Posted on Mar 4, 2016
Is there a disconnect between the Korean & Vietnam Veterans & the Gulf/OIF/OEF Veterans?
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RP Members is there a true disconnect? If so, how do we bridge the gap between these two disctinct generations of veterans?
This was brought up in a conversation I had with CPT Jack Durish the other day and I would like to get some opinions from both generations on whether you feel there is a disconnect and some ideas on how we can bridge that gap?
Looking for some positive ideas!
This was brought up in a conversation I had with CPT Jack Durish the other day and I would like to get some opinions from both generations on whether you feel there is a disconnect and some ideas on how we can bridge that gap?
Looking for some positive ideas!
Posted in these groups: 
Vietnam War
Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF)
Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW)
The American Legion
Vietnam War Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) The American Legion
Edited >1 y ago
Posted 10 y ago
Responses: 121
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I think there is a gap. Fortuneately, or unfortunately based on your opinion, I bridged part of the gap by being a veteran of the Vietnam through desert conflicts. I know there are many more of us that can step up and build the bridge that the media has propagated. I can listen to and identify with them all. I am also the Service Officer of our local VFW, a AL member and a DAV member. I was shunned in 1972 and hugged in 1991 with a subdued welcome in 2005. All that and I still believe veteran service organizations need to survive and we are responsible for dragging them into this century.
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SPC Mark Brown
Thank you Chief. Well said. I appreciate hearing from you about your time of service bridging the period from the 1960s through the 1990s.
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I think there is probably a disconnect based on the ages of the vets. I have respect for all vets and having respect for all vets will keep us all together. Will there be difference? Yes. But I wouldn't call it a disconnect.
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COL Mikel J. Burroughs
Capt (Join to see) Thanks for your feedback and there are a lot of us that span from 1975 to 2012 or current and I know we have a lot of respect for the Korean and Vietnam Veterans - they are so important to our heritage!
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I was raised by my parents to respect all men in uniform, and all the veterans of all wars. When I returned from Viet Nam I was cursed and spat at by the hippies, and disrespected by the WWII and Korean War veterans. I have been able to reconnect with the menI served with thanks to the internet and social media. I have the deepest respect for my younger veterans we all faced the enemy, we all lost friends, we all bled red blood. War is what it is. We served our time in hell.
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I don't believe there is a disconnect between any generation of Veterans. We are just simply different with age.
I actually enjoy the company and talking to WW2, Korea, and Vietnam Veterans more than I do my own generation of Veterans!
I've said it many times, but I really favor Vietnam Vets. Since our country didn't support them like they have EVERY other generation of Vereran, all they had were each other. I'll always have a soft spot for my Vietnam Vererans!
I was actually at Lowes the other day and a retired MSG from the Vietnam era started talking to me. I was actually surprised when he ask me, "what do the current Soldiers think about Vietnam Veterans?". I told him that we love them! Lol. Every generation of Veterans has our bad apples, but I've never heard anyone not have support for our veterans from past wars.
Thank you all for your service!
I actually enjoy the company and talking to WW2, Korea, and Vietnam Veterans more than I do my own generation of Veterans!
I've said it many times, but I really favor Vietnam Vets. Since our country didn't support them like they have EVERY other generation of Vereran, all they had were each other. I'll always have a soft spot for my Vietnam Vererans!
I was actually at Lowes the other day and a retired MSG from the Vietnam era started talking to me. I was actually surprised when he ask me, "what do the current Soldiers think about Vietnam Veterans?". I told him that we love them! Lol. Every generation of Veterans has our bad apples, but I've never heard anyone not have support for our veterans from past wars.
Thank you all for your service!
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Suspended Profile
This is a broad stoke question with too much volatility. A great topic, but one that tends to separate veterans when they should stand as one. Every generation has struggles that others will never understand. I am a war veteran of the U.S. Military, that should be enough for you...
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I don't think there is a disconnect based on the conflict that people served in. I think it's more of an age thing. A generation gap. Even on active duty you don't find an eighteen year old troop hanging out with a forty year old. (of course some of that is rank based) For me there is no problem. I served from Vietnam to Bosnia. I may not be able to completely relate to the combat experiences of troops today but a soldier is a soldier. Just by looking at the comments and interactions here on Rally Point there seems to be a good exchange across all ages, times of service and genders of soldiers. Heck, I remember sitting down in a gasthaus with an old WWII German soldier and we had a lot in common.
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yeah Korea and Vietnam was hard core and hella lot more casualties..duh.. that was crazy warfare and respect. warfare these days is nothing compared with back up supportive fire power and technology. but at end of the day a firefight is a firefight with whomever. the politics seem to be the same.. they are manipulated towards and against the innocent..
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There is a disconnect. Sadly it is hard to understand each others point of view because of the massive cultural distances that have occurred between all the wars. How do you put yourself in the others shoes when you don't even know how it was to live at that time? I think the problem comes from trying to think or imagine yourself in each others position, instead of excepting that the experiences were different. Look for the commonalities instead of the differences, which is hard. My Dad is a Vietnam Vet. We have many similarities, when we talk experiences, but we have many differences too. We all seem to have a bit of a chip on your shoulder. When talking with other vets, it helps to remove that chip and become humble. But that is Very Very hard to do. How do you bridge the gap, I honestly don't know. Both sides have to agree the other is equal. Find a commonality would be my biggest advice, and go from there.
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Those of us in the first Gulf War feel 100% (my opinion) out of touch and neglected. No one cares about all the problems (medically) we came home with because our Damn government still says the there's nothing wrong with us. I pull back when I see some of the horrific injuries from Iraq and Afghanistan. Makes me almost ashamed of my problems because their injuries are so visible. And the VA makes sure that you are aware that you are somehow wasting their time.
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COL Mikel J. Burroughs
SSgt Robert Kitchens That is a very sad thing to hear. I wasn't aware that Gulf Veterans were having these types of issues along with all the other issues that the VA is having across the board. Thanks for sharing!
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FN Charlie Spivey
I didn't file for PTSD for a long time as I thought there were folks worse off than I was, but finally did as the nightmares were really bad among other issues. Same with Agent Orange. I kept putting it off as something I may get around to sometime after I get on the Registry. After my 3rd Heart Attack and one I was lucky to have survived, I decided I best file and see what happens with it. There are two types of Disability, those you readily see, and those you don't. Like yopu. I would be out at the VA and see those guys and it made my stuff seem insignificant.
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SFC Ernest Thurston
It's sad that the VA can't or won't take care of any vet.Korea and VN vets didn't get care they deserved and all of the vets from are most current conflicts are finding the same problems. A few things that separates the earlier vets from current vets is that many of the vets from Korea and Viet Nam didn't volunteer. They were drafted used and then when they came home were tossed away. It's still happening. The other thing that is different is that many of them just didn't come home they were killed as opposed to today where many vets survive albeit broken and injured in mind and body and come home as heroes. The thing that vets need to do is make sure the civilian government lives up to it's promises to ALL VETs and stop bickering about who deserves more attention. Does the VN vet that lost his legs to a "bouncing betty" and then given a wheel chair for life deserve less care than the Iraqi vet that lost his to an IED on the road? Why should the new vets get all the technology, prosthetics, a modified home and an old vet deal with the same injuries homeless,riding around on a modified skateboard begging for change? We as vets need to change the political landscape like we did the tactical landscape.
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I know there's a disconnect between Gulf/OIF/OEF veterans and Reagan era veterans. I had one Gulf War vet tell me that as a Reagan era veteran my service didn't deserve the respect FROM him that I "owed" TO him.
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SPC Franklin McKown
This is from Suits Punch reel season 2
Slapping is Authorized I was 1ST Cav,in a CAB 1/7 Cav..https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qgf_dpXizDE
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SFC Ernest Thurston
I can't believe that any vet said that to another vet. I guess the only way to get respect is to get wounded or die. We had this discussion here before on Rally Point.
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