was misunderstood. I made a terrible, terrible mistake, and it's
something that I'll go to my grave regretting. And I'm sad for those who can't
forgive, because forgiving is part of healing. But I get lots of letters that
are so beautiful, from vets asking my forgiveness because they hated me so much.
And I always write back and thank them and tell them how brave they are,
because it's very difficult to do that- to make yourself so vulnerable that you
can forgive. But that's when the healing starts."
Thirty years later, after consultation with a few former Vigilante pilots, a few
Phantom drivers, and a couple of BUFF crewmen who were held as POWs by North
Vietnam, I have been given clearance to stand down.
I don't HAVE to like her, but I don't have to hate her either...
Bill
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