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

I have never felt the disconnect when I have met these older veterans. And I am afraid that as the days march on they are fewer and fewer of them. One day my friends it will be our turn to PCS to the big base in the sky. So lets fix a disconnect if it is there by shaking a hand, buying a beer or going to the VA for few hours and sayin hi or how you doing? As vets we owe it to one another to care for one another regardless of what war we fought in.

Is there a Disconnect between WWI, Korea,Vietnam and Middle East Wars, Yes, But the reason is the very big Difference in the Wars. Starting with all of the Meddle East Veterans are there of their own accord, in that they are Volunteers,at this Point I will say so was I,both for the Army and Vietnam.
The one Big thing that keeps us apart is that all Vet’s of WWII Korea and Meddle East Think that we Vietnam Vets Lost Our War, I hate the term Our war because no War is Our War but falls on the Powers that starts It. We are just the Tools of War. If you take a Look at the Facts we never lost a Major Battle in Nam ,NEVER. What we did Louse was the Support of the American People,and that was because of the News and the Twist they put on their Reports.
The Meddle Est Vets are always talking about Bad it was . Lets start with KIA and WIA. In the Meddle East from 1990 to 2012 ( best figures I can Find) there were 7448 KIA and 11770 WIA.
In Vietnam we had 58219 KIA and 153356 WIA,today you see all the Amputees and Head Trauma on TV from the Gulf/OIF/OEF, while in Nam most of these men would have Died in Place.
The Enemy: in Meddle East the Enemy was Surrendering in Whole Units at first Contact. The VC/NVA never Surrendered, Of course they never fought ether unless everything was in there Favor, But even then they always come out on Lousing End of it.
Living Condition are a whole other thing, In Gulf/OIF/OEF they went out during the Day,to the best of my knowledge,and returned to Safe Zones(if there is such a thing in War Zone). I remember once I was talking to my Brother in Iraq on Skype while he was watching a UT Game on TV in his A/C BEQ setting in his Recliner. When we ended or talk he told me he was going to Bugger King for Dinner. In Nam we spent 3 to 4 weeks in the Bush, spent our nights in NDP’s in the Middle of the Jungle.
None of the Middle East Vets in my Family,there were 5 of them, Complains to me about how Bad it was for them because I will not let them Cry without Calling them on it. I will also say I think I was able to deal with what I did and saw because I stayed in the Army with the Men and Women with whom I Shared so Much.
Now I should have said this at the start,but better late then Never, I have Nothing but the Utmost RESPECT for all Vets who served with HONOR,and will stand Shoulder to Shoulder with them.

yes

I do believe there is a disconnect between Korea and Vietnam Vets and Gulf/OIF/OEF Veterans, but I don't believe there needn't be. A very wise and respected Marine, Col. Robert J. Modrzejewski, USMC Ret. (Col. Mojo), MOH recipient, made a few speeches to the (then) Infantry Training School graduates at Camp Pendleton during the early 1980s. I vividly recall him stating that since the birth of the United States, our county has not gone more than 20 years without becoming embroiled in an armed conflict or war of some sort. To this day, history has proven him correct.

I believe the factors that play into this have to do with age disparity, current political landscape past and present, generational differences (this is not a bash on Millenials, so please, stand down), technology and education. Because the Korean and Vietnam wars were not a clear victory for the United States, South Korea, and South Vietnam, I think all of us can agree that those conflicts have not been paid adequate attention to with regard to public popularity and taught factually at the high school level. I was in high school for 76-79, so it was still very new and raw for us. I have another point of view. Korea and Vietnam were not our wars. They were Korea and Vietnam's war. We became involved in the name of democracy versus communism, however, they were not OUR war and significantly different than the two World Wars. But, we were still sent over to aid our allies and to do what we do -- win. Korea and Vietnam were not OUR wars to win, but there we were, fighting anyway. U.S. Forces won more battles and skirmishes in each conflict then our foe, and I maintain that it is the South Koreans and South Vietnamese that lost those wars, and the American politicians that lost those wars regarding America's involvement. The afore mentioned lost the war, not our troops. As far as I am concerned, if the politicians pulling the general's strings were shoved in a closet and locked in for the duration, American forces would have prevailed. That said, our troops were and are winners. Then, their was the war at home between 1968-1970. The closest America has come to a modern hot civil war since the Civil War. With that, we achieved a major disconnect that has never been fully resolved.

Their will always be strife between the generations, the younger separating and finding their own way in life from the older generations. This is as natural and child rearing and the milestone behavior of a young child realizing they are their own individual entity for their parents. Older generations have had a history of holding fast, being resistant to change, as evidenced in the 1960s-1970s. Today's young service member is not the same as the generation that proceeded them, nor should they be expected to. That is counterintuitive to the evolution of technology and innovation. That said, rigid, rigorous standards must still be adhered to in our Armed Forces or we will degenerate into an ineffective, impotent Army of mush.

We must always remember that those of us who chose to serve and are still serving share a bond of brother and sisterhood that transcends time and place. In the end, although we choose to serve for our own motivations and goals, we are still serving for the greater good (realizing some may disagree). Within a war, battles are won and lost. Land is taken, lost and retaken. The methods change, but the result is the same. We either win or lose. More importantly, we offered ourselves as a living sacrifice for something bigger than ourselves and thus, we are united and should bear this in mind in how we perceive Veterans of other conflicts. We didn't choose the war, but we fought it and that puts us all on equal footing.

COL Mikel J. Burroughs Short and sweet- yes. We honored a Korean War vet from the Forgotten War last year at an event I have directed the past 5 years. Conversation was interesting to say the least. The disconnect is more geared to generational gaps however. Miscommunication between generations and we just don't get the history interject on either of these wars like WWI/II etc. Sadly that was the feeling of the country at that time- we were not saving the world as we had in previous wars...society seemed to feel we were further a political agenda. That might be simplifying it to much, but that is how I have always perceived it.

yes

somewhat different wars differant times

Different wars, same nightmare, if I had to answer for one specific example I would say that how the horrors are dealt with is what differentiates the two. In the modern warfare stance, through the 70s warfighters believe in sucking it up and dealing with it and while the atrocities in warfare are in fact the same just a different face that is not the case in our military since then. Now before I get brutalized here this is a GENERALIZATION, I know my military family has the resolve and fire but you must admit the strength of our beloved nation overall has diminished in many ways and I personally believe it is all attributed to political correctness. I do have examples of what I am speaking for a time when someone is ready for the long stories.

Personally, I feel part of the problem is how you were raised. I was raised in a small town and the we respected the veterans. We learned about the military history. Time's have changed and it's a shame. I believe in my brothers and sisters in arms, no matter what branch and no matter what time you served.

i think yes vietnam vets came home got nothing but spit on, we both fought for a cause they might have been drafted we volunteered it dont matter