Soldiers at Home
©1997 Jennifer Crown
Two American advisors were killed on July 8, 1959.
On April 30, 1975, the government of the Republic of Vietnam surrendered, and all
remaining U.S. civilian and military personnel were evacuated. The Vietnam War had been
the longest in America's history. Altogether, approximately 300,000 were wounded. About
75,000 were permanently disabled. Over 58,000 were killed. When the soldiers returned
home, many not only received no recognition for the service, but were also greeted with
disdain. The nation was enraged over America's policy in conducting the war.
Today, we work beside other productive members of
society and are sometimes unaware that they are Vietnam veterans. This reporter worked
with three such individuals for almost four years before she discovered they had served in
Vietnam. She treasures them as some of the nicest people she had the pleasure to meet.
Yet, we are often taught by Hollywood and other
media that we should be able to automatically recognize the ones who went to
"'nam." They are the ones who have "gone off the deep end."
- "Don't hike in the backcountry because a vet
may jump from behind a tree and hurt you."
- "See that homeless bum over there on the
grate. He's probably a Vietnam vet."
- "Be a little cautious of that one…might
snap at any moment, you know. Seems normal enough now, but anything can trigger a
flashback. Then, WHAMO!"
Perhaps it is a wise idea for us to talk to a few
of the Vietnam veterans directly:
"THE INDIAN" (Served
in the Army "Rangers.")
Sodbuster: Vietnam veterans are sometimes
depicted as nutcases that hide themselves in the woods. What do you think of that? How did
the war effect you?
The Indian: "Every person fought a
different war. We are branded as wackos, by the system and sometimes even by our comrades.
When we got back, other vets had a place to go for support. We didn't."
Sodbuster: So, Vietnam veterans had it
harder than other war veterans?
The Indian: "War is war. We just tried
to stay alive while people were shooting at us so we could come home. You know, we were
closer to winning that war than people realize when we were pulled out. We did our job. It
was the government that screwed up."
(pause to reflect)
......."If you came from money or from the street, the war effected you. If
they say it didn't, they're lying."
Sodbuster: There are stories about citizens
shouting obscenities and spitting in your faces when you came home to the States. Was it
like that for you?
The Indian: "A friend once told me,
'We didn’t protest the soldiers. We protested the war.' I told him, 'We couldn't tell
the difference. It felt like everyone was mad at us.'"
Sodbuster: Do you feel that the Vietnam War
was any more violent or psychologically damaging than other wars?
The Indian: "Naw, it's all killing,
man. People killing people. Some went over with problems, and the war magnified it."
Sodbuster: So, it is mainly your
perspective that Vietnam vets were treated differently when they came back?
The Indian: "Yes. And, I don't mind
people knowing that I'm a vet. If they know and are scared of me because of that, then at
least they stay out of my way."
"RAKER" (Served in the
Marines)
Sodbuster: People are often fearful or
cautious of Vietnam vets, thinking they'll snap at any moment. In your opinion, who
"snaps" and why?
Raker: "People coming out of the big
cities and urban environments tend to be the ones who have more of the fabled flashbacks
and troublesome psychological effects from being in Vietnam. Of course, a lot of it
depends on when the soldiers were over there.
......."Kids that came from rural areas, like the Midwest, came out of it a
lot better. They had the moral foundation to fall back on. They grew up hunting rabbits
and other game. They could adjust better.
......."Some guys came out of the jungle and war zone; then, two days later,
they were on the streets of treasure island in San Francisco Bay. Others had two weeks
aboard ship when coming back to "the world" and had more time to adjust. MATS
(Military Air Transport Service) brought back soldiers from the "jungle to the world
in one day." MSTS (Military Sea Transport Service) was a two-week ship ride. Later,
soldiers returned in commercial airplanes."
Sodbuster: How long were you over there?
Raker: "For 18 months. I was a marine.
I went over on a ship and came back on a ship. I went over during typhoon season. The
waves were higher than the ship. It took 16 days to go from Honolulu, Hawaii to Yokohama,
Japan. From Yokohama, I flew to Vietnam."
Sodbuster: What was Vietnam like?
Raker: "On the average, the humidity
was 100%. The temperature was usually about 105 degrees. Leeches were a problem. In the
winter, it rained all the time. There were all kinds of snakes and insects to avoid. One,
in particular, was extremely poisonous. It is a blue-green snake about 8-12" long and
called a "two-stepper." It picks a small, soft spot on the victim's body (like
the skin between forefinger and thumb) and just gnaws on it, injecting the poison all the
while. It kind of reminds me of a hila monster in that."
"LARRY" (Served in the
Marines in Vietnam - Dec. '67 to Jan. '69)
Sodbuster: Vietnam veterans have sometimes
been seen as loony killers hiding in the forest. How do you feel about that? What has been
your experience?
Larry: "I don't believe there are any
more veterans going off the deep end from Vietnam than from any other war. In my eyes, I
feel the guys that went off the deep end were weak-minded. I think if you fail in the
service, you would have failed in real life and become welfare cases anyway. All the
service does is make you grow up fast.
......."I don't want anything. I just want to work to make a living. Not
everyone is equal. You make your own breaks in life. We don't ask for hand-outs."
Sodbuster: There are some with a different
perspective.
Larry: "Maybe about one or two percent
of the vets are out in the wilderness. A few are going through shell-shock, but many just
use it as a scape-goat. Vietnam didn't make them weak. They were just weak. A lot of us
are living normal lives. I'm no different now than I was before the war. Many of the ones
who complain the most never saw any action."
Sodbuster: The media probably hasn't helped
matters much.
Larry: "No, it hasn't helped. But, you
know, I don't have any regrets. I wouldn't want my kids to have to do it; but if I had to
do it again, I'd do it the same way."
Soldiers of all battles, we thank
you
for your service and integrity. |
