In the 25th anniversary of 'Operation Smile', war veteran Mike Solhaug is keen on going back to Vietnam to aid in catering to the needs of the children in the country. The upcoming medical mission, which is set to commence next week, had been providing health assistance to the children of Vietnam since 1989.
Solhaug joined the medical mission in 1989. He once again took part of the operations in 2009. At present, he is eagerly anticipating his next visit in Vietnam that aims to provide medical assistance to the children in the country.
"I never really went the first time to get closure. I didn't even think about it. The second time it wasn't important. Now it's a different story," Solhaug stated.
Solhaug had been the captain of a Swift Boat in Vietnam from the year 1968 to 1969 during a war he himself described as "dirty".
"War is dirty. War is bad. I never saw myself as a killer. General [John William] Vessey told us never apologize for what you did," shared Solhaug.
However, Solhaug returned to Vietnam in 1989 armed with the same level of determination but aimed to achieve a different result. Twenty years following the bloody war he fought in the country, he decided to go back "as a healer, not a warrior" by taking part in a program called 'Operation Smile'.
Since 1979, Solhaug, 69, had been a pediatric nephrologist at the Children's Hospital of the King's Daughter located in Norfolk. Six years prior to the institution of diplomatic operations, he had been one of the seven war veterans who volunteered their services for the humanitarian missions launched to help in the homecoming of POW/MIA remains. Subsequently, the program had been dubbed as 'A Cure To War'.
In this impending trip to Vietnam, Solhaug shares his excitement in the idea of participating in a mission focusing on the needs of the country's children. He describes his eagerness as "a real sense of joy".
"That out of this in 1969 I can be doing this in 1989 or 2009 or 2014, that's a sense of joy," Solhaug added.
