What are some of the best and worst things you experienced after coming home from Vietnam?

SSG Carlos Madden — Fri, 29 Mar 2024 13:26:51 -0400

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?

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 29 at 2024 1:31 PM

MSG Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 29 Mar 2024 13:31:54 -0400

Another follow on question could be:

Why was their treatment coming home worse than the way SMs coming home from the Gulf Wars and Afghanistan? When I stepped off the plane in Dallas Airport coming home from Iraq.....I lost count how many people were clapping and thanking us after walking 20 feet.

Response by Sgt Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 29 at 2024 2:22 PM

Sgt Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 29 Mar 2024 14:22:44 -0400

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 Private RallyPoint Member. 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.

Response by SPC Elijah J. Henry, MBA made Mar 29 at 2024 2:48 PM

SPC Elijah J. Henry, MBA — Fri, 29 Mar 2024 14:48:14 -0400

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.

Response by CAPT Kevin B. made Mar 29 at 2024 3:13 PM

CAPT Kevin B. — Fri, 29 Mar 2024 15:13:07 -0400

My experiences were coming home from 'Nam every year. I was an Operations Specialist that also trained in Electronic Warfare. As a Reservist, they wanted me on long long AD badly. Problem was the war was supposed to be winding down and there were severe restrictions on activating Reservists. I wanted to finish college anyways. Well, if nobody tells, you can go to war for summers, miss the next quarter of school, and keep it to 179 days; there you go. So, I was on tin cans during those times. UCLA took an extra year. Coming home could get interesting with a short haircut, hence we weren't required to have a buzz. However seabags were a dead giveaway as regular luggage was a no-no (no storage on cans). So I always did the quick snatch and go at luggage claim if it was a commercial hop. Even then, I'd get fairly negative treatment. However, once out of the airport, don't be conspicuous. Going back to school wasn't a biggie on the Engineering side as the missed quarter was explained away by "taking a break". Between that and working at Motion Picture Hospital, I never needed a college loan, nor use VA, as I made enough to make it work out.

Response by SP5 Peter Keane made Mar 29 at 2024 6:25 PM

SP5 Peter Keane — Fri, 29 Mar 2024 18:25:23 -0400

I went over as an 18 year old medic. Didn't even know there was a war going on until I got there. Went to a mechanized infantry company as a platoon medic. First firefight was about 17 minutes in, lol. And they did not stop. At the 10 month mark, I received my orders for Germany. Having heard the tales of medics that had already been, war games in the snow, I decided the heat and humidity would be just fine as long as I could stay away from the RPG's and AK's. I extended for 6 months to go to a Field Hospital in Saigon. At the 5 month mark there, I came down on orders for Germany. Once again extended for 6 months. At the end of that extension I still had a little more than a year to do, and the Army didn't have the rules they do today. I came down on orders for Germany. Gave up and got on the plane.
After trying to go to DS school, (couldn't, I was going to Germany and not married) it turns out that my mother had somehow had my orders changed to Ft Lewis. Reported after my leave, and they couldn't find a place for me so they sent me to Ft Lawton, just west of Downtown Seattle. Dropped into the second most liberal city in the country. My first experience with people (civilians) was at a Catholic Church for Christmas mass. All I had to wear was my uniform. It got me a seat in the front pew. Evidently the antiwar sentiment was not as strong as I had heard. Did my year, couldn't get a job in Seattle for nearly a year. Left town and eventually had a 30 plus year career in a federal job.

Response by SGT Philip Roncari made Mar 30 at 2024 12:07 AM

SGT Philip Roncari — Sat, 30 Mar 2024 00:07:33 -0400

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.

Response by SGT Robert Urbaniak made Mar 30 at 2024 8:50 AM

SGT Robert Urbaniak — Sat, 30 Mar 2024 08:50:22 -0400

First of all, just being in Vietnam was bad enough. The treatment I received at the Philly airport while waiting for a flight was also bad, as the general population hated us for serving our country. So basically it was mostly bad during the Vietnam war. When I was going to be released from Valley Forge General Hospital, I was told to join the DAV, and that they would help me, and they did. I became a life member in Janissary 1970. The Vietnam war was hated in our country, so they also hated us for serving in the military. I'd say you just had to be there to really understand what I mean.

Response by SGM Erik Marquez made Mar 30 at 2024 7:51 PM

SGM Erik Marquez — Sat, 30 Mar 2024 19:51:19 -0400

A response from a Vietnam vet via a question I asked and his response.
Sgt Marquez had completed his squad leader time and was interviewed and selected to be the 9th regiment CDR assistant / Driver.
COL John J Ellis 9th Regt, 7th ID (L)
We spent a lot of hours in the same vehicle, meeting area, etc.
7th ID did not deploy to Desert Shield, nor Desert Storm, but many of the support units on Fort Ord did.
As they came back (units returned as individual unit taskings, not Brigade combat teams as we did later) so 20 here, 10 there, 50 here.
COL Ellis and I were at every return ..not our unit, miserable weather (cold and wet) early morning, mid-day middle of the night we went to them all. After a dozen or so, I asked "Sir, you know I'm with you no matter what, but I need to ask, Why are we going to return ceremonies for units and individuals not in our unit?
His response "Because when I came home from Vietnam no one was there"
So "What are some of the best and worst things you experienced after coming home from Vietnam?""
No one was there for them when they came home, or worse, people there spitting on them, yelling hateful stuff.....

Response by SP5 George Butts made Apr 1 at 2024 12:30 PM

SP5 George Butts — Mon, 01 Apr 2024 12:30:45 -0400

I returned from Vietnam May 2, 1969 and flying into Travis AFB I saw the Stars & Stripes flying on home soil and it really gave me a back home at last feeling. That feeling was interrupted when I arrived to Los Angeles Airport to be picked up by family. Several people made negative remarks when they saw me walking through the the terminal in uniform.

Response by Sgt Charles Riley made Apr 3 at 2024 6:15 PM

Sgt Charles Riley — Wed, 03 Apr 2024 18:15:25 -0400

I had to fly into Los Angeles to connect with my flight back to the east coast. I was walking through the airport to get to the gate I needed to get to while connecting for my flight and ran into to some hippie scum. They started calling me a Baby Killer and spit on my uniform. My comment to them was that I only wished I had my M-16 so they would never ever spit on another Vietnam veteran. That experience stuck with me for years. I couldn't wait to get home to WV where I knew that I would be respected as a veteran and never got anything but respect from my fellow West Virginians.

Response by MSgt Bruce Brown made Apr 3 at 2024 9:03 PM

MSgt Bruce Brown — Wed, 03 Apr 2024 21:03:53 -0400

I arrived back to SeaTac in June 1968. Had a nonstop flight to Denver but when I retrieved my luggage I found my bag cut open and everything messed up or missing. The baggage claim guy didn’t want to talk to me, he put a sign saying he was out to lunch and walked away. I tied my bag together and had to book another flight with two stops. As I was walking away from the ticket counter, an older woman stepped in front of me and asked; “Young man, are you going to Vietnam?”. When I answered that I was just returning from Vietnam I detected the movement and turned my head. Her spit hit my cheek and left ear.

Response by SPC John Schembari made Apr 3 at 2024 10:12 PM

SPC John Schembari — Wed, 03 Apr 2024 22:12:56 -0400

The worst: thing I came home to my country that hated me for my service, It took me 2 years to feel i belonged, after 40 years discovering I had benefits.
The good: groups Like creativets flew me to Nashville where we wrote my song "Welcome Home" The choice program where I meet Lyndee my counselor who inspired me to write my thoughts even though I never written anything in my life, I just finished my 12th chapter "Surviving 40 years of Silence"

Response by PO3 Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 4 at 2024 2:34 AM

PO3 Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 04 Apr 2024 02:34:33 -0400

'Tootsie Roll' runs. When I got home, I told my relatives that we would send a fighter to drop a bomb bay full of Tootsie Rolls on a Vietnamese village. Then, five minutes later, after all the kids had run out, we'd send in a napalm strike. My relatives had such a low opinion of our troops that they accepted that without question.

Response by Sgt Jose Marquez made Apr 4 at 2024 8:33 AM

Sgt Jose Marquez — Thu, 04 Apr 2024 08:33:50 -0400

By far, it was the con-job of missing out of an affordable college education, which later, when I returned to college was scammed by the school system, by the federal government to cover the loans, and by the greedy system that rigged the laws to make education a forced repayment system that neither bankruptcy or social security cannot absolve. Worse yet, the system just keeps adding interest to debt no one can ever pay. In my example, I now owe over a quarter of a million dollars, which mounts interest at $2700 a month. Recently, the government decided to help those in school by meagerly covering a fraction of their school but for us Boomers, they message is pretty clear, "don't hold your breath, the pigs need to get paid, and you better pay or else."

Personally, the growing quarter million debt shows up on my credit report but remains silent as long as I file an annual Income-Driven Repayment plan but why? They know I'm on social security now and will never be able to pay them. Why must they continue to add more debt to it? It's like someone is using that account to hide money being fleece from the government, yep, the government that was conned by its politicians to screw its vets, one way or the other.

Response by TSgt Ron Price made Apr 4 at 2024 10:01 AM

TSgt Ron Price — Thu, 04 Apr 2024 10:01:02 -0400

When I left Cam Ranh Bay, I wore summer weight uniforms (as did most others) due to the high temperatures at that time of the year in Viet Nam. However, when I arrived in the US, the Air Police arrested me for being "out-of-uniform," as it was winter in the US. My family had to wait at the air port until I was questioned, cautioned, and eventually returned. "Welcome Home!"

Response by MSgt Gregory Pierce made Apr 4 at 2024 10:32 AM

MSgt Gregory Pierce — Thu, 04 Apr 2024 10:32:46 -0400

Worst thing—that the government, including the VA see NO difference between a boots on the ground Vietnam veteran and an era veteran.

Response by SPC Franz Felsl made Apr 4 at 2024 12:17 PM

SPC Franz Felsl — Thu, 04 Apr 2024 12:17:29 -0400

I'm not the target of the question but I've wondered for years if my experience was unusual or simply cathartic.
When I joined it was only about 5 years since the end of the war. In the 70s during high school, no one was "joining" and the clear attitude was military service was for degenerates and to avoid the military at all costs, but I never saw or herd open hostility except on the news. I joined quitely.
I got out and attended college. With the exception of a very angry Women's Studies professor who thought that all men were baby killers using the Vietnam War as "proof"; Vietnam and vets almost never came up.
At the beginning of 86 I did my first "veteran thing". I volunteered to work a booth at the student union for the student veterans group. In the 2 hours I was there, I collected my very first ever "thank you for your service"; 2 "baby killer" screeches, 1 phlegmy spit and a blind-side slap from a 5'ft. girl who stood there and glared at me for 2 minutes afterwards. I was in my early 20s, wasn't wearing a uniform, my hair wasn't high and tight and there was nothing on our table but some pamphlets on what the military could do to help with college.
The "thank you for your service" came at the very end and seemed as sincere as the angry reactions. In the end, the entire surprising experience struck me as rather surreal. As we've come to a rather strange time in the world where human emotions and delusions seem to dominate every facet of our world and all I can think to say is "Thank you ALL for your service, and I wish you well."

Response by CPL Martin Gross made Apr 4 at 2024 1:11 PM

CPL Martin Gross — Thu, 04 Apr 2024 13:11:20 -0400

This has been in the back of my mind for 40 years. I had the unpleasant and undesirable experience of working for a school district as a janitor. Custodian was the preferred title, but only in irrelevant cases of semantics. During a prior employment interview, I revealed I had been hospitalized at VA for 10 weeks. The response was a highly verbal warning to not be hitting the kids. That was only a taste of what was to follow. In accumulating no less than 4 written reprimands, I never heard so much as a single acknowledgment of service in Vietnam. So much for gratitude.

Response by Capt Bob Griebel made Apr 4 at 2024 9:23 PM

Capt Bob Griebel — Thu, 04 Apr 2024 21:23:34 -0400

I'll start with the first time they tried to ship me home, three months after my initial entry ride on Highway 9 next to the DMZ, heading toward the Khe Sahn area. That consisted of constantly passing trucks heading toward the coast, carrying the first regiment of Marines to withdraw from Vietnam. Three months later, the division's remaining two regiments stood down.

I hadn't left grad school to sign up for an all-expense-paid year-long vacation in the Far East just to turn around and leave, so I applied for a couple open spots in 7th Regiment, south of DaNang. Luckily, my former classmate from The Officers' Basic School didn't bump me from the transfer list after he received a special assignment with 5th Marines, as career grads of Naval Academy who played in Staubach's backfield are prone to get. So, I spent a few more months in the bush in rice-paddy country, captured the highest-ranking enemy officer the regiment had snagged in two years, and, midway through my tour, was a 2nd Lt. on the staff of the Marine Corps's most senior Colonel.

Three-quarters into my 12-month tour, the next regimental commander wanted me to work in Combat Operations. I spent two months as Assistant Regimental Operations Officer until the major I assisted went into the bush to direct the Marine Corps's last special operation. I spent my last 5 weeks directing the combat operations of 7th Marine Regiment as a 1st Lt before rotating stateside to Camp Pendleton.

What I most liked about my 5 months at Pendleton were the two nights a week I could play hockey at the San-Diego-area's only public indoor rink. The only other, and bigger, indoor rink was reserved for San Diego's pro hockey team. But, before 5 months ended, I was one of 150 reserve officers the S-1 called with a heads-up regarding transfer orders that would come in a week. There were too many reserve officers for Pendleton's available billets and 150 would be put on recruiting duty near their homes of record, requiring only one more short move when our active duty ended. I alerted my wife, then attending her brother's wedding in Michigan, to be ready for a move to Detroit or Cleveland or Chicago, or whatever. A month later, we had an apartment in Alexandria after 5 of the 150 officers got orders to HQMC.

One nice feature of HQMC was that officers could wear civilian suits three days a week, which helped prepare my wardrobe for the civilian accounting job I'd need in 10 months. Another was getting there in time to play the last two months of hockey season with Washington's championship team I'd played with two seasons prior while at Quantico.

But the biggest benny came from discovering an amazing 6-month CPA review course, 16 hours a week, across from the Capitol. It helped me refresh accounting knowledge I hadn't used for three years. It helped enough that, one month before my service ended, I flew to Michigan and passed all parts of the complete three-day CPA exam on the first try. In the Detroit office of the international CPA firm I joined three days after discharge, I was the first person who'd completed the exam at one sitting in two years.

I was super-lucky to have timing coincidences go to my advantage from the time I was initially slated to leave Vietnam. You can't trigger favorable coincidences, but you can prepare to be ready to do your best when such opportunities fall your way. That's true whether in military functions or in any aspects of life that demand preparatory effort.

Response by 1SG Dean Mcbride (MPER) (CPHR) made Apr 4 at 2024 11:12 PM

1SG Dean Mcbride (MPER) (CPHR) — Thu, 04 Apr 2024 23:12:33 -0400

With three Vietnam tours, I had the return experience thrown at me three times. My first tour was in 1965. When I returned, I experienced the anti war crowds. Rather traumatic but I was not returning to a civilian environment so it quickly drifted out of mind. Second tour return was a little different. Process was more formal and again I returned to a military assignment and went to work. Third return was the worst. I returned in 1970 from a Special Forces/Special Operations assignment to a raging anti war movement, both in the news and on the streets. Went back to Montana for a short leave and had to put up with my Aunt calling me a Baby Killer. Almost everyone I met thought I returned from a year of smoking pot and indiscriminetly killing anyone who got in my way. Cut my leave short when I was accused of fragging my senior officers! Sorry to say, nobody thanked me for my service...

Response by MAJ Karl Swenson made Apr 6 at 2024 11:03 AM

MAJ Karl Swenson — Sat, 06 Apr 2024 11:03:37 -0400

I served two tours in Vietnam totaling 30 months. In both cases, the best thing about coming home was reuniting with my family. When I returned from my first tour in 1970 I was finally old enough to buy beer legally for the first time. I went into a bar at the SFO airport, sat at the counter, and ordered a beer. When the bartender brought it, he asked where I was headed and where I was coming from. I told him I was going home after 18 months in Vietnam. He grabbed my glass of beer away from me and told me to get the hell out of his bar. Welcome home! In 1972, when I returned from my 2nd tour, I avoided contact with civilians as much as I could, but I also came home to Anchorage, Alaska which was pretty much a military town and was assigned to Fort Richardson there.

Response by Lt Col Warren Domke made Apr 20 at 2024 10:46 PM

Lt Col Warren Domke — Sat, 20 Apr 2024 22:46:27 -0400

The best: After a long flight from Saigon to Travis AFB I was dirty, sweaty and tired, and I had hoped to have time for a shower and change of clothes before taking a bus to San Francisco International Airport for a nonstop flight to Tampa, Florida and a shorter flight to Orlando. But the shower room was full of other servicemen who had the same intention and I didn't have time. So, dirty, sweaty and tired I rode the bus to the airport and caught my flight, a National Airlines DC-8 that was maybe half full.

The airliner cabin crew was five lovely young women, all immaculately attired in uniforms, and they treated me like royalty. They helped me make a cot out of three seats in a row, fixed me a drink and made me comfortable and I got some much needed sleep on the transcontinental nonstop flight. I could not have been treated much better and they ignored my condition.

The worst: When I was reunited with my wife the reception was not quite what I would have expected and I later learned she had been unfaithful. I had not been, although I probably had opportunities. Our marriage never recovered and eventually ended in divorce.

Still I was happy to be home and reunited with my son and other family members. It was my honor to have served in Vietnam and elsewhere and I consider my service to be a defining experience. I was certainly not the only returning servicemember to have experienced something like this. It happens. But I served and survived, and am honored to call myself a Vietnam veteran.

Response by SGT Tim Tobin made May 27 at 2024 3:26 PM

SGT Tim Tobin — Mon, 27 May 2024 15:26:20 -0400

I was never in country but I did serve then. My job was controlling the communication site for command and control of all the nuclear weapon sites in Europe.
I was vilified and never wore my uniform in public if I could help it.
A young good looking lady came up to me in NYC, spit on me and called me a baby killer.
After that for many years I never even told people I had been in the Army. I wasn't able to get a job and ultimately went back into the Army. After my second time in the Army things were different. I was now in the medical field and had many more opportunities.
Also now in the mid 80's the hatred for the military was cooling. But it wasn't until the late 90's that I was welcomed home and actually had some pride in what I accomplished.

Response by PO1 Robert Ryan made May 28 at 2024 11:47 AM

PO1 Robert Ryan — Tue, 28 May 2024 11:47:35 -0400

Maybe the best was seeing my family again. However, when seeing my friends I had grown up with, hung around with, I found it hard to relate to them. Some were college elsewhere, some were doing the same things before I enlisted and went to Vietnam. A few were string out on drugs, some just never changed. The greeted me with hey Bobby, when did you get back. For some reason I could no longer related to who Bobby was. Somewhere along the line I lost who I was before the Army, and Vietnam. I was 19 when I got back, but did not feel like I was 19. Maybe I realized that just hanging around, doing thing I did before the Army was no longer me. In the Army I was responsible for my actions, I was responsible to the soldiers I served with. I had to be trusted to do what I was trained to do. I just know I was not the same 18 year old before I enlisted. the worst was I had a 30 day leave, not being able who I once was, I spent 2 days sober the day i got home, and the day I left for my new duty station. I got back in
September 1968. I left end of October . I turned 20 on leave. It was the last time I went back to NYC in Queens.

Response by SMSgt Jd Reese made May 28 at 2024 11:57 AM

SMSgt Jd Reese — Tue, 28 May 2024 11:57:10 -0400

Coming home from Vietnam was a rollercoaster of emotions for me. It was amazing to reunite with my loved ones and feel the comfort of home again. However, adjusting to life back home was tougher than I expected. Simple things like crowds and loud noises triggered my anxiety, and I struggled with PTSD. Despite the challenges, the experience taught me valuable lessons and gave me a deeper appreciation for life.