In popular culture, the stereotype of the broken, homeless Vietnam vet began to take hold thanks to films like The Deer Hunter (1978), Coming Home (1978) and First Blood (1982). VIEW ALL PHOTOS (3) HONORED ON PANEL 17W, LINE 111 OF THE WALL. South Vietnamese veterans. He led his men on operations that lasted 30 days or more in some of Vietnam’s most inhospitable conditions, “without shaving, bathing or changing clothing. Part of the reason was economic. The group was founded by Vietnam veterans Jerry Kiley and Ted Sampley. Army & Navy Vietnam Veterans. Bill Ray/Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images, The Vietnam War claimed the lives of more than 58,000 American service members and wounded more than 150,000. Unfortunately many of my generation conflated hatred of the war with hatred of the men & women who served. 2 A Saigon daily paper at this time said: “In the North, the fall of the illegitimate regime is near. • In October 1967, Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter James Reston's front page article in the New York Times described his eyewitness account of protest behavior so vulgar that spitting was the least of the transgressions. The Vietnamese death toll of three million people is briefly mentioned; so too are the bitter legacies of Agent Orange and unexploded ordnance; regional impacts of the war to Laos … The “Veterans Stories” series features Metro Area Vietnam Veterans sharing their personal experiences from the Vietnam War. On November 11, 1982, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial (VVM) was completed, ten years after the end of the bitter and divisive Vietnam War that tore the United States apart. To be considered for VVA membership, veterans must have served in what is now the Republic of Vietnam. And as more and more wartime atrocities came to light, there was a national implication of guilt and shame placed on Vietnam veterans as participants in and avatars of a brutal, unsuccessful war. Shown here are the Vietnam Veterans of Diablo Valley and Springer (far right) in the 2018 Fourth of July parade in Danville, California. It was a direct result of the 1945 Yalta Conference, where Roosevelt, Stalin and Churchill agreed to abandon the Vietnamese (who had helped defeat the Japanese in World War II) and give all of Indo-China back to the French. Shame, shame, America. But denial of what we suffered dishonors us again. I bought a wig to hide my military haircut. Vietnam War veterans may be eligible for disability compensation for exposure to Agent Orange. It … By June, Wowwk had been wounded twice—the second time seriously—and was sent back to the United States for treatment at Boston’s Chelsea Naval Hospital. I want to say Welcome Home to each and every one of you. Veterans invite Fonda to go to Syria and take photos with ISIS. ADVANCED SEARCH. “You couldn’t believe that people were cheering you.”. Back in the States, Langenus quickly discovered the GI benefits available for Vietnam veterans “were almost nonexistent.” While living in New York, he developed symptoms of malaria—a tropical disease fairly uncommon in the concrete jungle—yet he was denied VA health care because he didn’t display those symptoms in Vietnam. Vietnam War veterans are eligible for benefits that are open to all U.S. military veterans, including but not limited to disability compensation for service-connected disabilities, such as post-traumatic stress disorder and amputations; pension; health care; loans; and insurance. All Rights Reserved. Kelly recounted how about 200 anti-war protesters showed up one year to harass the Medal of Honor recipients at their annual dinner. Share with: Link: Copy link. Due to television broadcasts, Vietnam veterans were called baby killers, psychos, drug addicts, and war mongers. Why Veterans Hate Posers So, So, So, SO Very Much by Scott Faith. It is no wonder then that, those who had the hardest time re-entering society, Vietnam veterans, among whom 30% have had PTSD, make up 47% of homeless veterans (Coalition for Homeless Veterans). United States military involvement in the Vietnam War officially began on August 5, 1964; however, the first U.S. casualty in Vietnam occurred on July 8, 1959. The anti-war movement of the 1960's was without a doubt, a thorn in the side of the national military machine. Donate Now. We can hate the outcome of war. Overall, the death rate of Vietnam veterans seems to be rather consistent if not better than other people their same age, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. FACT CHECK: We strive for accuracy and fairness. But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us! My car (with a military base sticker) was "egged." Bob Feist, of Medina, is an Army veteran and a retired Navy pilot. I've studied the history, and I've lived it. This a crucial first test of the president-elect's vow to restore Justice Department independence from White House influence. Author information: (1)melwazee@aol.com The soldiers who perpetrated atrocities during the Vietnam War are a group much less studied than the victims of violence during peacetime. According to my apush teacher though, the vast majority of Americans were uncomfortable with America's presence in Vietnam, and many people thought America shouldn't have gotten involved in the first place. Specifically, I interrogate the way the historically traumatic event of the Vietnam War has moved intergenerationally through social and individual memory. DISCUSSIONS. About the same time she began to support Vietnam Veterans Against the War, speaking at rallies and raising money. We fought to "contain" communist aggression and adopted the "domino theory," believing that if one country in a region fell, the rest would. In 1982 Vietnam veterans march down Constitution Avenue toward the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, which would be dedicated later that day. “You don’t have parades for soldiers coming home from a war they lost.”. And then people can't understand why we, Vietnam veterans, have so many issues, nightmares, curses, haunts and depression. A meeting place for all Army and Navy veterans who served in Vietnam on the waters of the Mekong Delta. None of that,” he says, “prepared me for the reception at home upon our return.”. A lot of Vietnam veterans are vocal about how they believe America abandoned the Vietnamese. But looking out the window and seeing civilians stop to watch the small convoy of hospital-bound vehicles, his excitement turned to confusion. And for the men who served in Vietnam and survived unspeakable horrors, coming home offered its own kind of trauma. I think it’s logical for people who have never been in the military to wonder why some veterans have such a deep, abiding, and visceral hatred of military posers—the people who pretend to be what we are. The experiences of Vietnam veterans remind us that civilians and soldiers have roles to play to aid each other Sat 13 Apr 2013 08.00 EDT First published on … It’s better than nothing. Feel-good moments of reconciliation between U.S. veterans and their Vietnamese counterparts are juxtaposed with Tim O’Brien reading solemnly from his book on the things American troops carried in Vietnam. That's how it was. Nguyen’s book draws on 54 oral history interviews with veterans of the Republic of Vietnam Armed Forces (RVNAF) and their relatives. As a cohort, Vietnam veterans were met with none of the fanfare and received none of the benefits bestowed upon World War II’s “greatest generation.”. Oct 16, 2020 - Explore Joesgroi's board "Vietnam vets" on Pinterest. Some veterans recall that when they had just landed, people were demonstrating against them. I remember that for twenty years after my return, every Hollywood movie made about Vietnam veterans depicted us as murderers, thieves, rapists, drug addicts, insane, or a combination of any and all of those descriptors. I grew up real fast.” Editor’s note: This is the 40th in a series of articles about Vietnam veterans as the United States commemorates the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam … Conners decked him. Some, like Wowwk, say they had invectives hurled their way; others, like naval officer Ford Cole, remember being spit on. “The collective emotion of the country was divided,” says Jerry Lembke, a Vietnam veteran, sociologist and author of The Spitting Image: Myth, Memory, and the Legacy of Vietnam. The U.S. involvement was originally meant to be minimal, but carried on to send more troops as the war … The Vietnam War lasted from 1964-1973—the longest war in American history until it was overtaken by the one in Afghanistan—and servicemen typically did one-year tours of duty. Peter Langenus, today the Commander of VFW Post 653 in New Canaan, Connecticut, commanded Delta Company, 3rd Battalion/7th Infantry, 199th Light Infantry Brigade from 1969-70. We were shamed and embarrassed. Spitting stories, while true, aren't the point. “Vietnam was a lost war, and it was the first major lost war abroad in American history,” Lembcke says. Way too many of you lost your lives and many, many more came home with scars and pain, (not all of which were visible) that are with you today. I HAVE LIVED IN SEVERE PAIN EVERY SINGLE DAY SINCE JUNE 25 1969, and you tell us we should never have been allowed to come back to YOUR COUNTRY. They didn’t have to go, they did. National Vietnam Veterans Longitudinal Study (NVVLS) Key Findings. Lembcke is an avowed socialist and has tried to use incomplete or dishonest research to lend credence to his government-as-pro-war conspiracy theories, to use the 9-million-plus Vietnam-era veterans as anti-war pawns. “One thing about PTSD, you can’t dismiss it,” the vet said. Wednesday was the anniversary of the signing of the Vietnam peace accord of 1973. For years and years, he was in denial. FORUMS. I am not aware of many Vietnam vets who were not subjected to some disrespect, either personal or from the culture that called us "baby killers." Gulf War-era veterans now account for the largest share of all U.S. veterans, surpassing Vietnam-era veterans in 2016, according to Veterans Affairs’ 2016 population model estimates. In free-form interviews, Nguyen gave these veterans a chance to relate their stories of the war and their postwar experiences, which in many cases included incarceration in re-education camps after the fall of Saigon in 1975, and later flight into exile. If you served in Vietnam you would tend to hate someone who called you a “war criminal.” Because McCain traded military intelligence to North Vietnam, to help the enemy kill American soldiers. HISTORY reviews and updates its content regularly to ensure it is complete and accurate. But I’m glad I went. utee Vietnam veterans talk together at a hospital in San Francisco The war in Vietnam was one of longest lasting and most debatable wars fought by the U.S. armed forces. Baby boomers who cried “Don’t Trust Anyone Over 30” during the Vietnam War should be scared to death of millennials. But what are you doing in addition to saying ‘thank you’?”. “And instead of getting return peace fingers, I got the middle finger.”. The New York Times estimated that, of the 8.4 million Vietnam veterans who were still alive in 2000, 1.1 million had died. And when Americans talk about the war in Iraq, the phrase, ‘Another Vietnam’ is uttered again and again. By 1969, more than half a million Americans were stationed in Vietnam. Twenty-one-year-old Steven A. Wowwk arrived as an infantryman in the Army’s First Cavalry Division in Cam Ranh Bay, Vietnam in early January 1969 to fight in an escalating and increasingly unwinnable war. It’s better than them walking away and not even recognizing you. THE WALL OF FACES. Twice a week we compile our most fascinating features and deliver them straight to you. I was infantry, in the field, fighting the most misunderstood and unpopular war in American history. Unlike conflicts with massive demobilizations, men came back from Vietnam by themselves rather than with their units or companies. The group made controversial allegations against John McCain concerning his time as a prisoner of war in Vietnam. Ftrooppilot. Our Vietnam experience ended more than 40 years past, and it deserves to be judged by history. These veterans had the hardest time out of any, they had earned the title of “”Baby Killers”” and were scorned for their actions. … As soon as the people's hatred of the Communist dictatorship is sufficiently mature for it to succeed in overthrowing it, then general elections which are really free will take place in the whole of Vietnam, and will peacefully bring about the reunification of the country. There is reason to believe, however, that Trump might not exactly keep his word. 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Because McCain betrayed hundreds of POWs left behind in Vietnam, letting them die. “For the family whose son is just coming back, you aren’t going to have a public welcoming home ceremony when someone’s son just down the road was just sent off to Vietnam.”, As the war ground on and became increasingly hopeless, the military personnel put through this kind of revolving door of service came to represent something many Americans would rather not accept: defeat. Policy and politics out of Washington had failed, not the military. Like many people, I viewed the war in Southeast Asia as an illegal war. The conflict began in 1957 and ended in 1975. A 77-year-old veteran who survived the war in Vietnam became a casualty of America’s political hate last week when he was attacked at a California post office while displaying his support for President Donald Trump and America’s police. Vietnam veterans hold a silent march down Pennsylvania Avenue past the White House here on April 22, 1971. Treatment of Returning VeteransWW2 veterans were respected by the public, Vietnam veterans and were looked down upon by the public, mostly because the media was where it shouldn't have been. 919. “They were not necessarily looking for a parade, but they were certainly looking for basic human support and help in readjusting to civilian life after this really brutal war.”. Earlier today, Donald Trump addressed the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) convention in Charlotte, North Carolina, telling the veterans’ group that he would install a veterans’ hotline in the White House and vowing to “pick up the phone personally” if a hotline employee doesn’t properly handle a complaint. I would NOT WANT ANY OF YOU TO LIVE MY LIFE. To conclude that this equates to an institutional hatred of Vietnam veterans is simply ridiculous. Protestors demonstrate for full benefits for all US veterans, including Vietnam War veterans in July, 1974. The New York Times estimated that, of the 8.4 million Vietnam veterans who were still alive in 2000, 1.1 million had died. See more ideas about vietnam vets, vietnam, vietnam war photos. This was partly due to the logistics of the never-ending conflict. Presumably to cover those who served in nearby countries and in support roles elsewhere, the VVA states that having served in any duty location starting Aug. 5, 1964, and ending May 7, 1975, grants eligibility. Carl P. Leubsdorf and Dallas Morning News, 'Dark days': COVID-19 deaths surge in northeast Minnesota, Emmer will attend Biden's inauguration, but won't call him president-elect, Son halts knife attack on mom, then dad stabs him to death in Austin home, Andersen Corp. employees to receive $33 million in profit sharing, High court rules challenge to Trump census plan is premature, Cargill idles Canadian beef plant due to COVID-19 outbreak, 65 COVID-19 deaths, 2,737 cases reported in Minnesota despite pandemic progress, Bundle up! We were not honored, but were treated as the face of an unpopular war. But Lembcke is refuted by many other sources, including Jim Lindgren, a Northwestern University law professor who cited news accounts that documented many spitting incidents. Schrier, who spent five years in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War, works with the Bayfield post to give financial and labor assistance to local veterans. Although exact numbers are difficult to ascertain, it is safe to say that several million people served in the South Vietnamese armed forces, the vast majority of them in the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN), between 1956 and 1975. President Obama delivered a Memorial Day speech in which he feigned sympathy for veterans as a means of rehabilitating the Vietnam War. Stereotyping of Vietnam Veterans have continued to the present time. American soldiers returning home from Vietnam often faced scorn as the war they had fought in became increasingly unpopular. “Deeds need to be done in addition to words,” says Wowwk, who is 100 percent disabled from his Vietnam wounds. “At a time when I was paying $300 a credit, my entire educational benefit was $126.” And when it came to finding a job, he was met with thinly veiled disgust and discrimination from law firms upon learning he was a Vietnam infantry veteran. Cruiser. I am 62 years old , I did not serve in the military, in fact I actively worked against the Vietnam War, and especially the draft. It was also projected that, from here, 138,000 Vietnam veterans are expected to die each year. About the same time she began to support Vietnam Veterans Against the War, speaking at rallies and raising money. Veterans returning from Vietnam were met with an institutional response marked by indifference. 1 a Vietnam Vet who fought in Vietnam while the other a Co. employee and an ex hippie who demonstrated against the war. Fonda is an interesting case because veterans on both sides of the Vietnam war issue had reasons for hating her guts. I do not wish to have my record of service dishonored again. These Twin Cities restaurant patios will be up and running this weekend. And he espouses that post-traumatic stress disorder was an invention of the government to garner support for the war. And David Sirota is wrong about the history and policies of that war and about the treatment of returning military men and women ("The myth of the spat-upon war veteran," June 8). References: Romantic tale about 2 lovers. Vietnam vets were raised in a society that honored veterans. Celebrations aside, the government also failed to make good on its promises to those who served. Republicans are doing some of the right things under political duress, while giving every indication that they'll systematically undermine the economy once Biden takes office. The hatred persists, even among non-Vietnam veterans and people who weren’t even born in 1972. In his purported study, Lembcke's sampling was not random, it was statistically insignificant, and he stated that stories of spitting first surfaced in the 1980s. Please practice hand-washing and social distancing, and check out our resources for adapting to these times. Despite U.S. economic support and military advisers, the French lost the ensuing Vietnamese independence struggle and withdrew from all of Indo-China. But the specter of Vietnam still lingers, and some of that war’s veterans view such acts with a wary glance. Why Veterans Hate Posers So, So, So, SO Very Much by Scott Faith. Ftrooppilot. A group of amputee Vietnam veterans talk together at a hospital in San Francisco, California, 1967. Since 9/11, patriotic gestures, like wearing flag pins and saying, “Thank you for your service,” have become common, as more troops are sent to Iraq and Afghanistan. Your donation to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund will help expand our mission to honor, educate and heal. Vietnam veterans weren't heroes when they came home. Although the history of the past 50 years is complex, it's fair to observe that the spread of communism has been contained. Together, we can make sure our heroes will get the reverence they deserve and the stories and sacrifices of our heroes will never be forgotten. But to treat veterans badly simply because we think a … You were called, you showed up, and you fought a tragic war under deplorable conditions. This is one of the reasons that I was fascinated by Vietnam. WWII Medalist James Conners was unable to avoid a particularly obnoxious man yelling, "Killer, killer, killer." Simplistic if then thinking meant… Shame, guilt, self-hatred and remorse in the psychotherapy of Vietnam combat veterans who committed atrocities. Let's all stop listening to those who refuse to consider the facts. We could not understand getting letters from school kids,” says Langenus, also a veteran of Desert Storm. STEVEN BOAL. Singer M(1). We can even feel strongly against the decision-makers behind a war. I am a combat-disabled Army veteran who served in Vietnam in 1968-69. 919. Contrary to protesters' claims, then and now, the Vietnam War did not begin without good reasons. I know. Network and local TV coverage of war violence at demonstrations and nightly reports of combat in Vietnam contributed to the cessation of hostilities there in the 1970's. There were really two wars in that era: The first was a military war fought in Vietnam where 57,000 Americans died and whose veterans the Fund is authorized by … But I have to say, I AM NOT PROUD TO KNOW YOUR KIND, YOUR IGNORANCE, YOUR HATE OR HOW YOU LIVE YOUR SICK LIVES. “I appreciate the respect of ‘thank you’ because that was something I never received when I came home. Despite Sirota's contentions, Vietnam vets were a bit crushed coming home. He graduated from Notre Dame prior to being commissioned, and after his service returned to law school to cash in his educational benefits. My 2-year-old grandnephew represents the future, and thinking about that in the pipeline's context jolts me awake. The aim was to help South Vietnam prevent the spread of communism coming from the North Vietnamese. “The Vietnam veterans, we couldn’t believe it. Search. Vietnam vets were raised in a society that honored veterans. Share. MESSAGES. Not only did she serve as a propaganda puppet for North Vietnam, she and her group often upstaged Vietnam Vets at protests against the war. A group tied to the Boogaloo Bois holds a rally as they carry firearms at the Michigan State Capitol in Lansing, Mich., on Oct. 17, 2020. Aug 14, 2016 - 1967. • Other spitting incidents were reported by Pulitzer Prize winners Max Frankel in the New York Times (November 1969) and Carl Bernstein in the Washington Post (May 1970). Groups like VFW won't accept us since we didn't serve in a combat zone where most who were in country were subjected to the hazards of war. Vietnam Veterans. As of last year, there were 6.8 million American veterans who served during the Vietnam era and 7.1 million who served in the Gulf War era, which spans from August 1990 through the present. Approximately 2.7 million American men and women served in Vietnam. 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