Letters from students in the Millbrook High Lessons of Vietnam to Retired Vice Admiral and Mrs. Emmett Tidd
Dear VA and Mrs. Tidd,
Thank you for making time and traveling so far to come talk to our Lessons of Vietnam class. I could tell by how she talked about you, that you mean to much to Mrs. Poling and now I understand why. You made such an impression on the class and on me personally. A Vice-Admiral that is willing to come talk to a high school class of 17 and 18 year-olds deserves much respect. We are a tough crowd, but you had a lot of practice and did so well.
I respect your two 'best decisions' of marrying Mrs. Tidd and making a career out of the Navy. After 55 years of marriage you have sure learned to put marrying your wife first. Mrs. Tidd you seemed so proud of the job your husband did and he must have been proud of the job you did back at home raising your two boys. You definitely seem to make a great team. Mrs. Tidd you put it best when you told us, "You do what you have to, you know." Vice Admiral Tidd you did more than just "what you have to." Winning the Medal of Distinguished Service under Admiral Zumwalt is an honor we were all in awe to hear about. We were also amazed at your list of famous people you have met. You should know you are now at the beginning of my list.
Thank you for the pins. We did not expect any more of a gift than simply your visit. I respect your outlook that "all veterans have a responsibility to try to relate to you the truth as we see it." That is the only way we learn from your experiences. Thank you so much for sharing your experiences with us.
Dear Mr. and Mrs. Tidd,
Thank you for coming into our classroom on Tuesday to speak to us. Never in my life have I ever imagined meeting a Vice Admiral and his wife. It was a real honor to meet the both of you. It is great that important people like you take the time to speak to our class about the Vietnam War. I can't thank you enough for the dedication you have to students and our class.
I have a great deal of respect for the both of you. Mr. Tidd, I'm glad there are good, intelligent men like you that protect and defend the country I truly love. I admire your courage and unselfishness. Mrs. Tidd, I think you're an awesome person. I hope my wife gives me the support and love you give Mr. Tidd. I think you guys are a great couple. Just by your visit I can tell you love one another dearly.
Thanks again for coming into our classroom. I hope you continue to come to Millbrook in the future. It's a lot better to hear first accounts of the Vietnam War, rather than reading about it in the next book. I will never forget your visit. I will cherish it forever. Thanks again.
Dear Mr. and Mrs. Tidd,
Thank you for your continued support for our Lessons of Vietnam class and for speaking with us. You both are amazing people, you can just tell by the vibes you give off. No wonder God put the two of you together, you're soulmates. Never once did I think I would be able to meet a Vice Admiral. I consider myself very lucky to have had this opportunity. I admire the support and effort you both put in to our class.
I believe that my generation can learn from men like Admiral Zumwalt and you, two brave and dedicated men, who served their nation proudly. The men who served under you were lucky to have such a determined leader.
Many did not agree with our involvement in Vietnam and the things that went on, but like you said, "God has forgiven us for the dumb things we did in our lives." No matter what people say, "You did what you had to do" and did it well.
A lot of men died fighting for their nation and some didn't even believe in the war, but all shall be remembered and honored for their courage. I think that we should honor those men who both fought and died in Vietnam, no matter if the war was in fact wrong, or right. "The medal and awards only go so far," but the courage they had will never die. I have the utmost respect for you and all the veterans.
Once again thank you both for your support and for visiting our class. You both are really inspirational and I have a lot of respect for what you do. I wish you all the luck in the world.
Dear VA and Mrs. Tidd,
I want to express my gratitude to you both for coming to speak to our Lessons of Vietnam class. I recall you mentioning a Bible verse stating "What counts are monuments in people's hearts." It is obvious that you have made many monuments in many people's hearts.
Your respect for and gratitude towards each other is obvious. I think these qualities and your strong faith have helped you to stay married these past 55 years. I value your advice that we should "value our opportunities and make the most of them." You also said that "veterans have a responsibility to relate truth to students." I feel that you have both exceeded your responsibility.
VA Tidd, your stories have been the most interesting I have heard. "Little Pistol" sounds like a cute kid; he must have enjoyed following you. Dancing with Grace Kelly must be one of your most memorable moments. Thank you for teaching us so many different facts about the Navy during the Vietnam era and now. Your time and commitment is greatly appreciated.
Dear Mr. and Mrs. Tidd,
I would like to start off by thanking you for coming into our Lessons of Vietnam class and talking to us about a subject that is personal and at the same time very important. .I can understand that it isn't easy to talk about a past that was like the one you have had. Through the time you and your wonderful wife were with us, I gained a tremendous amount of respect for you and your wife. I really admire what you said and how you were saying it. You obviously are in touch with God and speak from the heart. I thought it was great that you and your wife had been together since the sixth grade. That isn't something you get to see everyday. I thought it was funny when your wife said, "It's called paying the rent." Mrs. Tidd every time you talked you reminded me of my grandmother. You and Mr. Tidd are just like my grandparents. You are a cute and a nice lady. I liked the way you corrected Mr. Tidd and you guys interrupted each other. My grandparents do the exact same thing. I thought it was cute and funny. I also enjoyed the way you used the verse in Corinthians that states, "You can make monuments out of stone but what counts is what monuments you build in people hearts" said by Paul, in together with the war and the people.
When you said, "If you are going to go on the cheap, you are going to pay for it in casualties," I can completely agree with that. The government should not send people into a war that don't know what they are doing. Guys that haven't eve fired their firearm before shouldn't be sent in. The military has to be ready at all times. I think that the idea of the new ship of century being named after Admiral Zumwalt is a great idea. He deserves the honor for all of his efforts and contributions to the military and to the rest of the world. Well, I just want to thank you again and tell you that I loved hearing your and I admire everything you said.