Do you personally know anyone who served in Viet Nam? Did they come home OK?

Question

Do you think teenagers today have any appreciation for what it's like growing up and knowing you might be drafted when you're 18?

Answer 1

I was an Air Force Brat. I went to High School in Naples Italy. There were 76 in my graduating class. Of those 40 were boys. Of those 40, 25 of them have their name on the Viet Nam Memorial Wall. I was drafted into the Army and joined the Air Force as a 2nd lieutenant. Then I became a B52 pilot. Never was physically wounded, but am 100% disabled according to the Veteran's Administration. I go once a week to the VA hospital mental health clinic for individual therapy and for group therapy. I would estimate that about 2/3 of all Vets who served in or over Viet Nam came home with physical, mental, or both kinds of problems. A draft is necessary because it is blind to whom it accepts for the service. Today a lot of the poor join the military as a way out of poverty. College students join ROTC to help pay for their education.
I remember that when my 35 year old daughter came home from 10 grade and said she had a history question. Maybe I might know about it. She said "Where is Viet Nam and what happened there.
By the way have you noticed that Yahoo Answers does not know the word Viet.

Answer 2

I was there 1967 and 68. Some young folks think Freedom is Free. I'll tell you from experience it is not. The Soldiers in our military today are all volunteer warriors. They know the possible cost to them when they take the oath to defend our country and our freedom, but they are WARRIORS. They have the best equipment and the most lethality of any military force in the world, and damn well know how to use it. I served in the Army for 20 years and then as a DA civilian for another 20. I served in Vietnam with the 101st Airborne and earned a Green Beret when I returned in 1968. I worked as a Force Protection Specialist before, during, and after 9/11. Now I am an old man, but I still have the warrior attitude, mentality, and the knowledge I have accrued throughout my life. There will always be those that want what we have or just want to kill us for what we are. We must have the balls to stop that from happening. The present casualties are sad but extremely low for what Freedom has cost us in the past. Rest assured, if I were a young man again, I would be in Iraq now. God bless our WARRIORS, and peace through fire superiority...

Answer 3

My Uncle served in Vietnam and was wounded and then injured while being transported to the hospital. He is still alive and has always have nightmares.
No teenagers today have no appreciation for the perils of the draft that some of us grew up with in the 70's

Answer 4

Both of my parents served during Viet Nam. My father was in Country for two tours as a FMF Corpsman. My mother was Stateside the entire time.

THERE IS NO DRAFT. THERE WILL BE NO DRAFT.

Answer 5

I personally know three who served. All three came back early due to wounds received. One, my cousin, was very badly wounded. All three turned out just fine. They married, they had kids, they work good jobs and they are happy. No drug or alcohol problems.

I started to think about the draft in the 8th grade (1970). That's when my cousin was drafted and decided to join the Marines instead. The draft had been going on since 1939 and I just looked at it as a right of passage.

Answer 6

I personally knew 6 men. One was killed, two are completely nuts, three are really okay, or seem to be.

4 Army, 2 Marines.

No, teenagers don't have a clue. That's why we draft people when they are young. That's the whole point. Older draftees 25 and up wouldn't make the best soldiers.

Answer 7

Yes, my uncle did 3 tours in Nam. The last one he was shot in the stomach with a machine gun, and amazingly survived.
No, teenagers have no appreciation of what the vets went through or have any clue what it would be like to have a draft. Not only do they not have a clue, they don't want to have a clue, don't care. They are to busy playing x-box and worrying about their looks/clothes.

Answer 8

My mom and dad both serviced in Viet Nam along with my husband's father. They all came back okay.
My mom said it was the worst experience in her life trying to comfort young adults that were injured and crying for their moms. She said it took alot of mental strenght to get through each day and she and the rest of the people their did the best job they could and knowing that was how she got through it.

Answer 9

My brother was a grunt in Vietnam and won the Bronze Star. He came home without physical injuries, but he is not the brother I knew before he went. He is messed up mentally to a certain extent. War pays a heavy toll on a lot of grunts mentally.

Former Marine, brother in Army.

Answer 10

I just flew in and out of Vietnam (I was MAC) but to this day i will give a mental salute to all the combat vets. They had it tough. However, most I know are all messed up. Too much drinking....No jobs (Can't keep a job) Many are homeless. I know one Vietnam vet who works at a restaurant washing dishes for 6 dollars and 50 cents an hour. during 1968 he was a sniper for the Army. He got out and there are no jobs for snipers so he washed dishes for the next 39 years.