Table of Contents
Why did they call the Vietnam soldiers baby killers?
It is simply an over exaggeration. This was because of the My Lai Massacre where American soldiers attacked and killed between 347–504 unarmed Vietnamese civilians, men, women, children and babies. The North Vietnamese were outraged and started calling the American soldiers “Baby Killers.”
How was Vietnam traumatizing?
In fact, the VA has found 17 percent – or 510,000 – of the three million American service members who served in Vietnam went on to suffer from PTSD. Divorce, suicide, substance abuse and criminal conduct often became collateral damage.
How many people came back from Vietnam with PTSD?
In the 1970s, a study showed that 15 percent of Vietnam War veterans developed PTSD. However, as time has gone on, that number has doubled to a staggering 30\% of Vietnam veterans with PTSD, or 810,000 of the 2.7 million service members, in the National Vietnam Veteran Readjustment Study.
Were American troops spat upon when they returned home from Vietnam?
Bob Greene For years I had been hearing stories that when American troops returned home from Vietnam, they were spat upon by anti-war protesters. The stories were usually very specific. A soldier, fresh from Vietnam duty, wearing his uniform, gets off the plane at an American airport, where he is spat upon by “hippies.”
What happened to Vietnam veterans when they returned home?
When the American soldiers returned home from World War II in 1945, they were greeted as heroes in the United States. Cities and towns across the country held parades to honor the returning veterans and recognize the sacrifices they had made. But the homecoming was very different for most Vietnam veterans.
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.
Why don’t we have parades for soldiers coming home from Vietnam?
“You don’t have parades for soldiers coming home from a war they lost.” Vietnam veterans hold a silent march down Pennsylvania Avenue past the White House here on April 22, 1971. GI benefits were lacking. Celebrations aside, the government also failed to make good on its promises to those who served.