+1, QFT.I was there, and think you summed it up well. Always check your boots before you put them on, an carry extra dry socks, something you learned pretty quickly. There is a reason young people fight wars, by the time you figure it out, and for most it didn't take long, it was too late. If it was 40 and over for military service, I think there would be a lot less of them. Mike
QUOTE: The public didn't despise the soldiers themselves, we despised an unclear, unwinnable war motivated by corrupt politicians and corporate interests that put those mostly unwilling young draftees in uniform.
Those who mistreated soldiers were engaging in "kill the messenger" behavior which was unfair and unconscionable. Those young people in uniform were victims of a system that didn't give a damn about their lives, their physical and emotional health or their futures
Good post, and at some level I believe you are right, all wars create a lot of PTSD or whatever you call it. But all wars are also different and so is the way we have (or have not) dealt with PTSD.My personal opinion is that we are much more psychologically fragile than we think. Maybe Viet Nam Vets get tagged with the label you mention is because that's when we learned about PTSD, as a genuine illness. "Shellshocked" was the WWII version. After the Civil War, the "old soldier's disease" was rampant.
Civil War Vets and Mental Illness: The Tragedy After the War. – Our Great American Heritage
You just described the plight of the Black soldier in WWII and before. I never understood why the Vietnam vets were treated so badly and I hate that they were seen as outcasts instead of heroes. To me it's a sad state of affairs and a blemish on our so called society. I have never been in favor of drafting boys so young, exposing them to the horrors of war then expecting them to be normal if they even survive it. Damned shame! @PecosVietnam veterans have a reputation for being emotionally unstable; many are addicts, and lots are homeless. Of course this reputation does not apply to all, but it is widespread.
We have fought other wars in the jungle. And we fought in Asia twice before Vietnam. And as in every war, bombs and bullets kill young men, rain and dirt make mud, and “Dear John” letters are common.
But Vietnam was different because it is the only war in the history of our country where the general population despised our soldiers in uniform.
Imagine being a young high school graduate when your country drafts you, teaches you to use a gun, then sends you to the other side of the world where you see horrors that will stay with you a lifetime. And then you survive and come home, and everyone despises you for serving your country.
Wouldn’t you have emotional problems, too?
everyone despises you for serving your country
The soldiers risked and often lost lives for us, we need to remember that.
From what my brother said, another important difference was often not knowing who "the enemy" was- anybody from a tiny child to an elderly-old person could be carrying explosives, etc.Vietnam veterans have a reputation for being emotionally unstable; many are addicts, and lots are homeless. Of course this reputation does not apply to all, but it is widespread.
We have fought other wars in the jungle. And we fought in Asia twice before Vietnam. And as in every war, bombs and bullets kill young men, rain and dirt make mud, and “Dear John” letters are common.
But Vietnam was different because it is the only war in the history of our country where the general population despised our soldiers in uniform.
Imagine being a young high school graduate when your country drafts you, teaches you to use a gun, then sends you to the other side of the world where you see horrors that will stay with you a lifetime. And then you survive and come home, and everyone despises you for serving your country.
Wouldn’t you have emotional problems, too?
That is a great story, and I am sure some things like this did happen. They deserve attention.When my brother returned stateside, he decided to attend a basketball game at his old high school. The principal noticed him, and when the place was packed he called everybody to attention. He said one of their graduates had just returned home from serving in Vietnam.. and everybody stood up and applauded.
We the American public supported these wars, in the beginning anyway. We may have been mislead or duped into it, but we did support things. And the soldiers went for us, few if any knew of the corruption behind things at the time. We need to honor what they did for us.They died so that rich people could profit from the war just like they did in Afghanistan and Iraq.
We the American public supported these wars, in the beginning anyway. We may have been mislead or duped into it, but we did support things. And the soldiers went for us, few if any knew of the corruption behind things at the time. We need to honor what they did for us.
I honored them by working in the anti-draft movement. I did the best I could to support the young men my age by doing so.That is a great story, and I am sure some things like this did happen. They deserve attention.
We the American public supported these wars, in the beginning anyway. We may have been mislead or duped into it, but we did support things. And the soldiers went for us, few if any knew of the corruption behind things at the time. We need to honor what they did for us.
I honored them by working in the anti-draft movement. I did the best I could to support the young men my age by doing so.
Warning: "F" bomb is used
Country Joe & the Fish -- Vietnam song - YouTube