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Kulsum Musani
May 4, 2011
HNRS 191: Research Paper
The Possibility of Hope and Brighter Future: Vietnam War Veterans
The Cold War started as a result of disagreements between the United States and the
Soviet Union regarding their governmental systems of democracy and communism, respectively.
Although the two countries never fought face to face, their conflict was seen through their
support of countries during their fights for independence following World War II. Vietnam
became a ground for this conflict when the Soviet Union supported North Vietnam with its
communist ideals and South Vietnam was backed by the democratic United States. In keeping its
policy of containment, which aimed at stopping Communist governments from forming, the US
government made the unpopular decision of getting involved in Vietnam. The Vietnam War was
the first to be televised, and many Americans started questioning the morality of the war after
incidents such as the My Lai Massacre. This disapproval of the war itself led to protests and a
drastically negative attitude towards those who fought in Vietnam, especially when compared to
the heroes’ welcome given to veterans of previous wars. Homelessness, drug abuse, and PTSD
resulted from the experiences of the veterans and at the time, limited help from the US
government, the American public and the media did not help them reintegrate into society.
However, recent steps taken by the US government, American public, and the media such as
building memorials and improving federal laws, along with awareness created by veterans
themselves have improved the perception of Vietnam War veterans in society.
The Vietnam War (1954-1973) was the longest war fought in the history of the United
States. The US government used the Domino Theory, which stated that if one country fell to
communism, others would soon follow to justify involvement in Vietnam. Television, however,
changed the public’s perception of the morality of the war. The Vietnam War was the first war to
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be televised and for the first time, the reality of war was brought to the forefront as Americans
saw colored images of napalm victims and American body bags. They began questioning the
morality of the war when they learnt of incidents such as the My Lai Massacre in 1969, where
Lieutenant William Calley destroyed an entire village of civilians (Olson 25). Mass protests
started as a result of the news being broadcasted.
Civilian protests mainly took the form of public demonstrations. One of the largest
protests took place in 1969, where both soldiers and citizens protested the government’s
involvement in Vietnam. A nationwide rally, consisting of fifty thousand protestors in
Washington D.C., and twenty five thousand in Wisconsin, Michigan, and other states around the
country was described by Life magazine as “a display without historical parallel, the largest
expression of public dissent ever seen in the country” (Lembcke 45-46). Television played a role
in sparking the protests because Americans were seeing the war before their own eyes and for the
first time, the actions of American soldiers did not seem as heroic when compared to the deaths
of innocent children and women.
Most of the protests, however, were organized by college students, because a majority of
them were potential draftees of the war. A survey done by the Urban Research Corporation
showed that “for the first six months of 1969 only…at least 215,000 students had participated in
campus protests, that 3,652 had been arrested, that 956 had been suspended or expelled…at the
Brown University commencement in 1969, two-thirds of the graduating class turned their backs
when Henry Kissinger stood up to address them” (Zinn 490). Class conflict also played into this,
because college students who came from higher income families were able to resist the draft.
Students from lower economic and social backgrounds were not able to avoid the draft, and were
thus forced to fight in Vietnam. Some, however, tried to avoid going to war and show their
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dissatisfaction by burning their draft cards and refusing to board planes to go to Vietnam.
Soldiers themselves started questioning the morality of the war when they saw the situation in
Vietnam for themselves. Keith Franklin was a soldier who wrote a letter that was only to be
opened after his death. The letter, opened in 1970, stated, “The question is whether or not my
death has been in vain. The answer is yes. The war that has taken my life and many thousands
before me is immoral, unlawful, and an atrocity…I had no choice as to my fate. It was
predetermined by the war mongering hypocrites in Washington” (“Vietnam Protest Movement”).
The unpopularity of the war at both home and Vietnam affected the way soldiers perceived the
war and the government. With the effects of the war still fresh in their minds, soldiers came back
home and formed organizations such as the Vietnam Veterans Against the War to voice their
opinions. One of the famous protests was in 1971, when more than a thousand soldiers and
veterans threw the medals they had won in Vietnam at the Capital. While soldiers realized that
the government was to blame for the decisions that were carried out in Vietnam, the American
people only saw the soldiers committing the actions. Soldiers and veterans may have protested
during the war, but in essence, they were the face of the war, and their subsequent treatment by
the American public showed that television was effectively making them a new generation of
veterans that would be treated differently compared to veterans of the past.
Soldiers of World War II for example, were welcomed back with parades to celebrate
their heroism in fighting against the Nazis. Pictorial accounts of the parades, such as the World
War II Victory Parade in 1946 show the love and respect these people received when they came
home. Vietnam War soldiers however, were called derogatory names and referred to as “baby
killers.” This name stemmed from the fact that innocent children and women were being killed
by the American soldiers, and the My Lai Massacre stood out as one of the most outrageous
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crimes done by the soldiers. The actions of the soldiers were not hidden, and many came back to
the US from a war that was still widely unpopular. A couple years after her return, former Army
Nurse Kathy Gunson said, “I want to come home to a marching band and red carpet. I want to
hear a ‘thank you.’ I want to hear ‘I’m sorry’” (Isaacs 429). The stark difference in the
welcoming of Vietnam War veterans and veterans of previous wars affected Vietnam War
veterans greatly. They witnessed a reduced level of respect and admiration in the eyes of the
American people, and marginalizing them in this way proved for some veterans to be the
difference between their ability to reintegrate into society.
While some veterans were able to successfully transition to the routine of civilian life,
many did not. Marginalization of the veterans comes into play when the US government did not
provide medical and psychological services for the soldiers who were not able to make the
transition. Approximately 700,000 draftees, out of which many were poor, barely educated, and
of another race were deprived of educational and medical benefits because they received less
than honorable discharges (Sitikoff 1). This made it difficult for veterans to get jobs and support
their families. Homelessness, drug abuse, and PTSD also resulted from the stress of
reintegration, along with an increased rate of suicide and familial problems.
The National Coalition for Homeless Veterans found that nearly 47% of homeless
veterans served in Vietnam (“National Coalition for the Homeless” 1). Homelessness resulted
from two main factors: drug abuse and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). High
unemployment has also played a role because studies veterans with PTSD are less likely to be
employed compared to those without PTSD (Jaycox, 35). Lack of employment leads to
frustration on the part of the employees, and the anger is taken out at home on their spouses and
children. Studies have also shown that from veterans being treated for PTSD and other
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psychological disorders, approximately 50% admitted to physical aggression within their homes
(Jaycox, 42). Unfortunately, the US government took more than five years after the war ended
to start a Vet Center Program, which helps Vietnam War veterans readjust to life, both
psychologically and financially. Psychological and financial stability is a factor that cannot be
undermined due to the unpopularity of the war.
The US government was also slow in responding to the effect Agent Orange had on
soldiers. Agent Orange was a code name of a herbicide used by the US military. Operation
Ranch Hand was one of many instances where the herbicide was used to destroy forests where
the Vietcong were suspected of hiding. “Eventually, Operation Ranch Hand dumped 19 million
gallons of chemical poison on nearly six million acres, more than 20% of the entire land area of
South Vietnam” (Olson, 169). Unfortunately, the effects of Agent Orange were far more
dangerous than initially thought. American soldiers in Vietnam were told that the herbicide was
harmless; it was only after returning to the United States that the rate of throat, liver, and heart
cancer increased in Vietnam War veterans that studies were done to determine the herbicide’s
effect on humans. Veterans also started voicing their concern when their wives had miscarriages
or bore children with disorders. In 1977, veterans began to file claims asking for disability
payments from the Department of Veterans Affairs. Consequently, their claims were denied
unless they proved that their medical condition began when they were serving in Vietnam or
within one year of their discharge. As of 1993, more than 39,000 claims have been filed, but only
486 veterans have been compensated (Olson, 171). The US government is an important part of
easing the transition of soldiers back into society. With compensation comes the feeling of being
appreciated, and that is something that the Vietnam War veterans were, and still are, greatly in
need of. Their homecoming and homelessness affected them, and the government’s support was
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one thing they could count on.
While the government had a role in the marginalization of Vietnam War veterans, the
media had a more public role in this. The media was the main form of communication the United
States had when it came to televising the war. Americans, however, were sometimes given a
distorted view of the events that were happening in Vietnam. Howard Smith, an ABC
commentator at the time, stated in an interview that, “The networks have never given a complete
picture of the war. For example: That terrible siege at Khe Sanh went on for five weeks before
newsmen revealed that the South Vietnamese were fighting at our sides, and that they had higher
casualties. And the Vietcong’s casualties were 100 times ours…We just showed pictures day
after day of Americans getting the hell kicked out of them. That was enough to break America
apart. That’s also what it did” ("Television Coverage Of The Vietnam War And Its Implications
For Future Conflicts”). This shows that the media played a significant role when it came to
swaying the opinions of the American public. Antiwar protests were partly due to a rise in
American casualties, and showing the Americans losing a battle when they were not is another
way the perception of Vietnam War veterans was affected.
The perception of Vietnam War veterans was also affected by Hollywood movies that
were released at the time. According to Vietnam War veteran George Swiers, “Hollywood, ever
bizarre in its efforts to mirror life, discovered a marketable villain…no grade B melodrama was
complete without its standard vet-a psychotic, axe wielding rapist every bit as insulting as
another one time creature of Hollywood’s imagination” (Sturken, 25). The movies dehumanized
Vietnam War veterans; depiction of false stories further added to the false perception of veterans
in the United States. Hollywood movies created stereotypes that made it difficult for Americans
to accept them, and for veterans to reintegrate into mainstream society.
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The stereotypes created by Hollywood movies in part paved way for Vietnam War
veterans to make their voice heard in order to create awareness about the war and most
importantly, themselves. In 1978, the Vietnam Veterans of America was formed with the goal of
“create[ing] a new identity for this generation of veterans, and to change public perception of
Vietnam Veterans (“Vietnam Veterans of America”). The organization provides veterans
assistance in areas such as health care and financial stability. Another support system was
formed through the formation of rap groups by the veterans. These groups enabled veterans to
understand each other’s role in Vietnam and reintegrate back into society. They were also able to
give the public a chance to listen to these raps and slowly change their perception of the veterans.
Bonding and relating experiences to each other helped veterans realize that there were other
soldiers who were just like them, and understanding each other’s perspective of war and their
experiences was the first step in getting the entire country to become aware of their experiences
and feelings.
Another step Vietnam War veterans have taken is to write books and novel relating to
their experiences. Decorated soldiers and military advisors have written their experiences in
books, novels, and poems. Notable books that have made bestseller lists include Word of Honor,
The Black Echo , Warhorses, and Platoon. Perhaps the most widely recognized is The Things
They Carried by Tim O’Brian, which is a collection of stories of American soldiers in Vietnam
during the war. Literature has become a means that has benefited not only the veterans, but the
public as well. Veterans were able to write their memories of the war at the same time, give the
American public a glimpse into their experiences and mindset. The public has also benefited in
the sense that they have become more aware of the Vietnam War and the soldiers themselves.
The awareness created by Vietnam War veterans has also sparked a majority of the
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American public, the government, and the media to honor those who died during the Vietnam
War. Building memorials such as the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington D.C. and the
Three Servicemen Statue honor the soldiers who died in the war. “The Vietnam Veterans
Memorial has become a central icon of the ‘healing’ process of confronting difficult past
experiences, and it has played a significant role in the historization and rehistorization of the
war” (Sturken, 119). Veterans of the war have been marginalized as a result of the inconclusive
history along with the unpopular notion of war. Because they were the face of the war, the hurt
and anger at the loss of lives and the war itself was directed towards the soldiers who fought in
the war. The memorials that have been built have created awareness and are one way of showing
the veterans that they too are being recognized for their duty towards their country, despite their
own feelings of the war.
Along with memorials, the government has also passed and improved laws to help
Vietnam War veterans readjust into society. While Vet Centers are an important part of the
healing and readjustment process, the government has also improved laws that were not fully
complied with, such as the Vietnam Era Veterans’ Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA).
The VEVRAA requires government contractors to employ specified categories of veterans
protected by the Act and prohibits discrimination against the veterans. Checks are placed on the
contractors, as they are required to submit an annual report on the number of employees that are
veterans of war ("Compliance Assistance by Law - The Vietnam Era Veterans' Readjustment
Assistance Act”). In January of this year, the US Defense Department began its project to pay
tribute to the soldiers and veterans of Vietnam. While many details have not been released, the
first part of the project is a website to honor Vietnam War veterans and their families along with
the contributions they have made towards society. Army Lieutenant Col. Hunter Holliday stated
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that “Hopefully [the commemoration] will be a healing process for the veterans who were never
recognized properly when they came home” (Cronk 1). Advances are being made to repay
veterans for their duty towards their country and while the veterans were not appreciated at first,
they can still be appreciated through the love and support of the American public.
The war, though unpopular, does not undermine the service provided by the soldiers who
fought in the war, and marginalizing them for their service can affect soldiers of recent and
current wars, especially the Gulf and Iraq war. A soldier who participated in the Gulf War said,
“When we deployed here, people cheered and waved flags…but if I go back home like the
Vietnam Vets did and somebody spits on me, I swear to God I’ll kill them” (Lembcke 21). Due
to American loss in the war, soldiers were treated as scapegoats. The marginalization of Vietnam
War Veterans, if reduced, can ensure the psychological and physical safety of current soldiers,
because they will be assured of the government’s support no matter what the outcome is.
The Vietnam War may have been an unpopular decision on the part of the US
government, but it cannot undermine the fact that the men and women who went to Vietnam
were doing their duty for the nation. Television led to negativity of the war back home and the
perception of veterans was changed, especially when compared to the welcome received by
veterans of previous wars. It is the duty of the United States to uphold the rights and values of
the soldiers who protect this nation instead of veterans having to create awareness of their
situation. Allowing veterans to overcome the difficulties they faced and providing them with
psychological and medical assistance can help them realize that they too are a vital part of
society as heroes of the country.
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Works Cited
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