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Ask Amy: A 50-year lie needs to be corrected

Amy Dickinson, Tribune Content Agency on

Dear Amy: For the past 50 years, I have lied that I was in the military and served in Vietnam.

I'm now 71. I want to come clean with my son/family.

I ran away from a bad home life at 13 and lived on the streets. It was horrible. I was beaten up and sexually attacked. I tried to commit suicide twice.

My self-esteem was so low for many years. It still is.

I met a woman (she was older than me) and we had a son.

I believe this is around the time when I started lying that I had been in the military.

 

I was drafted for the army during the Vietnam War, but didn't pass the physical.

I felt ashamed and embarrassed.

So, later on when guys got together and started telling war stories, I joined in with mine. Lies. I kept telling more lies to cover the first one.

I'm so afraid my son and grandson would be so disappointed in me for lying for so long.

...continued

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