Posted on Mar 29, 2024
What are some of the best and worst things you experienced after coming home from Vietnam?
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Today (March 29, 2024) is National Vietnam War Veterans Day. As a nation we owe these men and women more recognition than they got when they came home. They deserve it.
As someone who wasn't born yet, what are some of the good, bad and ugly things that happened to you because you're a Vietnam Veteran? What can you pass on to future generations of America about these experiences?
As someone who wasn't born yet, what are some of the good, bad and ugly things that happened to you because you're a Vietnam Veteran? What can you pass on to future generations of America about these experiences?
Posted 7 mo ago
Responses: 32
SSG Carlos Madden I left Vietnam and went to Okinawa for four days to pick up my uniforms, get a haircut, etc, before returning to the states. While there, a Marine that arrived after me told me that my best friend had been killed the day after I left country. I was in shock. Days later, a bus load of Marines traveled from MCAS EL Toro to LAX. At LAX, I was not in a good mood and was confronted by folks that tried to block our way and were yelling everything they could think of at us. One middle aged women told me to repent for my sins, while her daughter (I think) asked me how many babies had I killed.
I started college and found a good paying job at a chemical company. I had to take a bunch of tests before being hired at Diamond Shamrock. I interviewed with three different managers, and one of them put me through the wringer by asking me if I was negatively affected by my Vietnam War experiences. He kept asking the same question in different ways to see if I would crack. I could tell that he did not like Vietnam Veterans. The other two interviewers were great.
My first two years of college were at a junior college and many of my classmates did not like veterans/Vietnam Veterans. When I finished my degree at a four year university, I had no issues with other students.
When I first contacted the VA, I was told that they did not treat Vietnam Veterans. Fast forward many years, and with the help of VFW and VVA VSO's, I was able to navigate the VA system. The Houston area VA was bad, very bad. The VA campuses in Vancouver WA/Portland OR, are both excellent.
I have had sincere folks thank me for my service and that is good. At COSTCO, a lady handing out samples saw my Vietnam cap and told me that her brother died of Agent Orange exposure. She was very appreciative of my service.
To answer MSG (Join to see). Vietnam was an unpopular war, so that is the only reason that I can think of for so many folks that despised us.
For future potential warriors, I would tell them that to train for war is necessary, but if you go to war, you will be changed forever.
I started college and found a good paying job at a chemical company. I had to take a bunch of tests before being hired at Diamond Shamrock. I interviewed with three different managers, and one of them put me through the wringer by asking me if I was negatively affected by my Vietnam War experiences. He kept asking the same question in different ways to see if I would crack. I could tell that he did not like Vietnam Veterans. The other two interviewers were great.
My first two years of college were at a junior college and many of my classmates did not like veterans/Vietnam Veterans. When I finished my degree at a four year university, I had no issues with other students.
When I first contacted the VA, I was told that they did not treat Vietnam Veterans. Fast forward many years, and with the help of VFW and VVA VSO's, I was able to navigate the VA system. The Houston area VA was bad, very bad. The VA campuses in Vancouver WA/Portland OR, are both excellent.
I have had sincere folks thank me for my service and that is good. At COSTCO, a lady handing out samples saw my Vietnam cap and told me that her brother died of Agent Orange exposure. She was very appreciative of my service.
To answer MSG (Join to see). Vietnam was an unpopular war, so that is the only reason that I can think of for so many folks that despised us.
For future potential warriors, I would tell them that to train for war is necessary, but if you go to war, you will be changed forever.
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MSG (Join to see)
SPC Elijah J. Henry, MBA - Exposure, as in I knew/know them. Hung out. Had beers. And the ones I knew, while choosing a job that engages the enemy directly, no one wanted to go to war. Yea, they trained for war, but didn't want it. I was a Combat Engineer at one point. I trained for clearing obstacles with explosives during war....didn't mean I was itching to run/drive thru a live mine field while receiving enemy fire.
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SMSgt Lawrence McCarter
I actually arrived home from Vietnam and the town I lived in was and is quite conservative and a goof 85% of the guys I went to High school with entered the Armed Forces, some as enlisted right away others as Officers latter. I even got invited to a church group to talk about Vietnam which I did and the experience was positive. We had even marched in a Veterans day parade at My new stateside base (Hanscom Field) in Massachusetts in Boston with no problems or negative reactions. I guess that's not everybody's experience but it was ok for Me. Once serving in another state had the experience though of anti war Demonstrators with Me on Military Police duties handling those people and was amazed by how uniformed and ignorant they were.
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SPC Elijah J. Henry, MBA
MSG (Join to see) fascinating. Maybe the difference was that I rarely interacted with leg infantry after OSUT.
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CPT David Gowel
Thank you for sharing your story. Having a lot of family who served during Vietnam, I'm sure it's because of the poor treatment that people gave you when you returned, that I and many of my post 9-11 friends were welcomed back home in a much better fashion. I wish it didn't have to be that way, but what you and your generation did for mine isn't lost on me.
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I'm obviously not the target of this question, but I'll take this moment to thank those who dug through the memories of their Vietnam experiences sufficiently to write books and manuals that have and continue to save lives.
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SGT Philip Roncari
SPC Elijah J.Henry,MBA-I have always felt guilt as an instructor upon my return from Vietnam I didn’t do enough,I just hope some of those young men listened to a very young NCO and my experiences helped them on their tour.
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I spent ten months and fourteen days (exactly) in Vietnam with the 4th Infantry Division,took a boat ride over (troopship Gordon) trampled around the Central Highlands triple canopy jungle.then came home early to train new troops at Ft.Polk,maybe because it was earlier in the war 1967 and I still had fourteen months left on my enlistment that my contact with civilian protesters was limited and the re entry wasn’t met name calling and violence,rather I felt alone and separated from those that didn’t serve,brought on many years of anger and resentment,even now after all these years my trust lies with my Brothers, Welcome Home Brothers.
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LT William Pellegrini
People who have never been in a situation where their lives were on the line day after day don't really have any idea of what veterans of a war have gone through. In the years since leaving the U.S. Navy I have tried to keep my service to myself. I have a no respect for people who criticize those of us who fight to maintain the freedom of ALL THE PEOPLE of the United States. I have found it best not to let them know I was one of those who put his life on the line for them. Any discussion with me becomes a bit on the acidic side when dealing with those who chose not to serve. Best to leave that sleeping tiger alone.
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