Much is made of the problems of GI’s returning from Vietnam.  These veterans answered the call when their country needed them and they fought hard on foreign soil, just as veterans of other wars had done.  Yet, unlike veterans returning from other wars, when they returned there were no ticker-tape parades and congratulatory parties for weeks on end.  They were not treated as heroes, in fact, often they were treated quite the opposite.  Why?  Why would men and women who fought on behalf of our country not be honored upon their return?

At the end of World War II, troops returning from Europe and Asia were greeted with a hero’s welcome.  And why not.  Over 16,000,000 men and women served, more than 400,000 died, and nearly 700,000 were wounded.  The United States and her allies had won a world war against aggressors, the likes of whom we had never known before.  We were victorious, the Great Depression was over, and the future of the country as a world power looked bright.  Two major reasons these veterans received the recognition they did was that the country was united behind a common cause, and
those in the service had to stay in the service until the war was over.  When the war was over, the celebrations across the country were as much for the war being over as for returning veterans.  After the war, there was, in essence, one big national party that lasted for weeks.

Although many reasons are given as to why veterans did not receive a friendly welcome home, perhaps the biggest reason is the fact that soldiers in Vietnam were on a two-year cycle of service.  That cycle consisted of 13 months of service in Vietnam, and 11 months elsewhere, normally on bases in the United States.  Whether the war in Vietnam was over or not, servicemen and women came back to the United States.  While individual families had celebrations, the nation as a whole had nothing to celebrate because we were still at war.  Not only was the nation not celebrating, but returning GI’s came home to nationwide protests about the war.  GI’s, too, didn’t celebrate as many joined a group known as Vietnam Veterans Against the War.  Some members of this group even threw their medals away at rallies in Washington.  People across the country watched these events on television and felt no real need to celebrate something of which the very people involved weren’t very proud.

Television, a relatively new medium of information, played a key role through its nightly newscasts showing the battles, and in some cases our soldiers burning village huts while apparently innocent civilians cried.  The war grew increasingly unpopular and the public gradually grew to blame the warrior for the war. Further, when reports of the My Lai massacre came out, people wondered just how widespread activity of that nature was.  Respect for the Vietnam veteran eroded even further as reports came out of  widespread drug abuse among the troops.  Some returning veterans not only didn’t get a hero’s welcome, but they were spat upon and called horrific names.
As the war dragged on it became increasingly unpopular, protests became more violent, and the country was generally tired.  There was a strong desire to end the war and put it behind us.  The way the war ended, as far as the United States involvement was concerned, also played a role in the reception of the veterans.  President Nixon gradually removed the troops, meaning there was no single huge group of returning veterans, and again it fell upon families and small groups of friends to celebrate the return of a man or woman who served.

Some veterans felt betrayed and felt that the nation cared more about campus protesters than they did men and women who had just put their lives on the line for a year.  Most veterans, however, were just happy to be alive and back home and the absence of a national celebration meant very little to them.

Having said that, the silence and lack of a desire to talk about their war experiences and the hell they had just survived was consistent among most veterans, and this also contributed to the lack of a warm welcome home.  People weren’t sure what to say, and the veterans understandably didn’t want to talk about it.  Years ago, my brother Jim woke me up in the middle of the night and handed me a cigar and we celebrated his one year anniversary of leaving Vietnam.  Smoking his cigar, Jim paced back and forth and said, “You just couldn’t understand.  It was just the most unbelievable experience in the world.  You just couldn’t understand.”  Many veterans repeated that same phrase, “You just couldn’t understand.”  Truer words were never spoken.  How could any of us who have never experienced war, truly understand?
We can’t.

Another difference between veterans of Vietnam and other wars is the development of passenger jets.  Many veterans of previous wars road boats and some cargo planes, which allowed them at least some level of time to unwind.  In one sense, the Vietnam veteran was shocked back into daily life and was supposed to adjust as if he or she had not just been to hell and back.  They not only knew we couldn’t understand, they didn’t have time to organize their thoughts and readjust to “The World” as they called it.  Given their haunting memories, shocking experiences, and an uninterested and disrespectful nation for which they were unprepared, is it any wonder they didn’t want to talk about it?

Some veterans of the Vietnam war have also suffered from “PTSD” or post traumatic stress disorder.  Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is a serious psychological reaction that some veterans developed due to their horrible experiences in Vietnam.  (PTSD can affect any person who experiences serious fear or trauma in their lives, not just veterans.)  Life threatening experiences commonly bring about PTSD, and certainly the Vietnam veteran would fit that description. PTSD is not a new phenomena.  Veterans of  World War II and other wars also suffered from PTSD, but it was more commonly known then as shell shock or battle fatigue.
People who suffer from PTSD often experience recurring mental or visual images of horrifying events.  Even common events can stir these images and make them very real.  My father, for instance, does not like to watch fireworks displays because they bring back memories of World War II.  Panic, fear, anger, sadness, guilt, mood swings, and an inability to communicate properly are common symptoms of PTSD.

A combat veteran, doctor, or nurse wouldn’t be normal if he or she didn’t experience some form or level, however minor, of PTSD.  These experiences affect different people in different ways and it is no sign of weakness that it affects some more than others.  It does a disservice, though, to the veterans of Vietnam, and all veterans for that matter, to think that they are walking around ready to explode at any minute.  And yet, that was often the very way people looked at veterans returning from Vietnam, which further contributed to their difficult return home.  Indeed, some veterans even had hard time getting jobs.

While the overwhelming majority of veterans have adjusted to their post-war lives, there are some who, for a variety of reasons, just couldn’t readjust.  It’s difficult to say what their particular experiences were in Vietnam and why they couldn’t readjust to life in the United States.  No doubt there are as many reasons as there are suffering veterans.  Sadly, many men who couldn’t readjust turned to drugs and alcohol in search of their own answers.  Obviously, there are no good answers found in drugs and alcohol and some of these men have become homeless.

The Veterans Administration does an excellent job of helping homeless veterans, but at times even they run out of answers.  Very special people at homes such as The Joseph House here in Cincinnati, provide food, shelter, comfort and counseling for veterans of all wars who still struggle.  Having not walked in the moccasins of these troubled veterans, let us not judge them.  Rather, we can and should reach out and help them.

I’ll be contacting each school in the district to let you know how you and your students can help.