Nov. 12, 2006 Updated: Jan. 11, 2012 3:23 a.m. ... in Vietnam that he got to see in our … In honor of National Vietnam War Veterans Day on March 29, signed into law in 2017 by President Donald J. Trump, AARP spoke with six veterans of the war about their most vivid memories — and about what they want Americans today to know or remember. Their goal was to locate and defeat the Viet Cong, but often it felt like there was no real goal except providing human bait to provoke the guerrilla fighters into revealing their positions. While drinks and companionship were always a draw, recreational drug use skyrocketed during the Vietnam War. They walked with heavy rucksacks, carrying everything they would need to survive in the difficult terrain. According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, about 30% of soldiers who saw combat in Vietnam experienced PTSD in their lifetime. Medical professionals could also declare someone "unfit for service" for medical conditions ranging from ulcers to anemia. ... Veterans Memorial is names — more than 58,000 names of men and women who were killed or missing in action during the Vietnam War. Thompson’s Hill (April 9-10, 1968), by Richard Dieterle. They walked without a bath, a hot meal, or a good night's sleep. Their book, “Last Draftees,” was released last month. The Americans fought back with bombing campaigns that laid waste to villages, and sprayed napalm that burned the skin off fighters and civilians alike. 2. Hawaii was the most popular destination for soldiers who had families, since dependents were allowed to meet them in Honolulu and spend some time with them. That idealism faded away as the war progressed, as the U.S. sent more troops, more resources, and more money overseas, as more and more young American men failed to come home in one piece. Black soldiers complained they were unfairly assigned worse details and that they received more frequent punishments and fewer promotions than their white counterparts. What's New > Overcoming PTSD: 3 Vietnam War Veterans’ Stories. Now, 40 years later, we must try to understand. The whole city had been leveled [in 1968], and it has been totally rebuilt.". Vietnam veterans were more likely to have begun using heroin during their military service, and they were more likely to say that their service experiences had affected their use of drugs, usually citing relief of fear and tensions of war. Bucks County poet Bill Ehrhart, 68, recounts his experiences in Vietnam in several poems as well as his 1983 memoir, Vietnam Perkasie. The average age of U.S. soldiers in Vietnam, nineteen, was three years lower than for American men during World War II and Korea. phase of war and young American ales intent on asserting their superiority, their potency, their manhood…raping a woman in a combat zone is something a man has to do, needs to do, has the right to do. Dileo looks back at the war with some melancholy. But many faced challenges back home, and some still do today. He had been to that very same battle [at Huế﾿]. Some of 2020's best military movies are 50% off for the rest of the year from streaming service Vudu. The Vietnam War is as remote to them as the War of 1812 or the War of Jenkins’ Ear. I had never really been to Vietnam the country. It’s an experience that changes soldiers, and those changes last a lifetime. We may have been shooting at each other. The Viet Cong were frequently one step ahead, hiding in the trees or blending in with the locals, so the villages were never really secured, and the locations of the guerrilla fighters remained uncertain. However, because of the way the draft was set up, men assigned the lowest numbers were more likely to be drafted than those with higher numbers. B: John William Baber War: World War, 1939-1945 Branch: Army Air Forces/Corps Service Location: European Theater Theme: First, Serve: Athletes in Uniform Joe Baca War: Vietnam War, 1961-1975 Branch: Army Service Location: United States; Vietnam Theme: Patriotism Theme: Voices of War John Philip Baca War: Vietnam War, 1961-1975 Branch: Army Service Location: Phuoc Long Province, Vietnam Viet Cong were adept at blending in, sometimes taking cover in villages. But in the meantime, there were hours and even days where there were no Viet Cong to be found, no fights, and nothing to distract them from the monotony. The veterans had returned. ‘Last Draftees’ details experiences of Vietnam War veterans Three Vietnam War veterans from Las Vegas say the draft should be abolished. My brothers were both in college, they were doing their thing, and I felt this was my own thing to do.". But many faced challenges back home, and some still do today. Drug use had taken its toll on troops. They carried food rations, flak jackets, rifles and ammunition. Although the official goal of the war was to prevent communism from spreading into South Vietnam, American soldiers felt they had reason to mistrust everyone, North and South Vietnamese alike. The New York Times described heroin addiction as "the Army's last great tragedy in Vietnam." These men had access to all the luxuries of home, including getting to sleep in a bed, eating hot meals, drinking at bars, and shopping at a well-stocked commissary. Over the course of the Vietnam War, the military prescribed more than 225 million tablets of speed to U.S. soldiers, earning itself the title of American's first "pharmacological war." That morning, as communist troops swept into … American troops didn't know if the villagers were aiding the Viet Cong, harboring enemies, or laying traps that could kill American troops. Soldiers were tasked with the job of winning over the hearts and minds of the local Vietnamese population, convincing them that Western liberation from communist forces would improve their lives. On the surface, it appeared to have worked. In a war where morale was already weakened by unclear objectives and uncertain outcomes, unfriendly encounters with the Vietnamese civilians they were ostensibly liberating only made matters worse. Instead, the military developed long range patrol rations to take their place. For Cohasset, Mass., 1969 held the worst eight months of the Vietnam War, when 5 of the town’s soldiers were killed in action. But so were the swarms of mosquitoes that spread dengue fever throughout camps, and with the 30 different kinds of venomous snakes whose bites would prove to be fatal. They walked for days and weeks at a time, patrolling the land for Viet Cong guerrilla fighters or members of the North Vietnamese Army. NBC journalist Frank McGee, who spent nearly a month living with soldiers of the 101st Airborne Division recalled that "Nowhere in America have I seen Negroes and whites as free, open and uninhibited with their associations. Most crucially, they carried mosquito repellent and dry socks. Vincent Gabriel, Jr returned from his tour of duty in Vietnam thirty eight years ago. Besides weapons, each of us carried an extra 30kg of personal material and food. Unsurprisingly, this did not sit well with black soldiers, and discord only worsened as the war dragged on. ", Neas was shot in the back. LRPs were freeze-dried, dehydrated field rations that came in waterproof bags and were much lighter than the bulky cans soldiers had previously carried. Contact Us Contact Us By the end of the war, more than 58,000 brave service men and women had perished in Vietnam, and 304,000 were wounded during this longest American war. Today, he is surprised at his sophisticated response. Soldiers who landed mechanical or logistical support roles had a much different experience in the war than those in combat zones. I stood on the spot where I had been shot, but it's so different now. Overlooked because of 'medal quotas' 50 years ago, the courage of three young men who saved the lives of Australian soldiers during the Vietnam War has finally been recognised. On a day … Photo by Brandi Redd Few American military conflicts of the 20th century were as controversial as the Vietnam War. Repressing the negative mental effects of combat only worsened their impact when they finally surfaced. But many others were poor or working-class teenagers who enlisted or were drafted into the military right out of high school. Morale was understandably low during monsoon season, for example, when heavy rains would drench the soldiers and flood the rice paddies for the better part of six months. "It seemed the right thing to do. "It was such a waste of life on both sides, such a waste of youth. The best books written by Vietnam War veterans offer insight into the war and first hand accounts of their experiences. It helped them mellow out, it helped them continue fighting. Ehrhart, left, in October 1967 near Quang Tri, Vietnam, and today. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Call us at . They lived when the people they loved and knew did not. “Bill” Ehrhart joined the U.S. Marines when he was 17. All rights reserved. That morning, as communist troops swept into … ", By the time he arrived at Huế﾿ in Feburary 1968, he was "already a seasoned infantryman, having fought for months in the jungle. Soldier's Stories. In Vietnam the task force had no sense of defeat. The army headquarters at Long Binh boasted such amenities as a go-kart track, swimming pools, weight rooms, mini golf, an archery range, an amphitheater that frequently hosted live shows, and even a brothel — officially unsanctioned but well-trafficked. Larry Michael, a former infantryman in Vietnam, reported that "if you really wanted it hot, you broke up a claymore mine ... took the C-4 (explosive) out, lit it and then warmed it up. The draft wasn't the only problem. In contrast to World War II, American soldiers in Vietnam served individualized tours of duty rather than remaining attached to their units throughout the war. Marijuana and Heroin Use During the Vietnam War . But the success was short-lived. The taste, however, left a lot to be desired. They fought together and returned home to build lives, families, and communities across the country. But many others were poor or working-class teenagers who enlisted or were drafted into the military right out of high school. Men like Troyer had to deal with several frustrations particular to the war in Vietnam. "I spent three weeks in the hospital," he says, "and then went right back.". The Vietnam War claimed the lives of more than 58,000 American service members and wounded more than 150,000. Learn the stories of the brave soldiers whose names are inscribed on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. All three were interviewed for Bowden's book. Still, tensions between black and white soldiers were low at the onset of the war. He said his first return visit in 1985 changed his perspective on Vietnam. According to James Fallows, these loopholes "were designed to allot American talent in productive way," but resulted in "the starkest class division in American military service since the days of purchased draft deferments in the Civil War.". Three Vietnam War Veterans Share Their Stories W.D. When you see someone shot, whether it's your buddy or whether it's the enemy, it's a life-changing moment. I had only seen the war. What's New > Overcoming PTSD: 3 Vietnam War Veterans’ Stories. We look forward to meeting you. This page contains the first-hand experiences of Vietnam War Veterans Albert French - He joined the U.S. Marine Corps in 1963 after graduating from high school. And after seeing the images of the Vietnam War on television, after seeing the pictures taken by war correspondents, and after hearing accounts of war atrocities, most of the American pubic in the 1960s was inclined to agree. Jan C. Scruggs. NT: You grew up in the shadow of World War II and served in Vietnam. Soldier Recalls Vietnam War Battle Experiences U.S. veteran Caesar Smith gives a first hand account of the fighting conditions in Vietnam. John "Chick" Donohue in 1967, on his way to Vietnam (inset). That's not to say the drugs deserved all the blame for the difficulty veterans faced after returning home. What Life Was Like As A Soldier In The Vietnam War, paraded around the base at Cam Ranh Bay in KKK robes, deliberately avoided large-scale conflicts, could fly to any number of exotic locales, "the Army's last great tragedy in Vietnam. Be the first to submit a tribute honoring a vet from the Vietnam War! And you lived through the maybe the closest thing this country had, even if only for a few short years, of being at peace. (There are well-documented stories of gay soldiers in the U.S. armed forces going back to George Washington’s army, and the Newport sex scandal of 1919 occurred two … I had a rude awakening. Le Carre's books grappled with betrayal, moral compromise and the psychological toll of a secret life. His name is etched on Panel 13E, Line 123 on the Vietnam War Memorial in Washington, D.C. Australian military history overview: Vietnam War 1962-1975. Dileo was shot in the head. In some cases, the luxuries even exceeded the ones the men would have gotten at home. Soldiers on both sides faced many difficulties and challenges during the Vietnam War – including climate, terrain, the complex political situation and unclear military objectives. "To be honest, I wanted to know what it was like to shoot at someone and have someone shoot at you," he said. Most who join the military and go to war are young—18, 19 years old—and many have never been away from home. When he told his parents, they were livid, not for any ideological reasons, but because of concern that he'd be hurt or lose his life. Nowhere is the heaviness of the presidency clearer than in Obama's descriptions of deciding to authorize military action. Only 2% of officers were black. Continue Reading Below. On the military's dime, soldiers could fly to any number of exotic locales in search of beaches, bars, and a good time. The New York Times described heroin addiction as "the Army's last great tragedy in Vietnam." Some of these men were career military officers. Nathalie Huynh Chau Nguyen’s new book, South Vietnamese Soldiers: Memories of the Vietnam War and After, is a contribution to this process. However, infantrymen whose successes were determined by enemy body count were untrained and ill-equipped to make the cultural advances that would win people over. But mostly what they did was walk. Marijuana was grown all over Vietnam, and many soldiers had their first experiences smoking it overseas. Regarding your father's viewpoint of American soldiers, I have written a post about the truth vs. reality of popular depictions of Vietnam War era American soldiers. "The bullet hit the top of my helmet, and it shattered into fragments," he said. About 75% of the 2.5 million soldiers fighting in Vietnam worked in support roles as clerks far away from the front lines. Upper-class men could afford to stay enrolled in university or get a doctor's note from a hometown physician to obtain a get-out-jail-free card that poorer men couldn't access. After returning home, Vietnam War veterans experienced PTSD in record numbers. During the Vietnam War, many black and white soldiers formed close friendships. I survived because I was lucky and because I was not a city boy. Our focus is on friendly, helpful advice and great service for every customer. Some Viet Cong soldiers were uniformed and highly trained, however, most were volunteers and reservist farmers who received only occasional training, if any at all. Shortly before Dave deployed, he … "We were each teamed up with a student studying history," he said. We look forward to meeting you. The American Soldier in VietnamMore than 2.5 million American men served in Vietnam during the war. [3] The 1980s was a time to tell the stories of the Vietnam War. ‘Last Draftees’ details experiences of Vietnam War veterans Three Vietnam War veterans from Las Vegas say the draft should be abolished. He served as an infantryman with Echo Company, 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment in Chu Lia, Vietnam in 1965. A gay soldier’s story of Vietnam and after Mar 13, 2020 | 0 Larry Sanders writes about serving in the army, where he could have been arrested for being gay during a very unpopular war Far from returning as conquering heroes, they returned home to a stagnating economy, scarce GI benefits, little government support, and an unwelcoming populace. After the Vietnam War ended in 1975, there was an increase in American films that were more "raw", containing actual battle footage. Ian McNeill, The Team; Australian Army advisers in Vietnam, Australian War Memorial, Canberra, 1984, p470 'Australian soldiers who fought in Vietnam were imbued with the notion of serving an honourable cause at the nation's behest. American troops, with their vastly superior firepower, had the upper hand face to face, but the Viet Cong deliberately avoided large-scale conflicts where they could be outgunned. Officially, their goal was to take back South Vietnam from the communists, find and eradicate the Viet Cong, and secure the hearts and minds of the locals. The main problem with most of those books is the complete lack of Vietnamese voices. Marijuana was cheap and easy to come by, but commanders were more concerned with the surge of heroin usage among enlisted men, which reached epidemic levels by 1971. Retired Trenton ironworker Carl Dileo, 69, was 18 when he was drafted in 1966. They fought together and returned home to build lives, families, and communities across the country. Since large-scale warfare was rare, soldiers could go for weeks without encountering enemy forces, but far from being a respite, the quiet only heightened the tension. Soldiers were permitted six days and six nights of leave during their one year tour of duty. Soldiers also had their blood sucked by leeches who made their homes in the rice paddies. Please direct all licensing questions to legal@newscred.com. They carried the fear that at any moment, a surprise attack could kill them. But that's the only way you had a hot meal.". And if the land wasn't actively killing them, it was making them miserable. For "Huế﾿ 1968: A Turning Point of the American War In Vietnam," Mark Bowden interviewed more than 100 men and women from both sides of the fighting. But this was the first city we were fighting in. Veterans encountered unprecedented levels of hostility from a public that had long objected to U.S. involvement in Vietnam. The ways we remember the Vietnam War concern more than just the past. According to the New York Times, African Americans were drafted at a disproportionately higher rate than whites, representing more than 16% of all draftees and 23% of all combat troops, despite being only 11% of the civilian population in 1967. Echoes of Conflict by Lachlan Wilson Read an overview of the Vietnam War from the AWM, here and more detail from the DVA here. 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