Vietnam Era Veteran?

G

gennie

Senior Member
Location
USA
Forgive my dumbness here but what is the significance of being a Vietnam Era Veteran? I see it on hats, t-shirts, as autographs on facebook pages, etc. To me it simply means someone who lived during the time of the Vietnam War.

Is simply living at a particular time a point of pride for some or is there a deeper meaning that I'm not getting?
 

gennie said:
Forgive my dumbness here but what is the significance of being a Vietnam Era Veteran? I see it on hats, t-shirts, as autographs on facebook pages, etc. To me it simply means someone who lived during the time of the Vietnam War.

Is simply living at a particular time a point of pride for some or is there a deeper meaning that I'm not getting?
Click to expand...
It means that a person was on active duty during the Vietnam War but was never "in Country." Many of us were in "supporting" roles but were never in danger of getting shot at. I don't think that the term has any great significance. To me, the term Vietnam Veteran means that an individual was actually in country.
 
Thanks for clearing that up, Pecos. Is such a distinction made for other wars or just that one?
 

Veterans sometimes gather to reminsce and tell of their experiences while in the military. It gives them something in common. I was a veteran of a time when there was no war going on, but I still like to chat.
 
I am a Vietnam Era Veteran, U.S. Army 1970 - 1978 but spent my time between the States and W. Germany. I was never sent to Vietnam but I served during the period when I could have been. When speaking of my military service, I usually leave Vietnam and Era out of it and simply claim to be a U.S. Military Veteran, which I am. I believe the honor of Vietnam Veteran should go to those that actually spent time there. Don...
 
Being a Vietnam ERA veteran has no other connotation than to indicate a time period of military service. A Vietnam veteran is a serviceman (or woman) who actively took part in the conflict. I was on a helicopter carrier, generally a mile or so off shore, all up and down the Vietnamese coast for the better part of three years. No, I wasn't tromping through rice paddies but I do consider myself a Vietnam veteran...with all the ghi-dunkh medals to prove it.
 
Many Nam veterans were treated pretty horribly by their fellow citizens upon returning home.

For some, that experience left a bitterness that is still with them. Wearing hats and other clothing that emphasizes the vet's service can serve as an "in-your-face" challenge to those who made the opposition to the war a personal attack on those in the military at that time. Nam Duds also serve as a badge of membership and brotherhood and sisterhood.

Thank you for asking your question. You are certainly not dumb. If you didn't live through that time, it can be hard to understand the level of emotion felt by those on both sides. I served on a ship and although I was in Vietnam waters, I was never in combat yet I still carry a few minor emotional scars from my experiences. Remember, there was a draft back then and a majority of us weren't there by choice.
 

You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top