Most citizens now respect Vietnam Veterans in America. Feel free to submit interesting articles, tell us about this cool book you just read, or start a discussion about who everyone's favorite figure of minor French nobility is! The baby boomers who were of military age and eligible to serve in Vietnam, but chose to protest and disrespect Vietnam Veterans, never wanted to be associated with the patriotic and brave men and women who chose to serve. An overwhelming majority of Vietnam veterans served honorably and bravely. You were filled with painful memories from the things you had to see, This show, for the first time, featured a Vietnam Veteran in a positive manner, and not as the typical drug-crazed lunatic, or the psychotic killer the left wing liberals of Hollywood seemed to relish portraying up until this time. WebWhy were Vietnam vets treated badly when returning home? Despite U.S. economic support and military advisers, the French lost the ensuing Vietnamese independence struggle and withdrew from all of Indo-China. And what made it even worse was how it ended The anti-war movement had extensive outreach programs towards veterans and active duty personnel which would be impossible if they were as hostile as commonly believed. These children of World War II veterans learned their responsibility to serve when called or to volunteer before being called. Few could have anticipated the duration and cost of this commitment. More people probably knew Lt. William Calley, the man in charge at My Lai, than knew the name of any other combat officer who served in Vietnam. Our Vietnam experience ended more than 40 years past, and it deserves to be judged by history. I was notI did my job. Their favorite song was the Animals recording of We Gotta Get Out of This Place. But when they did get out, their homecoming was often difficult and lonely. Lan-Dinh went to West Point. Danielle became the first female company commander in a combat engineer battalion directly assigned to a brigade combat team and led troops in combat in Iraq. And he espouses that post-traumatic stress disorder was an invention of the government to garner support for the war. Those born after the boomers may find it quaint to read about a president asking citizens to sacrifice, to pay any price. Nonetheless, their parents or grandparents, the baby boomers, will most likely remember a brief shining moment of energized promise and of unfulfilled dreams. The entitled elite who used the term baby killers against us re-purposed the term from World War I, when the English used it to refer to what the German use of zeppelins did over English cities. Why were people angry about the Vietnam War memorial? As we reflect on American military history on this Veterans Day we can draw a simple parallel between our attempts at peace with honor in both Vietnam and Afghanistan. I believe it just fit the narrative, especially since the Vietnam War was the first war where the press was able to come and go. All Gave Some. One example: A 1967 Bucks County Courier Times article reporting that two sailors were spat on outside a high school football game by a gang of about 10 young men. Wars are far easier to initiate than to conclude. Television news showed GIs using their cigarette lighters, the Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Maguens earlier researchsupported by the Veterans Health Research Institute-NCIREhas linked killing in combat with PTSD, depression and suicide. V2: The Gulf war starting with the build-up of troops, weapons and supplies in August of 1990 with Operation Desert Shield, and then combat operations called, Operation Desert Storm, from January 17, 1991, until February 28, 1991, had two high ranking generals planning and carrying out the tactics that were Vietnam Veterans. Thanks! WebMore than 58,000 made the ultimate sacrifice, and hundreds of thousands more were injured physically, psychologically, or both coming back to a nation which spat upon them or called them baby killers. It was indeed a painful chapter in American history. Those The only reason to not accuse a person of a misdeed is lack of evidence that person committed that misdeed. The anti-war movement didn't even condemn Lt. Calley of the My Lai massacre infamy, seeing him as a scapegoat while his commanding officers walked free (in the event, Calley served something like two days in jail for murdering 22 people). Market data provided by Factset. Again, according to the National Vietnam Veterans Foundation, the figures of people claiming to be Vietnam Veterans, serving in-country, for the 2000 census count was 13,853,027. Spitting stories, while true, aren't the point. Shira Maguen, PhD, UCSF associate professor of psychiatry and mental health director of the San Francisco Veterans Affairs Health Care System Integrated Care Clinic, which treats Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans, said these emotional scars sometimes last for decades. Other wars were identical, however, no one knew the carnage and damage of Allied bombers to French and German Civilians- AKA no one cared. It was a time of fear, but also an era of national confidence and of individual obligation. Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox. It is not uncommon for Vietnam Veterans to hear from the younger generations that wore the American military uniform after our service, Thank you, you and other Vietnam Veterans paved the way for us. Those are powerful words and make one very humble coming from this younger generation of patriotic, strong and ALL-VOLUNTEER FORCE of Americans. Why were Vietnam vets called baby killers The term Vietnam War veterandescribes someone who served in the armed forces during the Vietnam War. Went to the Taliban come Kabul so my neighborhood they are Pashtun we are Hazara and Shia my neighborhood because of enmity to us theyre reporting the Taliban me and my family are Christian also the Taliban enmity too with Hazara Shia they are searching my family to find them and killing them know my family is hide if find them killing them please help my family???? The study was based on focus group and individual interviews with 26 war veterans who had killed or believed that their combat actions caused the death of others. But having been alive during that period myself, I certainly don't remember this as being any sort of widespread cultural phenomena. I've studied the history, and I've lived it. David Maxwell, a 1945 Contributing Editor, is a member of the board of directors of Shona ba Shona. He is a retired US Army Special Forces Colonel who has spent more than 20 years in Asia and specializes in North Korea and East Asia Security Affairs and irregular, unconventional. Their leaders did not, although they were seldom honest about this. Other spitting incidents were reported by Pulitzer Prize winners Max Frankel in the New York Times (November 1969) and Carl Bernstein in the Washington Post (May 1970). Welcome back where you belong One of the sailors was stabbed. It seems many in our country now want to be Vietnam Veterans even though they never stepped foot in that country. Of course there was anti-war press there that did everything to denounce the war and call our soldiers murders and baby killers, which of course the hippies ate it up on the tv and news and it spread like fire. Joe has spoken at high schools and colleges for 25 years about PTSD, war and how not to treat returning veterans when they come home to America after fighting for their country. President Donald Trump bestows the nation's highest military honor, the Medal of Honor to retired Army medic James McCloughan during a ceremony in the East Room of the White House in Washington, Monday, July 31, 2017. If there is evidence that person committed a misdeed, then they must be accused of that misdeed, and there can not be any justification for not accusing them. In the years after the war, as civilians they have continued to serve their country and their world and to make a difference. Although such incidents were rare, the stories were often repeated among The Operation Song Alumni Group has been meeting for their spring 23 songwriting sessions and the fruit of their most recent session (February 3, 2023) is a song titled Welcome Home From Vietnam. The Vietnam Veterans wanted to make sure no Americans returning home from fighting for their country ever received the negative treatment as they did during the Vietnam War. They said, ditch that uniform, boy, if you know whats good for you The author couldn't find a single reported incident of homecoming veterans being spat upon by anti-war protestors (the only Vietnam veterans spat upon that he could find were ones who were anti-war protestors). The idea that the anti-war movement was hostile towards Vietnam veterans is a myth. Veterans Radio: Thank you David for your service to our veteran community. Why Were Vietnam Soldiers Called Baby KillersYour bearded dragon can die from organ failure and it can sometimes seem as a sudden death. Magnum, P.I. I did what everybody else did. WebThey Called Us Baby Killers, Vietnam 1967. Made us question why we ever joined the fight But we took it out on you, and now its time to make things right V1: On the TV, in the papers, you were treated so unfair You got blamed for Vietnam instead of the ones who sent you there Some folks called you baby killers, called you monsters and worse Why weren't those soldiers, such as WWII, Korean, and Gulf War vets,, called 'baby killers' too? But always that nagging question, why do I hurt like this?. Do Sleep Medications Increase Your Chances of Dementia. Welcome back where you belong.you know there shoulda been a ticker tape parade The journalist Philip Caputo was a young Marine officer who went ashore with the first American combat units in Vietnam, in 1965. You look at WW2 for example they French wanted to be liberated from German control and helped where they could, I am sure in Germany bad stuff happend especially when the Soviets invaded. flower shop killing, Stillwater officers shoot, kill suspect at apartment complex, 'We play whack-a-mole': Growing medical needs stress suburban fire departments, Two Harbors residents renew 20-year fight to block project on Lighthouse Point. Contrary to protesters' claims, then and now, the Vietnam War did not begin without good reasons. In 1968, the chant from protesters was Hey, hey, L.B.J. Fox Nation's "Modern Warriors" returned on Tuesday with a new episode that chronicles the sacrifices and personal accounts of decorated Vietnam veterans who dedicated their lives to service on behalf of the United States. Eighteen were Vietnam veterans and eight were deployed in Iraq. Edit, I think the use of Agent Orange has been criticized far more after the war, since it's effects have taken so much time to really come to fruition. We need to remember that it was the South Vietnamese government that lost their war, not the much-maligned American soldier. just for you. Why were people angry about the Vietnam War memorial? It is our honor to serve those who have served in the United States Armed Forces. Welcome home from Vietnamwere so thankful for the sacrifice you made My dad was a vet during the war, but was always stationed in the US. He and his family escaped from Cambodia after surviving the Killings Fields and refugee camps in Cambodia and Thailand. Also, even though several decades had passed since the war in Vietnam and the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, there were still some Vietnam Veterans fighting in those wars and serving their country. ------------------------------------------------------------ There were controversies about the memorial, but the disagreed upon concerns were addressed then settled, and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial is one of the most visited sites in our Nations Capitol today. Many of them served in Vietnam. Some Gave All. A human reaction to the crowds and returning Afghanistan and Iraq War Veterans by Vietnam Veterans could have been bitter and resentful, but those that fought in Vietnam wanted to make sure our returning warriors were respected and thanked for their service and for doing so rose above their own emotional and mental pain. Losing limbs, and losing best friends, losing half your sanity The spitting on veterans was just a small part of the overall feeling of lost honor, but it was real, contrary to Sirota's article, which appears to borrow heavily from a review of a book written by socialist and war protester Jerry Lembcke. On the other hand, what remains a common trait of veterans of both wars is their desire to help those left behind. The atrocities being committed by both sides were widely publicised, and this led to a lot of anger at home, hence the "baby killing" term and the anger at the vets. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. WebAnswer (1 of 6): Its a hateful name to call any veteran, and even today, Id be careful calling a Vietnam Vet that name to his face. Some found it hard to get close to others because they had to hide that they killed in combat. We specialize in FTL freight particularly refrigerated and frozen food, over-dimensional freight, multi-pick and multi-drop shipments and fresh produce. WebAnswer (1 of 2): I served with the USMC in Vietnam in 1966.1967 and when I got home, I didnt want anything from anyone, because I had my life and all of my parts too. Partially because the Vietnam war saw far more coverage of war crimes committed by americans than other wars, for example, see the massacres of My Lai and My Khe when a company of US infantrymen killed, raped and mutilated their way through over 500 people (according to the vietnamese government, american sources claim 347 total dead and wounded but only account for the actions committed in My Lai.). Press J to jump to the feed. Required fields are marked *. Russian Forces strike Ukrainian Armys Electronic Intelligence Center in Kiev Region. Always Remember, Your email address will not be published. WebThe short answer is that it was the result of a highly effective, decades long campaign by many forces in society bent on casting blame for America's defeat in the war COMMENTdocument.getElementById("comment").setAttribute( "id", "a144447f3c8e4143cfddcc0024396068" );document.getElementById("ee4d823118").setAttribute( "id", "comment" ); Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. It was shameful, it was ugly, it was rude Later in the Vietnam War, Wynn spent nearly two months in military hospital after being shot in the chest - 8 out of the 12 men in his squad were killed or wounded on the same day. ", "The perception was that you were either mentally unstable, or you were on some kind of a drug," Louis Vlahakes, NJ Vietnam Veterans Memorial Trustee recounted, "and that was the beginning of the acknowledgment of what society had expected when we came home.". They had an impression that we were baby killers and drug addicts. So, welcome home from Vietnam yeah, welcome home !! Kelly recounted how about 200 anti-war protesters showed up one year to harass the Medal of Honor recipients at their annual dinner. According to cultural historian M. All Rights Reserved en.trandaiquang.org - 2023. Written in Collaboration with Operation Song Writer David Kent and the Operation Song Alumni. They described how they felt after killing in combat and some opened up about hidden agonies. The reprinted letters show a steady pattern of mistreatment of Vietnam veterans by all segments of American society, and in a wide variety of settings. There have been extremely sad songs, some very scary, some hilariously comical, and some funny and off- color. Its detractors perceived it as a monument to defeat, one that spoke more directly to a nations guilt than to the honor of the war dead and the veterans, describing it as the black gash of shame, the degrading ditch, and a wailing wall for draft dodgers and New Lefters of the future. 4 Its detractors perceived it as a monument to defeat, one that spoke more directly to a nations guilt than to the honor of the war dead and the veterans, describing it as the black gash of shame, the degrading ditch, and a wailing wall for draft dodgers and New Lefters of the future. 4 How did the US citizens view What did the Nazis begin using gas chambers instead of mobile killing units and shooting squads after a while. James McCloughan, an Army medic who was awarded the Medal of Honor by former President Trump for rescuing wounded soldiers during the war, joined host Pete Hegseth in the episode along with several other veterans to detail their experience abroad and the hardships they faced upon their return to the U.S. "Vietnam veterans didn't talk about their war and about themselves," McCloughan recalls in the episode. And even though its 50 years overdue. It includes top-ranked graduate schools of dentistry, medicine, nursing and pharmacy; a graduate division with nationally renowned programs in basic, biomedical, translational and population sciences; and a preeminent biomedical research enterprise. In Minnesota and across the nation, executives are grappling with alarming operating losses. He worked with a ton of vets who would tell outrageous, obviously false, stories. Mistakenly kill a civilian and push the populace into the hands of the Viet Cong or kill a Viet Cong before they got you. Like most Veterans of any war, Vietnam Veterans had their share of traumatic memories they could not leave behind, but these men and women that served and fought in South Vietnam also had to fight a war with their countrys conscience when they returned home to the United States. WebOne of the Vietnam veterans, Ed Barick, 73, a retired truck driver who lives in San Diego, served as a US army engineer from 1964-67 and returned to a nation that was deeply Being asked about killing left many veterans feeling anxious, isolated and even angry because most felt that someone who did not serve in war could not possibly understand what it was like to kill.. Why Is Assange in Jail and Not Seymour Hersh? When Vietnam veterans were called baby killers and spit on upon returning home why didn't they hit the people doing it? Aint it time for some respect and and a little gratitude, Bridge: In the land where you were born, you were spit upon and cursed Before VT Nuclear Education: The Beirut Nuclear Coverup, The Hidden History of the Incredibly Evil Khazarian Mafia. People did "support the troops" during Vietnam, they just differed on the issue of the justification for the war. Although the history of the past 50 years is complex, it's fair to observe that the spread of communism has been contained. Islamic terrorists attacked on 9/11/2001, and then President George Bush ordered the American Military, the best in the world, to respond and air strikes were carried out against the cowards that had trained in Afghanistan and killed innocent civilians with four hijacked airliners in New York City and Washington, DC. But what is heartening is that great efforts were and are being made by veterans to evacuate people in the hope of giving them a better life. These WANNABES did not want to be Vietnam Veterans when we went off to war and turned our homecoming into a lifes event that will never leave us. One veteran put it this way: All I knew is I hurt inside and I didnt know why, you know? As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. We were not honored, but were treated as the face of an unpopular war. Anyone can read what you share. Youre all heroes now so come and get what you deserve American service members did not suffer defeat, even though most of us felt defeated. It has been the most rewarding songwriting I have done in my life, because we are dealing with real stories and real lives. In October 1967, Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter James Reston's front page article in the New York Times described his eyewitness account of protest behavior so vulgar that spitting was the least of the transgressions. Fox Nationprograms are viewable on-demand and from your mobile device app, but only for Fox Nation subscribers. Fatima Jaghoori is an Afghan refugee, a former U.S. Army medic who fought in Iraq, a Gold Star wife, and is now a student at Kansas State University. There has never been, nor will there ever be, a charge to any veteran or family member for our services. He is a 30-year veteran of the United States Army, retiring in 2011 as a Special Forces Colonel with his final assignment serving on the military faculty teaching national security strategy at the National War College. Why did Vietnam vets get called baby killers? Web3.Why were U.S. This younger generation that was welcoming home their generation of returning Veterans began to ask why the Vietnam Veterans were treated and greeted in the way they were when they returned home and thought this was wrong. He has written well over 100 songs for veterans from WWII, Korea, Vietnam, Iraq and Afghan wars and Gold Star children and surviving spouses. WebAnswer (1 of 2): I served with the USMC in Vietnam in 1966.1967 and when I got home, I didnt want anything from anyone, because I had my life and all of my parts too. I think it also had a lot more popular opposition than any war since. Your email address will not be published. David: I can tell you this about my time with Operation Song, which I believe has been about seven or eight years at this point.
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