Wilton Legion's Leader and his Noble Goals

When Don Hazzard's tour of duty ended, he boarded a C140 and headed back to the rest of the world.

This time the windowless plane stopped just once for fuel on its way to Davisville, Rhode Island, then home to the U.S. Navy Seabees. This time a band and red carpet replaced the weapons and smoking waste. And off to the side stood his parents and girlfriend, not soldiers with weapons. But suddenly, Hazzard realized he couldn't go home again – at least not right away.

"I had gained about 20 years of life. I was grown up. It was very strange. I couldn't have a conversation. The ride home was strange. I didn't know what to say. Nobody knew what I'd been through," said Hazzard, a Wilton resident who enlisted in the Seabees in 1968.

"I was very dark from the sun and very thin," he said. "I felt dropped in. You're put back in a society where some of your friends went to college; some didn't know I was gone. They treated me like I had been on vacation. They think you're going to go right back to where you were before you left. I basically wanted them to leave me alone and get my thoughts together."

Initially Hazzard wanted to return to Vietnam. In civilian life, people seemed preoccupied with minutiae. In Vietnam, people relied on what they had; a camaraderie and closeness bound fellow servicemen in a way that seemed impossible to replicate stateside.

But eventually Hazzard transitioned back to civilian life; just as have 85 percent of all Vietnam Veterans, according to a 1993 speech by Gen. Barry R. McCaffrey at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.

This counters an image that hasn't ceased circulating since the late 1970s – that Vietnam Veterans are so traumatized from their wartime experiences they either turn to crime or become eternally unemployed.

In fact, a 1994 U.S. Department of Labor study showed a three percent unemployment rate for Vietnam veterans – lower than that of Vietnam-era veterans who served outside the Vietnam theater (five percent), and for all male veterans (4.9 percent).

Post-war, Hazzard worked in construction until the 1980s. Then for 22 years he worked for Weston Refuse. Hazzard now directs the Wilton Riding Club. He also volunteers a significant amount of personal time helping veterans.

Hazzard joined the American Legion 25 years ago and worked his way up to the commandership. 'Kick for Nick' developed out of the post. And he is also involved in Homes for the Brave, and Female Soldiers, Forgotten Heroes. Hazzard also is member of the Patriot Guard Riders. The nationwide group provides escorts during military funerals and organizes send-off and welcome ceremonies.

"I stayed away from anything military for a long time. Now I'm helping people, giving them what we didn't get. It's a wonderful feeling," Hazzard said. "Being involved in these projects means I get to meet all kinds of people."

This time Hazzard follows news of both Afghanistan and Iraq quite closely. He worries what will happen to those nations when the United States leaves. He worries about American service members who have done three or four tours.

Because of that Hazzard wants to help smooth the transition for younger veterans. He's compiling a list of area men and women who have joined the military.

"The American Legion is here for them," Hazzard said. "We have gone through it. We have all the branches and they can come any time to talk."

Read the first article in the series: Wilton Veteran Recounts Vietnam.