How were the veterans of the Vietnam War often treated on their return home?

How were the veterans of the Vietnam War often treated on their return home?

Unlike the hero status given to the returning soldiers form World War II, the soldiers that served in Vietnam were portrayed as baby killers, psychos, drug addicts and war mongers. Movies and television shows began depicting returning soldiers as deranged monsters even before the war ended.

What challenges did American soldiers faced in Vietnam?

The US military did little to combat drug abuse until 1971. 1. Soldiers on both sides faced many difficulties and challenges during the Vietnam War – including climate, terrain, the complex political situation and unclear military objectives.

What was it like for American soldiers returning home from Vietnam?

American soldiers returning home from Vietnam often faced scorn as the war they had fought in became increasingly unpopular. Twenty-one-year-old Steven A. Wowwk arrived as an infantryman in the Army’s First Cavalry Division in Cam Ranh Bay, Vietnam in early January 1969 to fight in an escalating and increasingly unwinnable war.

How long did it take for America to honor Vietnam Veterans?

In 1982 Vietnam veterans march down Constitution Avenue toward the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, which would be dedicated later that day. The Gulf War saw a shift in attitudes. It would take nearly 20 years after the end of the war for America to get right with its Vietnam veterans.

Did Vietnam veterans receive ‘Welcome Home’ Parades for World War II veterans?

As a cohort, Vietnam veterans were met with none of the fanfare and received none of the benefits bestowed upon World War II ’s “greatest generation.” No ‘Welcome Home’ parades for Vietnam vets.

Did you experience trauma from the Vietnam War?

The Vietnam War claimed the lives of more than 58,000 American service members and wounded more than 150,000. And for the men who served in Vietnam and survived unspeakable horrors, coming home offered its own kind of trauma. Some, like Wowwk, say they had invectives hurled their way; others, like naval officer Ford Cole, remember being spit on.