Is there a disconnect between the Korean & Vietnam Veterans & the Gulf/OIF/OEF Veterans?

When I was on active duty, the majority of the higher ranking officers and SNCOs were WWII or Korean veterans. By the time I got to Vietnam, I saw no difference or disconnect because those that I dealt with were 100% into the Vietnam War just as we were. By the time I got around to predeployment training before going to Iraq, the younger soldiers I dealt with were behind me and spoke against those that criticized the Vietnam veteran.

This is just my experience. The next guy could have had a complete 180 from me.

Only if the individual allows it.

There will always be a generational gap despite their similarities. To bridge the gap would require some effort on both sides to figure out how to connect beyond their service. Communication would be complicated by the approach each side uses. A 'Hey hook up with me on Twitter' or 'Send a friend request on Facebook' is not going to connect with a Vietnam vet. Thus is the problem bringing in the OEF/OIF guys into the VFW's . They're connected via social media not hanging engaging in a face to face environment. If the VFW wants these guys to show to the party get on Facebook and buy a couple of X-box's.

I can't speak for the Korean Vets, but as a Vietnam Vet I sense no disconnect with the Gulf Vets. There are just so many similarities in the 2 theaters. Both dealt with insurgents, both dealt with unfriendly distrusting populations and insurgents hiding in the population so you didn't know who to trust. From the car driving up to a checkpoint or a child walking past a patrol the dangers were the same The theater difference of jungle/rice paddy to sand and mountains geographically I don't think matters that much to guys that were trained for the terrain they would deploy to. We all walked our patrols with the same thought in mind to get safe back home. I am in awe of the gulf vets with the multiple tours demanded of them. That would not have worked in Vietnam with a largely inducted force. So for me, no conflict, they've both seen and done things they wish they hadn't and are stronger men because of it. I'll give any Vet a thumbs up if I run across him.

I really don't think that there is a disconnect with what we veterans went through, or should I say this when I was stationed in West Berlin people really didn't know that there was a wall around that city, But we were all in the same Army but there was more pride being stationed in Berlin then in West Germany, I think it is the same with the other vets, Korean vets had it very rough very cold winter, and here again people didn't want us fighting another war for something that most people didn't understand or even wanted to understand, During Desert Storm Americans thought that was how the rest of the wars would be fought, I can remember when 9-11 happen the day after there wasn't a car or building that didn't have the flag flying, 6 months later you couldn't find one. So here we go with the media cause that is what most people pay attention too. So during Desert Storm our Brig commander would not let the press interview anyone and they rode in his tank and Humvee that way no one could see the damage and the killings we did. So the bottom line is that all of us have our demons to deal with. Bottom line is this WE ALL BLEED RED, NONE OF US EVER QUESTIONED WHAT RACE WE WERE ON THE FRONT LINE WE ALL FOUGHT FOR WHAT WE BELIEVED IN AMEN!

Sir there is only a gap if we let it. The gap is why all the old Vet groups are having membership troubles and so many new groups are cropping up. 1. We all served- some fought for a year (SVN) some fought for 100hrs (GF1) and some fought multiple deployments or years (WWII)- how long, how much should pale beside the "We served when others didn't" Death, bullets, bombs etc- are the damn same regardless how long you see them. Burying friends- ditto. Every time a hear a SVN vet spout off about combat for a year compared to the "new pups" I ask him if that means his service doesn't count against his Dads in WWII ( who nay have served 3 yrs). It has a tendency to make them think twice.

I enlisted righ at the onset of operation deserd storm. The Marines of today are as far removed from me as I was to those few Marines who were of the Vietnam war when I first got in.

There is definitely a disconnect. For the most part, the veterans I've interacted with who served in the Vietnam era were people who work for the Dept. of Veteran's Affairs (physicians and staff, etc.). In many cases, they're very professional up front, but you can see the contempt they have for this generation. The best VA providers I've ever had were the ones who never served but have respect for the military and the worst were the ones who did serve. Middle of the road would be the ones who didn't respect and didn't serve.

Outside of the VA, I've looked in to at least four different veteran's organisations including similar to VFW and American Legion, but the chapters I saw were mostly just drinking buddies in small towns who were not interested in letting anybody else in to their group regardless of when they served or where.

I understand the question and concern and posted earlier about an experience I had but have thought more about the question. Whether as a vet you were drafted to WWII, Korea or VN or whether he/she enlisted out of a sense of patriotism or maybe just wanted a career, or in the Gulf, Libia, Afghanistan, and all the other "wars" in between the men and women served it matters not. Whether one slogged it out in Europe when Patton led the Third Army or hit the beach on D-Day or whether you froze your ass off in a Korean winter or got foot rot in Vietnam, everyone suffered. Whether you had to worry about drinking enough in the deserts of the middle east to be able to piss and tote all the high-tech stuff in addition to your basic gear doesn't make you any better or less than the guy in Europe in 1943 and even though he was a part of the "Greatest Generation" your generation of soldiers is equal, especially since the politicians wouldn't let anyone finish the job since 1945.

I thought that the disconnect would be with WWII verterans.