For us Viet Nam Veterans - ?

Question

How do feel about the support these young men and women are getting from the United States public? I am not talking about the right or wrong of the war. Just those brave people fighting it. I wish we had that when we returned to the land of the big px.

Answer 1

Hi William....

I'm a wife of a Disabled Vietnam Vet and I think that if he and his fellow veterans had received the same kind of home support that the current troops are getting, I think it would have made a huge difference to them and their service to our country. I, for one, am happy to see the support. And I'm happy to see so many willing to express that love and support as the time goes by.... Whether the war is right or wrong makes no difference.... Our troops are still ours and they're doing their jobs and doing their best to protect our way of life. God Bless them all. Past and present...

Answer 2

I live in the Ft. Bragg area. Ive gotten together with other veterans at our church to offer something to the returning veterans from Iraq, something that was never offered to me when I came home from the 'Nam.......another veterans ear. Someone to sit and listen while they vent about this and that. To be a outlet while they transition back from the "war zone". It may not sound like much to the outside person but I wish I would have had another veteran who walked the walk and talked the talk!! My Brothers will know what I mean.

Answer 3

I remember being cursed and spat on in the Atlanta airport in 1971. This happened with a couple of M.P.'s standing there watching. I had enough self dicipline to walk on, even with a crowd stranding around gawking.

I think that if the same thing happened today, that the people standing around, would happily disassemble the various body parts of these protesters. Since my son is in the military, and an Iraq vet, if I saw someone abusing a G.I., I would happily join the crowd in stomping the moron into a greasy spot.

'nuff said.

Answer 4

I think the support for the military members now is Wonderful. Like others, I wish I had it on my return. But, I do know that we did our duty, so my respect was internal. I do also know that they too will have to fight the VA and the bureaucracy for what they should receive on their return.

I remain amazed at our government (REPUBLICAN and DEMOCRAT take notice) asking these fine young men and women of ANY AND ALL eras to do their duty, get hurt, endure so much, and then as a government, fail to keep their committments to them (us). Mustard Gas, Trench foot, Malaria, Jungle Rot, Atomic War Veterans, Agent Orange (and others), PTSD (same for our returning vets), Gulf War Syndrome. WAKE UP GOVERNMENT. You have a duty TOO!

Answer 5

Man in our day we stood out like a sore thumb. Even the the cops had long hair. Its easier for these brave young men to fit in while out having a good time. Its your own choise to tell or not if your in the military.

Answer 6

Very good, hope it stays that way!!
Vietnam Veteran! 1967 - 1968 - 1971
Dau Tieng, Tay Ninh, Chu Chi, Bearcat, Long Binh!!

Answer 7

First......Welcome Home Brothers and Sisters!
I am glad that our warriors of today dint have to endure the pain that was cast on us. Hell even WWII vets didn't call us vets for the longest time. Oh well......water under the bridge. Todays warrior is a different breed and I'm proud of each and everyone of them. Lastly....here's to us! Never again will one generation of soldiers look down on another generation!!
SEMPER FI BROTHERS!!!

Answer 8

I feel it is way short of what it should be. Welcome home Bro. These boys are not getting the VA bennies you and I had to wait so long and fight so hard to get. I don't think each group of Vets should have to wait for the public to say yeah they are as good as the ones before.
There are still punks protesting our being there as opposed to the reasons we are.
Yes I'm happy they get more respect than we did, but I want them to get more.

Answer 9

I grew up in an Air Force family, and I can honestly tell you that when my dad came back from Vietnam, he had been severely damaged. His PTSD took the form of alcoholism, violence, deserting our family and then returning over and over again, using religion as an addiction and a weapon for control, and other forms of addictive or compulsive behavior I don't want to get into here.

He did not get the help from the gov't I am sure he was promised or deserved. It was just two years ago that he finally won compensation for his exposure to Agent Orange. This was a major victory for him, but still the damage had been done. My father and I are separated now; he is a dangerous man who did some unspeakable things to me in his neediness, pain, confusion, and need for a sense of power or control. But I still have compassion for him and hope that one day he will get the psychological help he needs, so that he will stop hurting peo. and pushing peo. away. One of my dreams is that we will all get some family counseling one day and learn some healthy, nonviolent ways of being with each other. My dad is a prime example of that old adage: "Hurt people hurt people."

I have recovered quite a bit over the years, from my own compulsive behaviors (partying, problem drinking, wearing myself out trying to save the whole world, etc.), but I am still in the process of healing my own intimacy and abandonment issues. The stuff that was lying underneath. I live on my own now. To his credit, my dad played a huge part in encouraging me and coaching me to be successful academically and artistically; but like my dad I have a lot to learn about intimate or close relationships.

I sincerely believe that if my dad had received the respect, the help, the compensation, and the counseling he deserved as a veteran he might not be in such bad shape to this day and we might still be living as a family to this day. But who can really say? There are other factors.

As for the veterans who are (or will be) returning now, I say welcome home, and God bless you. In my English Composition, Literature, and Speech classes I have college students who are veterans, and the ones who step foward or speak out bring so much to our classwork by sharing their stories, their experiences, their very presence. And I have seen some of my students who are veterans begin to heal once they come to understand that peo. care and want to listen to them and learn from them.

Whether or not the war in Iraq is just or unjust should not enter into this discussion. These are our brothers and sisters at heart and at the level of spirit. They are not to blame here.

In my "head" right now I keep hearing that old song from the sixties that said, "Bring the boys home. Bring 'em back alive..." I sing that song sometimes, although I know that there are both young men and women who need to come on back home. I just sincerely hope that when they do there will be help, hugs, and lots of love (in spirit and in action) for our returning veterans. If not, my fear is that we, as a society, will make the mistake of "inadvertently" (my dad's word) helping to create a segment of society whose levels of PTSD will be untreated and off the charts. From my own experience, I know that PTSD can be healed, but it takes time and concerted effort.

Love, peace, compassion, listening ears, assistance, healing, and justice are what is called for our returning veterans--for their sake, yes, and for all our sake. We are one. We are all in this together, no matter how we got here.

Answer 10

I wish you all had the support back then as we do now. I truly do. You all deserve so much for all the sacrifices you made for all of us. And thank you from the bottom of my heart! My heart, and my family's heart goes out to each and every one of you who have served, and is serving our Country. :-)
God Bless you all!