I see a lot of people who are Vietnam vets who have mental illnesses.Well,the Vietnam war is famous for the war hero's returning home to have mental illnesses.What was SO different from Vietnam to WW2 that WW2 veterans didn't have as many illnesses?And,more troops evemn served in that war?What happend?
2007-09-30 08:30:36 · 7 answers · asked by Anonymous in Politics & Government ➔ Military
Actually, alot of people who fought in WW2 suffered many of the same illnesses as the people in Vietnam suffered because Japan is partly considered a tropical area. The Japanese who were entrenched on Iwo Jima suffered from malaria and dysentery as well as the Americans stationed in the Philippines and those types of areas.
The REAL difference between the 2 conflicts is that when Vietnam rolled around, we had started experimenting more with more chemical and biological weapons like agent orange, agent blue and napalm (a mixture of petrol and a chemical thickener which produces a tough sticky gel that attaches itself to the skin).
For the Vietnam war, the United States military dropped 8 million tons in bombs. That figure is 3 times more than were dropped in the whole of World War 2. That comes out to 300 tons per every man, woman and child in the whole of Vietnam.
So it basically boils down to the fact that in Vietnam there was a HUGE surge of chemical and biological weapons, versus in WW2, it was basically one on one, man to man type fighting.
Well.... minus what the Germans did to the Jews, which in and of itself must be the single most heinous use of chemical warfare against anyone.
2007-09-30 08:49:00 · answer #1 · answered by StangGirl 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋
I think that a lot of it has to do with the evolution of society. The Vets from the World Wars also probably had problems with mental illness, but back in those days, that wasn't something people would discuss openly. Look back at what used to happen in mental hospitals. People would be tortured, locked up and worse all in the name of treatment. Since the study of psychology has chaged the views and treatments of mental illness, people have become more willing and more capable to come forward and admit the problems they are having.
I would take a guess that if you studied the number of vets returning from the world wars who became alcoholics later in life, you would see some correlation. A lot of them self medicated with alcohol since they could not openly discuss their problems.
2007-09-30 09:01:40 · answer #2 · answered by princess_dnb 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
a lot of WW2 vets were older when they joined also most joined , in Vietnam most were drafted,WW2 was a war fought on fronts there was no front in Vietnam the enemy kept re -appearing they mixed in with civilians and could strike at anytime you never knew when you could get hit
2007-10-08 02:19:14 · answer #3 · answered by Will 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Another MAJOR difference was the WW2 military were in for the entire duration of the war unless killed or wounded.
Vietnam military personel served overseas for a set time and then were discharged back into civil life, allowing no time for re-adjustment.
Both the political and civil attitudes of those times were far different as well.
2007-09-30 09:12:37 · answer #4 · answered by conranger1 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Vietnam vets had one other issue when they came home. No support from thier friedns family an dsociety. THey fought an unpopular war and were harassed when they got back. The transition to normal civilain life was far harder. There were comparably smaller numbers and society was less likely to be friendly.
2007-09-30 08:56:31 · answer #5 · answered by Bob D 6 · 4⤊ 1⤋
Vietnam's vets had to go through malaria and all kinds of diseases on the battlefield. The civil war was fought on a grassy terrain. Therefore, soldiers in Vietnam suffered diseases, and many other kinds of illnesses.
2007-09-30 08:35:23 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 3⤋
The government became corrupt and learned how to perfect brainwashing.
2007-09-30 08:36:27 · answer #7 · answered by MyMysteryId 3 · 0⤊ 5⤋