If you were to drop by the New Mexico Veterans Memorial Center in Albuquerque, you’re bound to hear a war story and reflections on what it was like to come back home.
Sitting on a couch at the center, volunteer Jim Jordan described his time in Vietnam, reminiscing about his combat experiences.
“When somebody’s shooting at you — and they used AK-47s and larger machine guns —when bullets are going around you, they crack because they’re breaking the sound barrier,” he recalled. “So, right above your head is just crack, crack, crack, crack, crack as the bullets go by.”
Jordan fought in the war for a year from 1969 to 1970 after being drafted at the age of 21 — something he claims didn’t scare him.
“Well, there was a little bit of feeling of, ‘Wow, what have I gotten myself into?’ because of the casualty rates that were taking place in Vietnam,” he said. “But I wasn’t really fearful. You know, I was pro-United States of America and thought that that was my obligation as a citizen of the United States of America.”
After finishing his time serving, Jordan worked and travelled all across the country. Now, he spends his days volunteering at the center. He said he enjoys the job, and that it helps bridge the gap between Vietnam veterans like himself and the rest of the world.
“I enjoy talking to veterans. I enjoyed hearing their stories. And I think it contributes to the United States of America,” he said. “Also, people don’t understand things — so, talking to people that aren’t veterans is interesting, to give them information about what it’s like to be infantry.”
Jordan said places like the Veterans Memorial Center allow us to truly thank veterans for their service — something he felt didn’t happen originally.
“We need to thank Vietnam veterans because they weren’t really thanked when they came home,” he said. “And many of them just hid the fact that they were a veteran.”
Regardless of how the public perception around serving in Vietnam shifts, Jordan said he continues to look back at his time there positively.
“I’m pleased with what I did — and feel good about it to this day,” he said.
Jordan said he plans to continue his volunteer work at the center as long as he’s able.
