Please answer my questions about life during the vietnam war

I was born in 1954, so I guess I can reply..

1. Did you support or oppose the Vietnam War during the war? In retrospect, has your opinion changed since it ended? At the time, I supported it. Why? I was ~16 and I was not experienced or mature enough to question authority...I trusted our government way too much....today, while I respect the government and continue to love our Country, I'm not so gullible...

2. Did you ever participate in any form of protest to the war? No.

3. Did you watch the news often during the war? What image seems most memorable from the news during the war? I watched every day. I remember feeling scared, especially during the riots during the Chicago convention in the late 60's. I also remember feeling so sad, at the images of soldiers killed in action....young lives lost, for reasons best debated by those wiser than I....

4. Were you afraid of the possibility that a family member, a close friend, or yourself might be drafted into military service? My older brother was drafted, and spent 4 years in the Army. When I turned 18, I registered for the draft. The year they selected my number (110 or 111 if I recall correctly) was the year the draft ended. I was prepared to go, but the draft ended znd I was not called. I chose instead to go to college and obtain my degree.

5. Did you, a family member, or a close friend at the time ever serve in the military during the war? If so, did you ever see any combat? My dad...WWII, my father-in-law...Korea....my older brother...Vietnam....my younger brother joined the Marines but did not see combat.
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1. At first I supported the war, in retrospect as I grew older and read more about it...It was simply a wrong war to fight. I thought our politicians punked our military guys out by not letting them win the war.

2. Never engaged in any demonstrations. I was in AFJROTC during high school so I always had a positive attitude towards the military.

3. The war was on TV all the time while I was growing up you couldnt miss it. I used to watch the news with my parents.

4. Yes I knew some friends whose brothers had been enlisted or drafted. I had to sign up for the draft even though the US had stopped it by.

5. My Father had enlisted in the Marines in early 1955? He did see some duty in the middle east, but was medically retired due to injures to both his knees a few years later, which occured when trying to board a landing craft in high seas.
 
1. Did you support or oppose the Vietnam War during the war? In retrospect, has your opinion changed since it ended?

Supported the war as family was there. Didn't and still don't like Vietnamese prople for what they did to our boys. As was already stated by someone else, people would spit on us when we got home. I think they were Democrats.

2. Did you ever participate in any form of protest to the war?

No, I thought the people protesting were scum of the earth, kind of like the ones protesting now.

3. Did you watch the news often during the war? What image seems most memorable from the news during the war?

We had radio, but only got govt programs, so No.

4. Were you afraid of the possibility that a family member, a close friend, or yourself might be drafted into military service?

Not really, I had already joined the Air Force.

5. Did you, a family member, or a close friend at the time ever serve in the military during the war? If so, did you ever see any combat?

Yes, several family members. I didn't have to go to Nam as I went to Korea and Okinawa during the war.
 
1. Did you support or oppose the Vietnam War during the war? In retrospect, has your opinion changed since it ended?Didn't support it at first (see 2), because I felt that we went about it all wrong. Based on the experiences of family/friends that were there, some of which never returned, and the ones who did were never the same afterward. However, in retrospect, I think we should have done things differently, and the outcome would have been better.

2. Did you ever participate in any form of protest to the war? At first, yes, but only with clothing, etc, (circa 1968-1969)but no protests, or anything like that (some of that was that it was very "fashionable" to join the anti-war crowd and I was young). As some of my friends/family returned, I got disillusioned with the anti-war crowd(circa 1970-1971), as I realized they didn't understand what was going on there. I later began to support the war, or at least or people fighting over there.

3. Did you watch the news often during the war? What image seems most memorable from the news during the war? Sometimes, but probably not enough to understand what was really going on. Even though I lived through it, years later I have a much better feel for what really went on. I think what I did see (on the news) was heavily biased, after talking to people who were there, and reading accounts of what really went on.

4. Were you afraid of the possibility that a family member, a close friend, or yourself might be drafted into military service?Not afraid for myself, I just missed being drafted (high number), but they would have rejected me for health reasons, anyway. Most all of my friends/family volunteered, rather than being drafted.

5. Did you, a family member, or a close friend at the time ever serve in the military during the war? If so, did you ever see any combat? Yes, several of both. 2 of my cousins enlisted, one of which did 3 tours as a chopper pilot. 2 purple hearts, and a congressional medal of honor. Several of my friends joined the Marines, and a couple were Force Recon guys(also Medal of Honor). A few never made it back. I did go over, later, as a civilian (circa 1973), with a couple of my buddies, who had been there, in the military (but went back as civilians). But I'm not allowed to talk about it (seriously).

If you want me to elaborate on anything, pls. PM me
 
BlueTrain posted - "The US Marines lost more in Vietnam than the US Army."

That is WRONG. You need to check your facts before spreading incorrect info.

US Army Soldiers KIA in Vietnam = 38,190
US Marines Killed In Action in Vietnam = 14,836

This is from a well researched web site -
http://www.rjsmith.com/kia_tbl.html

In answer to the original posters questions:

1 - Yes, I supported the war, even though I was surrounded by anties here in the SF Bay Area.

2 - No, never in a protest. Did consider going down and kicking some protester butt but figured I was outnumbered.

3 - Yes I watched the news. The body counts made me sick. Much worse than what we are in today.

4&5 - Afraid for my family & friends? My father was one of the first US Army Officers to set foot in Viet Nam in 1954. He was an advisor & we lived on Taiwan at the time. He went back from 1959-1961 as an advisor. My Brother was a doorgunner/crew chief on a Huey gunship in the Mekong Delta 1968-69. Got into a lot of **** but came home alive. Me? I went there as a Junior Engineer on the USNS Upshur (Military Sealift Command). We were hauling ROK troops back and forth between Viet Nam & Korea. Fear of getting drafted was only part it. Getting killed was a legitimate fear for us of draft age. Those were some strange times.
 
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Viet War =Iraq War

I was 10 years old in 1970. Obviosly, I wasn't in Viet Nam. However. it was a big part of my life.

First off, Antipitas is correct. The French were there protecting their rubber and coffee plantations; their noble cause was the mighty dollar. Our "ally" France asked for our help. When we entered, they bailed out.

A very close family friend was MIA in Nam. My biggest recollections of media coverage were 1- The napalmed girl running down the street. 2- The Life photo of the VC officer and his victim immediately after he pulled the trigger of the revolver he used to kill his victim. 3- That family friend being seen on a smuggled out movie as he was being transferred to the Hanoi Hilton. It was shown on the news- He was one of about 50 in the film. He spent 7 years at the Hilton. During his stay, his face was smashed and both shoulders were dislocated (and stayed that way until his return) because, as any current military or any vet can tell you, one of your obligations is to attempt to escape, or assist others in their attempts. He chose to help others escape and he was physically tortured for it. His father, based on that film, had his son re-classified as POW instead of MIA. I remember him coming home from Nam, and abandoning his parents because they made rice with dinner one night and he thought they were making fun of him. The truth is, his mother was very sick and it was one of the few things she was allowed to eat. He never returned to them, so the war cost him his family and them their son.

The reason I titled this as I did is because just as Cheney's buddies at Haliburton were given an unbidded contract in Iraq, then vice-president Johnson was partial owner of a company that built runways in Viet Nam. Just like Bush went into Iraq based on "bad intelligence", Johnson placed us into Viet Nam, based on "bad intelligence" on August 4, 1968. Also, just as Bush new the intelligence was "faulty", Johnson had been advised prior to committing us to Nam that the intelligence was faulty. He knew it, and did it anyway. It's funny how Kennedy tried to keep us as advisors, but as soon as he was killed, Johnson found a reason to go to war, and a reason to build airstrips.

The Viet Nam war affected me in ways many from my generation cannot imagine. I think we were wrong to go into Viet Nam. However, I thank every serviceman and servicewoman who sucked it up and went over as their government told them to. Thank you for being brave, despite being sent over for the enrichment of France and Lyndon Johnson. Thank you for going over there for me.

The Viet Nam war still affects me. I am a 46 year old Air Force veteran and I still wear the MIA bracelet of SMaj Raymond L. Echevarria, who was lost in Laos on 03OCT1966.
 
One of y'all mentioned the Cong officer and another the VC officer executing the prisoner. If it is the photo I am thinking of, which is the only one like that attributed to the Vietnam war, The executioner is the Chief of Police in Saigon and the executee had just brutally murdered one of his policeman and, If I remember correctly, the Police officers whole family.
 
The executioner is the Chief of Police in Saigon and the executee had just brutally murdered one of his policeman and, If I remember correctly, the Police officers whole family.
Click to expand...
So what you are saying is, the executee got what he deserved? I don't see a problem with that!:D
 
And that's why we invaded Japan and Germany and the Phillipines and France and England and Holland and Belgium and Italy and North Africa and Israel/Palistine... IT WAS ALL FOR OIL!!!
Click to expand...

No but that was Germany and Japans reason, and that they wanted power and resources.
 
1. Yes. I lived in a very conservative stronghold in Orange County, CA and accepted the idea of the domino effect. The dominoes never did much outside the region in the end. It hurt some of the finest young people our nation had in that they were not allowed to come home with pride ifthey did come home.

2. No. I felt that a majority of the protesters then, as now, were on hormones and not reflecting the whole of reality. I felt some were just in it for the party.

3. I am a news junkie, but thought the news at the time very repetitious. The aforementioned images of the little girl and the executed prisoner were thoroughly rehashed so it is impossible to not remember.

4. I was concerned about the draft. I joined the Air Force and went into the Security Service after having gone through the draft physical and figured it was the best of the moral draft dodging options. I served time in Monterey, CA, Onna Point (R.I.P.) Okinawa, Grand Forks, ND and March AFB, CA the last 4 months. Oh, yeah; some time in TX, too.

My time out of country just reenforced my feelings that the anti war demonstrators were spoiled brats. They may or may not have been correct in their goals, but they were too ignorant to really know.

A number of my friends and relatives were drafted or joined. Two ended up cooks, one spent his tour in Germany doing Europe on drugs, one went into Naval Intelligence, another was a tank commander in Viet Nam. My brother joined the National Guard.

5. The very good friend and intelligent young man mentioned above was killed while acting as tank commander in Viet Nam. Still hurts as bad or worse than any other loss.
 
1. Opposed it then, still believe it was a horrible error in judgment, based on a series of false premises and conclusions, that destroyed many lives. This is in no way intended to denigrate the honor of many who served and the sacrifices of some close friends.

2. No.

3. TV News, newspapers, magazines. Some of it BS, some there in black and white for all to see. Can't pick out just one image. The naked napalm girl, the VC execution by Saigon police cheif, My Lai, wounded GIs, B-52 bombing runs, F-16's taking off from a carrier, Tet, the girl putting a daisy in the NG rifle muzzle...

4. My draft number was 125 the year they called 119. I was classified 1-H, as a collij student, but could have been reclassified after I dropped out less than a year later. Had a number of friends who went. Not all of them came back. Some that did are still not really back, not completely.

5. See answer to #4, above. I have never been in, though I have a number of friends who either were or are now. A couple are in the sandbox currently.
 
Dev, you must have mis-keyed. F-16's were not even in an engineers dreams back during 'Nam and I think the NAVY would be surprised to see that USAF, non-carrier capable bird taking off from one of their Carriers. The only way it couuld get aboard is by crane.
 
I was 18 in 1970

1. Did you support or oppose the Vietnam War during the war? In retrospect, has your opinion changed since it ended?

Neither. The war was something that was "just there". Not really a whole lot could be done about it one way or the other. You registered @ 18 with the SS board and took your chances.

2. Did you ever participate in any form of protest to the war?
Everybody took part in protests in the 1970's of one kind or another,,,not necessarily an anti war protest.
The chicks went for the drugs and the music, and the guys went because there were stoned chicks there & good music.
The original "Woodstock" is a good example. It just started as a concert,,,turned into an anti war protest,,,,then just kinda ended up being a massive party with no real purpose.

Somebody already mentioned the "party atmosphere, which is what 99.99999% of all *protests* were. Most of them ended like a block party coming to an end. A few (like Kent State* for instance) ended badly and got a lot of public attention.

Anyhow - to answer the direct question - no.

I never went to an anti war protest specifically because it was an anti war protest. I don't recall ever sticking around any of the other "parties" if.when they devolved into anti VietNam protests either.

3. Did you watch the news often during the war? What image seems most memorable from the news during the war?
Naw, not really. I was too busy just being 18 to have much interest in the news. When I did pay attention it was usually to something space related (NASA). In '70 everybody was still all (groan - bad pun coming) A'Buzz over the moon landing. ( I warned ya:))

4. Were you afraid of the possibility that a family member, a close friend, or yourself might be drafted into military service?.
No. ....stuff happens.
"Afraid" isn't the right term.
Concerned - yes. PO'ed that it might happen and us under 21's had no say in the matter - yes. REALLY PO'ed at the dirty little cowards that went North to Canada - YOU BETCHA! {FWIW - I have no animosity towards the co's that took a stand and went to jail. At least they had the courage of their convictions. The rat bas*"""s that ran away should have been left to rot in Canada or stuck in front of a firing squad if they came back and were caught}

I was really more "afraid" of what I might do to one of those runaways if I ever met up to one face to face than I was of being drafted.

5. Did you, a family member, or a close friend at the time ever serve in the military during the war? If so, did you ever see any combat.
Yes - my older brother served in VN.
Yes - several people I knew served also.
Yes - they all saw some combat.


*Re: Kent State, May 4th 1970. I came --><--- this close to going there just,,well,,just to be there. It was more a matter of curiosity (and to be perfectly honest, waaaaay more than a little bit of wanting to be around a certain girl that was planning on going). Fortune intervened though. Otherwise it probably would have been an instant replay of the 1968 Cleveland riots:rolleyes:
 
Actually I was spending most of my time as a young teenager chasing the early developing girls. I knew of the war because my uncle was killed in an A-7 in Vietnam. I had three other uncles there. Two air force and one Rangers.
My one uncle died in 1980. His organs just simply rotted out. His job in the Air force was loading Agent Orange onto the aircraft. The Ranger did three tours in Nam, he was as nutty as a fruit cake. He went to Bragg and trained after the war and retired in '82. About a year after he retired he was in a Florida bar when he freaked and beat a guy half to death, did 11 years for that. When he got out he wanted to visit his family, they all said they didn't want a "mental case drunk" around and told him so. I asked for his phone number so he could stay at my house, they wouldn't give it to me. 6mo. later he died in a car accident in Wyoming. We got together and went to Va. for the funeral. Outside the funeral home I lost my cool with all of his sisters crying and his brothers being sad. I yelled at them that when this hero needed them they turned their backs on him so can the "alligator tears". Then I took the bus home.They still haven't forgiven me for that and I don't really care. My uncle lost everything do to his service, wife, family, freedom. I hold him in the highest honor among the total history of my family, one who has lost members in every war this country has fought up until Nam
Had the war been going when I graduated High School I would have joined. I would have joined the Army instead of the Navy and gone for Ranger.
 
1. we were drawn into it because of our treaty with France

2. NO

3. yes..they showed front line footage it seemed like every Sunday afternoon

4. my dad was a Navy Phantom pilot in Viet Nam (two tours)

5. I was a little kid..7 when it ended in 1973
 
I enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1968. There was no doubt in my mind I
was headed for Viet Nam.

I was never involved in any protests against the war, but at one
point my unit, the 28th Marines at Camp Pendleton, was on
'stand-by' to deploy to Berkeley to help keep the peace in the anti-war demonstrations there.

After I came home, I didn't want to watch any TV coverage of the war.
It both depressed me and angered me almost to the point of mental instability.
Back then they just told me "Get over it!" Now they call it PTSD and give
people a check every month to help their suffering.

I had a younger brother who joined the Navy in 1972. I worried about him
for a while until I heard he was going to train as a diesel engine mechanic.
I knew he wouldn't see any combat taking care of ship's engines.

I spent a little over 9 months in Viet Nam in a Marine rifle company,
in two different trips over. I spent about 3 months in the Naval Hospital in Oakland, California recovering from the 2 trips I took to Viet Nam.

It certainly was an interesting time. And the music then was a heck of a
lot better than what's going on these days.

Walter
 
Your final report

Impact of Reason--You're getting a LOT of stuff here, I observe. From a number of different perspectives. Fascinating.

Perhaps you'd do us the honor of posting yr report as handed in, and tell us the grade you received on it, and the teacher's comments, if any.
 
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