Letter: This land is your land
Published 1:30 am Saturday, July 4, 2026
Editor,
On June 16 at the Freeland Library I had the opportunity to listen to Vietnam veterans describe how they joined the military, their combat experiences, what happened when they returned home and how they are feeling about all of it. This was the third such talk that followed previous events in Oak Harbor and Coupeville.
Professional photographer Michael Holtby wanted to take pictures of some Vietnam veterans to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the fall of Saigon. The veterans he met with showed him old photographs they had and gave him stories. They told Michael things they hadn’t told anyone, and he felt honored that they would speak frankly with him. Some of the veterans had not spoken to anyone about their wartime service.
The atmosphere in the room as the event began was relaxed, open and welcoming. But the accounts given by the speakers were poignant, filled with deep feelings that arise from looking back. The compassion they expressed for themselves and scores of others who experienced the Vietnam war was obvious.
This year many Americans are examining the stories about our nation from many points of view. To better understand how people across this country show and tell history, historian Beverly Gage took off on a road trip to see how communities, museums and historic sites tell their stories about America. She said her book, “This Land is Your Land,” serves as a U.S. history survey on the road and tells us that our history “is a shared history, in which people of different religions, races, backgrounds and aspirations have shaped what was possible for their neighbors and fellow citizens.”
The war in Vietnam had a profound effect on our country. Like these veterans who have gone public, we can seek out our history and deepen our understanding. Without knowing our history and all its effects, we can lose touch with our goodness and our shared humanity.
The American story across time is about people and their behavior. People in positions of power, people who are powerless, people who care, people who hate and people who want to make a difference. Greed and injustice live next to generosity and kindness in our past.
The American reputation in the world now is one of withdrawal, unreliability and inconsistency. Let us choose to be the types of people we admire and respect, the people who get the job done, the people who speak up, the people who give a damn about their fellow Americans when they need help or encouragement.
We Americans have shared values that we use for good in our communities and the world. Our history reflects our love of freedom, our generosity, our willingness to treat others with respect and fairness. We can strengthen the foundations of our country through our individual voices and our collective actions. Who we are as a country is who we are as a people.
Mike Diamanti
Coupeville
