In the 1960s my husband and I were in our 20s and raising three little boys. 28 0 obj The banner said "Vietnam -- 10 years -- We Remember. No 'Welcome Home' parades for Vietnam vets. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. "It was a time when America itself was in turmoil," he said. The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. I was not a hero. Nearly 40 years after the war, American vets who live in Vietnam are working to foster reconciliation between the two countries, while other former US soldiers are :@h@tt@68U=iQc\YZHlSVBk9WdJ^7Vr%h2Ks=5!t5sbM(xvm 8{3T In what sense was the Vietnam war a "working class" war? To prevent Communism from spreading. Those who argue that the United States won the war point to the fact that the U.S. defeated communist forces during most of Vietnams major battles. The United States committed some 550,000 troops to the Vietnam front at the height of the conflict, suffered more than 58,000 casualties, and engaged in battle after battle with communist forces in the region until its withdrawal in 1973. Why? Is the singer Avant and R Kelly brothers? That one didn't make headline status. This was the war that set the media war dogs My husband and I love to read. U.S. military aircraft attacked targets throughout North Vietnam, group in Cambodia that seize power and want to establish peasant society. The spread of Communism. But I know, there were not many veterans who didn't envy the hostages and feel despair about their own "return.". Stand there and take it? I have never told a soul what I tell you here but it is true and I will swear on it. Robert Kennedy was assassinated by a Palestinian immigrant who said he was angered by Kennedy's support of ___________. many supported his decision because he was following the policy of confronting communism. However, I just walked away. <> The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". Thanks to him, his chemical companies, and "Operation Ranchhand," you might say we were spat upon and didn't even know it. I felt so good to be marching with thousands of Marines who were bursting with pride singing the Marine Corps Hymn. Infantryman Steven A. Wowwk spent six months in VietnamJanuary to June 1969and was wounded twice in battle. Why did the U.S. get involved in the struggle? 64 0 obj Domestic support for the war plunged as U.S. deaths rose. Graham was twenty-five, just months out of the army and back from Vietnam. they receive less than 10 inches (250 mm) of precipitation per year In 1995 Vietnam released its official estimate of the number of people killed during the Vietnam War: as many as 2,000,000 civilians on both sides and some 1,100,000 North Vietnamese and Viet Cong fighters. Were you spat upon when you returned from Vietnam? What prompted the war between the Vietminh and the French? What did this Vietminh victory cause the French to do? They also assert that the U.S. overall suffered fewer casualties than its opponents. No signs. It was great to be home. I remember landing in San Francisco and the wild cheering among us in the plane and the feeling of making it home. Each stated how happy they were that we were able to come home safely. To Those Who Returned -- Welcome Home.". the Puerto Rican Rambo and Sergeant Rock, is a former United States Army soldier. 1 I denied being a vet until recently because I was repeatedly told that Nam vets had flashbacks and could freak out on the job. I am a 30-year veteran and served during World War II, Korea and Vietnam. He promised to help South Vietnam and kick out the French. They believed that it was not fair for antiwar protesters to question their actions during the war. endobj All the countless others that left chunks of their young and healthy bodies behind returned not as heroes but to a complete lack of appreciation. 3 0 obj
I believe most hometown folks were supportive of the troops and our difficult mission. His seminal role is reflected in the fact that Vietnams largest city is named for him. I kept walking, to the tune of "baby killer, baby killer.". Rather than being greeted with anger and hostility, however, most Vietnam veterans received very little reaction when they returned home. When I entered the bar, I found several waitresses wiping ahstrays, and a bartender wxplaining to 200 Vietnam veterans that the loung had closed five minutes earlier, and she was really sorry, but no, they couldn't serve us coffee, either. Suddeny one of the females began calling me a baby killer and spat on me. At me. endobj They missed. 33 0 obj endobj nb:.V}PU(*)Pv}PhI![?cvR{hF{.i`7[_l`?,=`{d+Ugtgka| The curation of this content is at the discretion of the author, and not necessarily reflective of the views of Encyclopaedia Britannica or its editorial staff. I was repeatedly asked how I could live with myself after killing all those innocent people. To end US involvement in Vietnam; replace troops with South Vietnamese troops which establishes "peace with honor". Most returning veterans were 18 to 22 years old. Rewrite each sentence so that it is clear and correct. Copyright 2023 Deseret News Publishing Company. Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. The first time I was in transmit from my ship to a temporary duty station. endobj You heard that at every peace rally in America. Kent State shooting where they burned the federal building. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. I was never spat upon or even harassed. When I cam back from Vietnam, I was dumb enough to wear my dress uniform in the San Francisco International Airport. The only harrassment I ever received was a half-cocked remark from an uncle who asked, "What's your hang-up, George? - destroyed notion of traditional home front. He wasnt sure he The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. It seemed to me that if the spitting-on-soldiers stories were true, we should know it. Virtually no one sent a letter with a simple confir,mation or denial of being spat upon; the letters were long, sometimes rambling, invariably gripping essays on what it felt like to come back home after that war. Thirty three veterans gave interviews on various topics relating to Vietnam including: basic training, the trip to Vietnam, being in the field, helicopter and aircraft stories, support groups, the Vietnamese, and their general thoughts on the war and the country. I served in Vietnam from May 1969 to May 1970 in the 101st Airborne and spent 11 of my 12 months at a small landing zone. Copyright 2023 WittyQuestion.com | All rights reserved. We were the visible manifestation of the unpopular war. <>/ExtGState<>/ProcSet[/PDF/Text/ImageB/ImageC/ImageI] >>/MediaBox[ 0 0 612 792] /Contents 4 0 R/Group<>/Tabs/S/StructParents 0>>
But as I said, my story included a "hippie." What broke our hearts was being spat on by our country. Another topic covered wasBack in the World. The following I would like to get my 2 cents' worth in. For approximately eight years, over thousands of acres in Vietnam, we were spat upon -- not with a drop or two of saliva, but rather with millions of gallons of Agent Orange. xXKsHWLq2U=XBx$A'@6G#YJru\=z4,oM1zxaaQFdS_ qeoGIjO` 1}#B `|4yAr4~~G>q6G!r=LS[Q5gsq|^u(DGIh|>6kK8
NO}HgipK, Were They Spat On? They believed that it was not fair for antiwar protesters to question their actions during the war. Yes, we were spat upon! One of the most popular chants during the anti-war marches was, "Stop the war in Vietnam, bring the boys home." I walked past him and proceeded to my destination. And the media telling us over an dover that our boys were on dope, were murderers and fools for being soldiers. Yes, we were spat upon by an older gentleman in a red, white and blue outfit who answers to the name of "Uncle Sam." inflammation grow more costly; Johnson asked to increase tax; vietnam war killed Great society. I'm fortunate that I returned from Nam alive and was able to handle the emotional pain of spending a year in hell. I'm sure they hoped I would react violently. what were the terms of the Geneva Accords? A teacher walks into the Classroom and says If only Yesterday was Tomorrow Today would have been a Saturday Which Day did the Teacher make this Statement? How do you convert bonds to common stock? Americans were torn and bitter about the war and didn't not honor returning soldiers The security officer calmed me down and stayed with me until my flight left. <>/Metadata 2 0 R/Outlines 5 0 R/Pages 3 0 R/StructTreeRoot 6 0 R/Type/Catalog/ViewerPreferences<>>> For some reason, in the stories it is always an airport where the spitting allegedly happened, and it is always "hippies" who allegedly did the spitting. Routing number of commercial bank of Ethiopia? WebWhy they received a cold homecoming is because the us government turned its back on them and refused to take responsibility. SDS: Students for a democratic society They stopped to question me about my feelings about the war. application/pdf The protesters couldnt confront Johnson or Nixon 41 0 obj A! What was the homecoming like for Vietnam Veterans? endobj For each of the following sentences, choose the correct word or words in parentheses. Gave the president military powers in Vietnam. Many Vietnam veterans blamed the antiwar movement for the chilly reception they got upon returning to the United States. We were told that we were materialistic asses because we wanted a nice home for ourselves and our children. 19. The result was an expanded U.S. military presence and increased military activity in neutral Cambodia. What actions by US troops hindered the effort to win the support of Vietnamese villagers? She looked me in the face and told me she was sorry for the way the returning vets were being treated. I started crying and said, "I'm sorry it's 10 years late. In recent years, as we all know, there has been an undeniable shift in the public's attitude toward the men who fought the Vietnam War. I don't mean to make it sound melodramatic, but I've never forgotten it. on average. No. 2 0 obj trust. It is even harder to think about good Americans who gave the ultimate sacrifice -- they died for their country. William calley accepts responsibility..100 innocent Vietnamese murdered by US soldiers- which further turned Americans away from war. What did the Nazis begin using gas chambers instead of mobile killing units and shooting squads after a while? <> Congress does this to take away some of the Presidents abroad powera, Purpose to force a negotiated peace settlement-north Vietnamese, South Vietnamese surrenders to North Veitnam, NV full scale invasion of SV and the capture of Saigon-there were no US troops there when the NV won, Vietnam veterans receive a cold homecoming, Americans were torn and bitter about the war and didn't not honor returning soldiers, President must notify congress within 48 hours of committing troops-put in place to curb the presidents war making power, Mainly due to its unpopularity & controversial, Many Americans lose faith in their government, This is due mainly to the Watergate Scandal: nixon S administration found corrupt My Vietnam tour was from June 1968 to May 1969. From every section and corner of the country, well over a thousand people took the time to sit down, put their thoughts on paper, and tell me what happened when they returne dto the United States from Vietnam. Although North Vietnamese and Viet Cong casualty counts vary wildly, it is generally understood that they suffered several times the number of American casualties. These are the stories -- some shocking, many disturbing, some loving -- that I have compiled in "Homecoming.". I have always been proud and it was a chance to celebrate that pride. According the War Powers Act, Congress must give its consent for U.S. troops to remain in a hostile region any longer than_____________, 2 what did each of the following play in the, US History Ch. It took us 10 years to be able to start to read again about that period, and to be able to discuss it. 7. they receive a cold mist or frost on the plants. favored stronger military force in Vietnam, allowed students to put off military duty (mostly wealthy upper class people, founded Students for a Democratic Society, system that calls up citizens for military service, Served in disproportionate numbers in Vietnam, after the Tet Offensive, the renowned journalist ____________ declared that the Vietnam War seemed destined "to end in a stalemate.". endobj As head of U.S. forces in Vietnam, William Westmoreland pursued a war of attrition: the number of dead enemy fighters was the key measure of merit. In 1963 he was murdered during a coup dtat by some of his generals. A young lady dressed in bell-bottoms, love beads and a peace symbol came up to me as the elderly woman walked away. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". From Vietnam I went directly to Berlin for a four-year tour of duty. considerable snow. Author: They believed that it was not fair for antiwar protesters to question their actions during the war. No. Congress authorized troop deployment in Vietnam, but, because it did not issue a declaration of war on North Vietnam or the Viet Cong, the Vietnam War is, technically speaking, not considered a war in the United States. I finally realized that I fought for my country and for my own beliefs. My initial thought was, wow, "real people." endobj A declaration passed by Congress that gave the president broad military powers in Vietnam. 80% of soldiers were from lower economic levels and college was a way out only those with $ could afford college. <><>19 20]/P 25 0 R/Pg 50 0 R/S/Link>> Many Americans lose faith in their government. WebHomecoming by Dennis J. Stauffer I left Vietnam nearly 14 years ago and tried to put that phase of my life behind. A nicely dressed woman in her 20s blocked my path and hissed "(expletive) murderer" in my face. 6 0 obj It lasted from 1954 to 1975. What organizations and groups of Americans tended to oppose the war? In the I wish some attention would be paid to the humor, compassion and heroism exemplified by our men in Vietnam. For years I had been hearing stories that when American troops returned home from Vietnam, they were spat upon by anti-war protesters. To end US involvement in Vietnam; replace troops with South Vietnamese troops which establishes "peace with honor". WebMarch 29th is an opportunity to thank and honor the 2.7 million service members who served in Vietnam. <>1]/P 6 0 R/Pg 50 0 R/S/Link>> Vietnam and anything associated with the Vietnam War was not popular. Vietnam veterans receive a cold homecoming. Heather Vlieg 8. Webhow Vietnam veterans were treated upon their return home, several did detailed that experience, reporting disturbing opinions regarding the activities of the anti-war Richard Nixon won support during the presidential race by vowing to restore ______________ to the country. What did Vietnam veterans feel about the antiwar movement? &;&BE"7;2wk{z
X1}&Ds(=6m7WH\cVaadQdr4c{SB;&F54zF~-t~z2g.?/ 8`}a~XV@s. I had many occasions to visit East Berling, always in uniform, where I came in contact with epople of the Oriental race who were obviously from Vietnam. Was I even welcome at the local American Legion post as a Nam vet? %PDF-1.5
20. For the thousand-plus people who wrote to me, there was probably a measure of cahtarsis just in the act of writing. Suppose that you are a member of Congress. This was on April 15, 1970. William calley accepts responsibility..100 innocent Vietnamese murdered by US soldiers- which further turned Americans away from war. <>/MediaBox[0 0 612 792]/Parent 9 0 R/Resources<>/Font<>/ProcSet[/PDF/Text/ImageC]/XObject<>>>/StructParents 0/Tabs/S/Type/Page>> The Vietnam War lasted from 1964-1973the longest war in WebHomecoming: When the Soldiers Returned From Vietnam is a book of selected correspondence published in 1989. . We returned to political turmoil, peace marches, anti-war and anti-veteran activities and one giant lack of appreciation. If they were myth, we should know that, too. In Vietnam I only tried to do my job and maintain my sanity in a world gone crazy. At 7 in the morning I was sitting on the front proch having coffee and a young man came by delivering telephone books. We put the banner up at 6 in the morning before my son left for college. We coulnd't answer any of the questions for ourselves or our children. endobj endobj This was partly due to the logistics of the never-ending conflict. They believed that it was not fair for antiwar protesters to question their actions during the war. To see people step forward with a picture of their dead son or brother to see disabled veterans step out to shake hands .. for all of us to wipe a little spit off our hearts. I was there two times, 24 months in all, Marine Corps pilot; when I returned each time I returned to a supportive group of friends and family. The U.S. military has estimated that between 200,000 and 250,000 South Vietnamese soldiers died. I raised the question in my syndicated newspaper column. Was I able to get a date with a girl if she knew I was a Nam vet? DiH"nE#y04tJ4j:$;S{NipK[td. Being 21 and not being able to get a job, a date, a place to live, or a drink with other vets was the hard part. As the plane took off, the cheering and tears exploded with the feeling of being off the ground. The United States had provided funding, armaments, and training to South Vietnams government and military since Vietnams partition into the communist North and the democratic South in 1954. I was in my dress uniform in San Francisco airport waiting for my wife to arrive from out of state, when a guy ran up to me, called me a war monger, spat on me and ran off. How long can a foreign object stay in your ear? We were told that drugs were fine -- they didn't do anyone or society any harm. 2. I believe that most of us were well received, although we probably felt unfomfortable adjusting, some having guilty about surviving while many of their compatriots didn't make it. SHARE VIETNAM VETS RECALL THEIR HOMECOMINGS -- OFTEN PAINFULLY Email Flipboard For years I had been hearing stories that when American troops returned When I returned to my hometown, I was greeted as a patriot, with an interview by our local paper replete with frontg page story and photo. What does it mean when you wear a bandana in your back pocket? By hippies. The couple just walked away and melted into the crowd. how did it become one? I landed at Travis Air Force Base in California, went to the Oakland Army Terminal, and was cleared to go home for 30 days' leave. So we shut if off and shut it out. 2023-01-20T17:35:10-08:00 I was wearing my Air Force uniform when my plane landed at Los Angeles International Airport. Ana has done a very (credible, creditable credulous) job. endobj What is the reflection of the story of princess urduja? I remember looking down at the scarred landscape, waiting until we got enough altitude to be completely safe. [49 0 R 52 0 R 54 0 R 56 0 R 57 0 R 58 0 R 59 0 R 60 0 R 61 0 R 62 0 R 63 0 R] Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features. It would be ludicrous, all these years later, to pretend to remember exactly what was siad. Furthermore, domestic unrest and the financial cost of war made peaceand troop withdrawalsa necessity, not a choice. No one is whine boxing around for a parade in their honor and for the most part, the Nam is in the past, where it belongs. What were some of the reasons that "doves" opposed the war? "It was a time when America itself was in turmoil," he said. He earned 38 military decorations during his career, and has been called the most decorated U.S. soldier of the Vietnam War. %PDF-1.7
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3 0 obj Veterans views of the antiwar movement. <>6]/P 32 0 R/Pg 48 0 R/S/Link>> I've never even heard a harsh word cast in my direction, let alone a spit! After all, most protesters had not been to Vietnam. WebWhy did Vietnam veterans have a hard time coming home? We were told we were immoral because we believed in democracy and this country. We read everything we can get our hands on, but for the 10 years after the Vietnam War we read nothing about the war. %
The question of who won the Vietnam War has been a subject of debate, and the answer depends on the definition of victory. endobj endobj HW%HY&YXh-G5\9U)8ulr.\LoZ?\ry{[pMI;%bIfRl>TFh= He said he could not and would not shake my son's hand because of the killing my son was involved in. <>31]/P 28 0 R/Pg 50 0 R/S/Link>> All that can be said is that He reflected Monday on the cold homecoming many Vietnam servicemen experienced upon returning. No one knew what to say. `GY }*wYZ. Also, of all the guys I flew with -- maybe more than 100 aviators in all (in my two squadrons) -- everyone has made a good adjustment to the real world. 3 0 obj<>stream
While waiting for a bus home there, an elderly woman came up to me, looked me square in the face, and called me a hired killer. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. I was in the U.S. Navy from 1967 until 1971. %PDF-1.4 Told to report back to the plane in an hour, the vast majority of us headed immediately for a cold one in the airport lounge. For Vietnam veterans, this is a day when they finally receive the recognition and respect that was missing so many years ago. Write a speech in which you attempt to persuade other lawmakers to vote for or against Clinton's impeachment. I entered civilian life with no problems and continued withy my life. The heated arguments within the United States over military involvement in Vietnam kept most people from welcoming the veterans or WebVietnam veterans. They mainly noticed that We were in an ambush site near a village, and he ministered to htis woman all night until her fever broke. WebThe veterans of World War II were welcomed home as heroes. What is the answer punchline algebra 15.1 why dose a chicken coop have only two doors? However, I don't hink it's unreasonable for us as veterans to want and even expect medical assistance and/or compensation for war-related health problems that have all but devastated whole families. And the dozen or so Vietnam veterans I've talked to (I can't talk to World War II vets) all told similar stories. It was the fall of 1970 and I was in Sacramento, Calif., bus station. FSM: free speech movement For the most accurate and up-to-date information, consult individual encyclopedia entries about the topics. ursa major is the scientific name for the big dipper. 1. <>15]/P 25 0 R/Pg 50 0 R/S/Link>> I remember one of my corpsmen staying up with a Vietnamese woman in her 70s who was suffering with a high temperature. It occurred to me that one of them resembled my best friend back home. The Hawaii Vietnam Veterans Project surveyed two samples, one of Native Hawaiians (the indigenous peoples of the Hawaiian Islands, who constitute about 22% of the permanent population in Hawaii) and another of Americans of Japanese Ancestry (the descendants of Japanese immigrants who comprise about 24% of the permanent Once he became president, he sought to establish enough stability in the region for the South Vietnamese government to take over. Its genesis was a controversial newspaper column of It does not store any personal data. Instead I can happily state that I was responsible for helping to save the lives of several of our aircrew members whenever their planes came in disabled. The veterans of the Korean War received a warm homecoming. These women did not spit on us, nor did they inquire as to how many people we killed. Vietnam was temporarily divided along the 17th parallel into North and South and a future election would be held to unify the country. I cried, it felt so good, even 17 years laters. By clicking Accept All, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. First student strike in U.S. history occurs. War was no longer just for soldiers -- it was there in color and all its horrors every day on the TV with our children asking over an dover, why were our soldiers doing that? When Iran finally released the hostages the entire country opened up its arms and its heart to their return. I also kept quiet because the war was not a welcome topic outside the walls of veterans clubs. As for my job in Vietnam, I was a crash/rescue team member and killed no one. Correct the capitalization in each sentence. Veterans views of the antiwar movement Many Vietnam veterans blamed the antiwar movement for the chilly reception they got upon returning to the United States. How did Ho Chi Minh respond to the return of the French? One fellow was leaning against the wall, the other half-kneeling, half-sitting on the floor. Appligent AppendPDF Pro 6.3 Was I able to find a job when a prospective employer found out I was a Nam vet? Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. 16 0 obj 1. The questions and answers in this list are taken from the Top Questions sections of the articles on the Vietnam War, Ho Chi Minh, Ngo Dinh Diem, William Westmoreland, Richard Nixon, and Agent Orange. For Leary, the catharsis came on the day of the parade. Next time you see a bunch of "Vietnam veterans" on television walking in a parade, take a good close look at them. With that they both started calling me names -- Baby Killer and Fascist Dog, among others -- before the girl spat at me as her friend shoved me. Why did Vietnam veterans receive a cold homecoming? 0 But I could never forget her face and those few kind words. The United States entered Vietnam with the principal purpose of preventing a communist takeover of the region. The U.S. Constitution grants Congress sole authority to issue declarations of war. 4 When did American troops return home from Vietnam? In that respect, it failed: the two Vietnams were united under a communist banner in July 1976. stream
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May I share my homecoming experience with you? I apologize for taking so long to send this letter. Striking her would have been playing right into their hands, since I saw one of the group had a tape recorder and a camera ready to record my reaction. A soldier, fresh from Vietnam duty, wearing his uniform, gets off the plane at an American airport, where he is spat upon by "hippies." Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., lists more than 58,300 names of members of the U.S. armed forces who were killed or went missing in action. WebWhy were Vietnam veterans treated so badly when they came home? I was recovering from injuries received in Vietnam at a military hospital near Philadelphia. WebVietnam. Most plants need sunlight in order to grow however there are a few kinds of plants, such as mushrooms, that can grow without any light at all. Then I remember walking by myself through the San Francisco airport to complete indifference. Understanding The Homecoming Experience of Vietnam Veterans. However, from a constitutional perspective, this conflict did not technically count as a war. I came home from Southeast Asia on Aug. 19, 1971. I think these stories about spitting are a lot of bull. endobj
After serving in Vietnam from June '66 to June '67, I returned to the States to a wonderful reception. I started after him, but I lost him in the airport crowd. And although I was a bit conservative at the time, I thought, "my people." It granted him broad latitude in handling the struggle against communism in Southeast Asia. <>17]/P 25 0 R/Pg 50 0 R/S/Link>> Both have low precipitation and high evaporation rates.