WWII vs Viet Nam: attitudes?

Question

No offense to any honorable servicmen from any generation.

1) Why is it that after WWII, the returning vets said, "Let's go to work", but after Viet Nam, you have a lot of "I'm so depressed, I'm going to be a bum and a drunk"?

2) Why is it that many vet orgs like VFW and Legion were unappreciative of the Vietnam vets?

Is #1 the answer to #2?

My salute to vets of both wars.

Answer 1

Your use of the word 'attitude' is apt. It is all about attitude.

During WWII, pro-Americans dominated the media and political processes, using them to guide society to welcome returning soldiers and re-integrate them. The soldiers had seen pro-troop media praising them for their sacrifice as well as helping their cause. Americans were largely integrated as a nation, pulling together for victory. The soldiers came back with a feeling that they were returning to a land that appreciated them. Conservative media and propaganda generated attitudes beneficial to victory and to healing afterwards.

During WWII, the media even went so far as to aid the war effort, keeping secrets from the public that should not fall into enemy hands (such as the Japanese fu-go firebombing of the US). It also propagated deceptions that would lead enemies astray. The media helped America in its fight by siding with the US against the enemy.

Vietnam was the first war in which the Political Left dominated our media and political processes to the point that they were able to adjust the attitudes of the general public. They worked tirelessly to create negative feelings in the general public, to cast the war against Communist forces as a 'failure', the troops as 'baby killers', to generate as much angst against our own nation and soldiers as possible. It has an effect. The soldiers returned to leftist-agitated viciousness against them. Furthermore, leftists worked in the VFW and other organizations where they could do further damage as administrators.

[Surprisingly few Americans are aware that Fidel Castro directly funded and orchestrated Leftist anti-war agendas in the US]

This has a deep psychological effect on the troops. The leftists propagating this negativity know it full well, having studied plenty of mass psychology before implementing their propaganda projects.

Today, the Left is at it again. They work tirelessly to again generate that overwhelming negativity, to demoralize America, to bring us to self-defeat when military victory is nearly a done deal. And, again, leftists (especially college age) are spitting on our troops.

What nation can survive such a vicious enemy gaining control of its media and political processes? What soldier can proudly serve under such circumstances? How can he or she heal and return to society when the leftist media works to convince him he fought for an unjust cause and for a deeply flawed nation?

Answer 2

Whew tough one here. In my opinion the vets returning home in 45 and 46 were received as returning hero's. The war for the most part had been a popular one here in the States, by this I mean that all Americans supported the war and the vets. Vietnam on the other hand was by 1969 very unpopular with young Americans who may be called upon to fight in it as well as political leaders in both parties. War II vets came home to bands and ticker tapes. Nam vets had to sneak home and ditch their uniforms as soon as feasibly possible. It is my belief that the Nam vets felt they were let down by the American people, that was indeed my feeling at any rate. As far as the VFW is concerned I can't answer your question. I am a lifetime member but rarely visit the club. The War II vets seem to look down their noses on the Nam vets. Hope that helps, and keep in mind that is only my opinion.

Answer 3

Many good responses here, but I will add my two cents worth.

My experience with the VFW when I first joined them was when I came home. I was still on active duty and after just one month, the treatment toward myself and my fellow Marines (who joined with me) left a rotten taste in my mouth, due to the WWII vets saying we didn't know what war really was. So I left and never returned.

My father was a WWII vet and I could not understand why he drank so much, why he was always miserable, why he fought with my mother all the time, why he was cold towards me.
Well guess what, after being diagnosed with PTSD and after studying this "disorder" I now realize he had it, but they called it "shell shock" and it would all go away.

Many WWII vets came home glorious, the government built them homes and gave them away. Many came home and did not go to work, they drank and couldn't fit in with society, so they started the Hell Angels, doesn't that sound familiar to us Vietnam vets?

So in conclusion, I do respect all veterans, and we all served under very different circumstances, and the debate among warriors will continue to this day.

By the way, I came home, went back to work and remained silent for over 20 years, until one day when the reality of war hit me again. That's when the PTSD reared it's ugly head.

Answer 4

The answer is in the presentation.
This country was made to believe that the Vietnam war was unjust, illegal, that the military killed millions of civilians without any provocation. All of that was untrue. Jane Fonda is an example of how low the media stooped to convince the country the war was bad.
My American Legion Post does not disdain we Nam vets, and the Legion Magazine pays tribute a whole lot. The VFW has been taken over by non-military sheisters for their Friday Fish Fry money. And I know thousands of Nam vets. We didn't all come back as drunks either. Most of us came back and started businesses and went right to work.

Answer 5

The World War II veterans are proud to have fought in a right war. The Vietnam veterans were depressed since they assumed that they fought a wrong war. Although both of them must be considered as heroes.

Answer 6

War has changed a lot since those times. The battles aren't fought in the trenches as much anymore, and generally, our troops are fighting a faceless enemy in Iraq. A lot of the casualties are coming from roadside bombs, random attacks, and sadly, friendly fire. I would be willing to bet that in the same amount of time, there were atleast 10x more soldiers killed in the other skirmishes that you listed versus Iraq.

Answer 7

One war we had to fight, war was declared we fought it and one it.
The other, we started out supporting the French, never declared a war, tried to set up a govt., like we are doing in Iraq, and generally got our selves sucked into a terrible mess, same as Iraq, and the solders that fought in this war were never ever taken care of, same as the
vets returning from Iraq. Like you I also wonder why the VFW & American Legon arn't in the forefront fightning for better conditions for all these Vet's instead of kissing Bush's ***. I'm a Vet.

Answer 8

you can thank hanoi jane(jane fonda) john kerry and the rest of the lib pig traitors that made sure we lost the viet nam war .I was there and lived through this political nightmare.the troops did well,the politicians lost the war .viet nam vets were no different from any other wars,some were lost,most came out of it ok.in other words the media rewrites history to perpetuate their agenda again !

Answer 9

WW2 a necessary war
Vietnam an unnecessary war