Why didn't the Vietnam Vets get a better deal when they came home?

1. 67

   Pearldiverposted 12 years ago

   Why didn't the Vietnam Vets get a better deal when they came home?
   
   What do you think?  I believe that they were badly let down and could have been treated far better than they were!

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2. 96

   UnnamedHaraldposted 12 years ago

   They were badly served by both their nation and the people. There were no "welcome home" ceremonies; they just drifted back into civilian life by themselves. By the late Sixties, most people wanted the war to end and a few seemed to blame the ordinary soldiers as well as the Pentagon brass-- guilt by association. It was a crazy time. At least, that's the way I remember it. I never personally saw a single instance of anyone accost a returning soldier-- let alone spit on them. It was more of an attitude and most soldiers didn't want to talk about what they did in Vietnam anyway.

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3. 61

   Josakposted 12 years ago

   Everyone was just sort of ashamed of the whole affair, there was guilt about what had been done and we had been defeated so everyone just sort of pretended it never happened and so as a result veterans were unjustly left high and dry.

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4. 61

   SomewayOuttaHereposted 12 years ago

   ...i agree with the above.  for those that needed various support when they arrived home, were left out in the cold...PTS was not dealt with as well as other pyschological issues (same can be said for today's armed forces)...the men were left on their own to deal with the impact war had on their mental well being - some survived somehow and pulled it together, but many didn't...wonder how many men on the streets of the US are there because of the impact of war.  Today, folks still slip through the cracks and are left alone to pick up the pieces of their lives after military assignments. I can't even imagine how life would have/has changed for some. 
   
   I'm drawn to read many of Mickey Dee's hubs.

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5. 56

   dmparkmanposted 12 years ago

   When are Veterans ever treated with the respect they have earned ?
   
   http://2012patriot.wordpress.com/2011/1 … -dog-tags/
   
   http://2012patriot.wordpress.com/2011/0 … d-treason/
   
   http://2012patriot.wordpress.com/2012/0 … wars-lies/
   
   http://2012patriot.wordpress.com/2012/0 … s-new-law/
   
   http://2012patriot.wordpress.com/2012/0 … w-patriot/

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6. 60

   Bob Francisposted 12 years ago

   I belong to American Legion "Vietnam Vets"  Post 639 in Springfield, MO. I am a WWII Combat Infantry Veteran I've been trying to get Compensation for a service connected dis-ability for over 4 years now. I presently have 13 form letters of apology from the DVA, for taking so long to make a decision. At 86 I am firmly convinced that either the DVA in St. Louis is manned by a multitude of INCOMPETENTS, or they are hoping that I will die and go away!!
   I have had Advocates from the American Legion, two Congressmen, two Senators, and have even written to Senator Patty Murray, who is the Chair person for the DVA. All of these people have expressed their concern for  DVA's apparent foot dragging, lack of concern for disabled vets.  So it is obvious that all of the rhetoric is just that, with no real meaning or concern for us. The fact is that the employees of DVA are collecting there big salaries and benefits and could care less for we disabled Veterans!!! They would have to do the job they were hired for but like most Government Employees, there interest is apparently feathering their own nests.
   In my humble opinion the Vietnam Vets got royally screwed and still are; then they had to be criminalized by the American Traitor Hanoi Jane, who should have been tried for treason but what happened, she, after causing the deaths of some of our fine young soldiers, was allowed to return to America and continue her career.
   Our wonderful fools in D.C. the great Circus, denied for years that Agent Orange, did not cause any problems but many Veterans are not with us anymore because of the proven death sentence from the effects of "Agent Orange."
   I could write an essay on this subject but I'm sure you've gotten my message.

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7. 78

   tigerbaby777posted 12 years ago

   In my opinion, and I was born in 1960, is that our country was under a socialist siege at that time.  I remember people with booths set up at the county fair and all over the place trying to get young people to embrace socialism.  It spead like wildfire. 
   
   Add that to the fact that we had television and mass media by then and it made for horrific results.  My heart goes out to those Veterans.  Myself, I wore about 20 MIA and POW bracelets that  my parents purchased for me.  Only three of my guys ever made it home alive.  God Bless them!

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8. 82

   Becky Katzposted 12 years ago

   My husband was met at the airport by protestors throwing rotten tomatoes at him. The protestors decided that the soldiers were the cause of the problem. They were serving their country, the country was who was at fault. They were not protected. The second time he came home, he changed out of his uniform and sneaked into the country in civilian clothes. Yes, they could have been treated much better by the 'Love' generation. The country totally dropped the ball by not welcoming them home also.
   They were also denied medical benefits for a long time and lied to by the government. My husband came home with a 25% disability rating but no one would tell him what it was for. I believe it was because they knew that the chemicals would cause problems.
   PTSD was not even discussed. He is totally disabled from PTSD and the Vietnam veterans are who we can thank that they do rank it as a problem now.
   It took 18 years of fighting once he started having problems and they told him he could never work again to get his disability. It is better now and if someone is having problems getting their disability, I would suggest they go to the DAV. They have very good results. I have written a hub about our fight to get my husbands disability.

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9. 72

   Abecedarianposted 12 years ago

   Because while our soldiers were out fighting a war, our media was tearing the down and the American people quickly forgot the sacrifices they were making and showed them no respect. Our government sent them into a war that we couldn't win and then treated them like crap because we didn't, with the media right behind them helping to insure that American's would blame our fighting men and women instead of our government. But hell, look how long it took for them to admit to the Native Americans that they were wrong in doing what they did to them....

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10. 56

    kdawsonposted 12 years ago

    I was one of the vets coming home in '73 and I got cussed on the streets of San Francisco.  Thing is I agreed with them.  It was a vile and disgusting war (they all are really) and the public attitude about it was correct, in my opinion.  I think it's hard if not impossible to hate a war and just love the people fighting it.  This was the first war when the press showed the truth and the American public didn't like it.  Good.  I think the present blind hero worship of the troops is dangerous.

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11. 0

    dman15791posted 12 years ago

    I beleive that the protestors (Tree Huggers) had a lot to do with it. My father in law was there and is suffering from Agent Orange. It took this long for him to get a decent pension from that stuff. I think that the government was waiting for the majority of the Agent Orange victims to die off until they offered what those men deserved.

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    1. 56

       Booneyratposted 11 years agoin reply to this

       I,and many other Vietnam vets,suffer from the lasting effects of AO exposure.It has ben my belief,along with many other fellow Vietnam vets,that this Govt. does not want us around as it costs them money and we are a thorn up their six.

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12. 56

    Booneyratposted 11 years ago

    The answer is Vietnam was a political conflict based on lies,much like the Iraq fiasco.The real victims were us fools who fell for the Government lies,hook,line and sinker.The lies continue to this day and there will no doubt be endless wars based on lies and idiots will go on falling for these lies. Why do they call it common sense when there is so little of it anymore.

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