Can you describe how you felt coming home from a deployment or combat?

I was lost on how I felt returning home. I was glad to be home, but missed being in the fire of combat.

I was confused and shocked by the name calling at the Oakland International Airport directed towards me ….I was at Chu Chi with the Wolfhounds of the 27th Infantry and I thought the name calling at the airport was unjustified….

Let's see after completion of a Med/IO cruise deployment, the return home was surreal, like being caught in a time loop. It was as if I expected everything to be just as I left it in the states. However, everyone here at home, had lives, problems , their life moved forward . While mine seemed to be caught in suspended animation. Movies, topics, current events that everyone experienced had no meaning. I had no shared references or experiences after 9 months at sea and various foreign ports.

I didn't come right away I went to Hawaii for evaluation then went to my next duty station. But when I came for leave I was called everything in the book and spit on by the protesters

Totally mind blown, soooo happy I made it back. Semper Fi

When I got back from Vietnam in 1968, after 2 back to back tours I didn’t feel connected, I felt alone in the world. I was angry at the U.S. cause of what was going on here at home, angry that I lost friends in Nam, and just plain pissed off at everything. I knew my country hated me. Took a long time to do something about it, and a lot of work too. All these years later I still have problems from Vietnam, but I’m on a better path. I don’t think it’ll ever be over, but I keep working on it.

Thanks for sharing

When I returned from Vietnam in 1968 I was not spit on or physically accosted. There was plenty of idiots doing a lot of yelling and saying stupid stuff at the San Francisco airport. But when I boarded my flight to Los Angeles the people on the plane and the crew were super nice. Had plenty of free drinks on that short flight. When I reported to my next duty station at Ft. Hood in the 1st AD got more grief from soldiers that had not been deployed to the war zone. As an armor soldier that served in the 1st ID in Vietnam and wearing that combat patch I was always asked about why no CIB. They always seemed to miss the 2 Purple Hearts I wore along with the campaign ribbons I had on my chest. I actually caught more grief from other soldiers than fron any protesters.

Coming home from deployment was extremely emotional and sensitive when dealing with my wife and kids. It was almost like I was a stranger in my own home, attempting to reincorporate myself into the family routine. Adjusting was occasionally intimidating, as I had to learn to love my wife all over again plus grasp all the changes from my growing children. The needs of the military and the family dynamic is something I didn’t incorporate or consider when enlisting. Nevertheless, the trials and the separation added to my emotional intelligence and improved my mental strength going forward.

I was 19 after I came home from Vietnam. The country was in turmoil over the war so I hid it my service from everyone. I got rid of all my gear and even gave a kid my Class A uniform for halloween. I am still bitter about how we were treated. I was doing what I felt was the right thing to do and I felt guilty when I got home. I couldn't even by a beer after a year in a war zone. Took many years to deal with this and still do. Vietnam 67-68.