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It was due in a large part to the killing of the innocent civilians, the "baby killers" as a lot of returning GIs had to contend with. It also had a lot to do with the daily body counts that went on day in and day out. There are numerous things so it's very hard to pinpoint just one or two items that inflamed the populace against the returning armed forces veterans. It was essentially an unwinable war that our troops were not allowed to win. They had orders not to win in some cases. The war did not have to go on as long as it did. Basically the French started the war and left it up to the Americans to finish it. There were also a lot of prisoners of war that have never come home. A lot of our captured GI's and pilots were eventually sold to China and Russia as slave labor and were relegated to forgotten lives in a foreign land. They were not allowed to return home. That was the truly sad part.
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The warriors were held responsible for the war, instead of the politicians.
Ironically, the warriors were in large part draftees who weren't there by their choice anyhow. Evidently the US population was so angry (many had probably lost loved ones) they were striking out at the first representative of the government they could find which was in many cases a GI. And they wanted the war to stop because they knew people who were becoming eligible for the draft. The military with a draft is different and the reaction of citizens to a draft war takes on a different context also. It was also one of the first wars brought home to citizens on their TV's every night. |
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It was a turn and a new putting TV and news crew directly in the field and allowing them to post any ramble they wanted. Also it was a result of a seroius turning of liberal poliical and social ideas in the American culture.
America could not understand a war where the enemy did not wear uniforms, they could not understand a war where the enemy would strap a bomb on to 3 or 4 year olds and kill soldiers by blowing them up. They could not understand a enemy that would put a bomb in a baby carriage with a baby in it, to kill the enemy. And they could not understand an enemy that had soldiers as young as 10, 11 and 12 fighting and shooting at us as well as 50 or 60 year olds fightig along side also. So when we killed the enemies it often was shown on TV all the dead "kids" It was the first time when the major part of the newspapers and TV did not support the government. Before there was always some that did ot want the war ( well no one wants a war) but before it was always in the news that it was the American thing to do, that if you did not support america you should just leave. Well now all of a sudden the news and TV was showing people who were protesting the war, and started to glorify them. |
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Be careful what you watch from Hollywood. They always suck! They are only out for money. Remember NIXON and JFK? Two phony-movies by Hollywood. In fact, one guy who watched JFK saw himself die some 40-years later or so. About the closest thing that you are going to see about Marines in Vietnam is "Full Metal Jacket". Some of it is fairly accurate. BTW, children and adults alike with Downs Syndrome can kill you! Well trained Sappers who were actually the mentally retards of the NVA were very, very well trained to blow you away with 20-pounds of TNT strapped to their backs. No TV station here in the USA ever told the REAL TRUTH about Fire Support Base Russell, and Neville.. . And the REAL ENEMY that the Marines had to fight there on those two hills, near the DMZ. Till this day, I can't stand to see any Asian with Downs Syndrome; no matter what their ages are. They make me feel nervous when I look at them. FSB Russell & Neville were in 1969.. . Nearly 4-DECADES AGO!! Hollywood will ALWAYS suck!
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The passivist Left has run the major news organizations since the 1960's. Similar to Vietnam, there is absolutely no news about what the U.S. is trying to accomplish in Iraq, especially in the areas of construction of infrastructure and human rights. There are lots of folks in America that want to see the U.S. fail, I hate to say.
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The movie Apocalypse Now is pretty close to what they did in base camps. All the Budweiser beer, cases and cases of it, all the charred steaks cooking away. My late husband was a helicopter door gunner for 2 years and that's all he did. Go out on the chopper and then come back and get boozed up and eat charred steak. Over and over again. Whenever he watched "AN" he could relate to his experience. He did say that the loud music being played by the incoming helis was really done for intimidation purposes. To dull his memories he drank and drank and drank until he passed out every day.
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 Originally Posted by twinkiedooter
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I don't think they were hated... I am a child of the 60's and participated in anti-war rallies in college. I think the war was hated and maybe, just maybe, the men FELT hated too. Kind of like a generalization of ideas that didn't really apply. I have deep respect for my friends and all the other folks that went over there. And I still hate that war. Carol in Mill Valley
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Oh yes they were, hated.
They took the brunt of the blame for the actions of the politicians who would not allow us to fight to win, no matter what. It was, as Fr_Chuck stated, the media presence, showing the dead babies, much more often than showing our own troops that were killed as well, and the liberal media plan to turn the American public against the war was a huge success. Too bad the brave young men, doing only their duty, suffered as a result. |
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War is so horrible and Vietnam was especially bad because as some have mentioned all the bad things were televised and that is what we all saw.
It was horrible because the ones going there did not have a choice, they were drafted and sent to a horrible foreign land to try and help those that did not want help. I think the reason that many folks are so down on the IRAQ war started earlier on. It never ceases and it probably never will. Think about it... our Great Grandfathers fought and died in World War I, Our Grandfather's in World War II , our Father's in Korea, Our boyfriends, fellow students, older brothers in Vetnam, our Children in Desert Storm and now our Grandchildren in IRAQ. None of us like to be at war it is a horrible thing. We at the same time need to let the world know that we are a powerful source to protect our homeland. I have to admit I don't understand why our homeland guard is fighting the war, but I am not a politition, I don't ever want to be. War needs to stop, but it never will, it is the way things are, have always been and always will be. Yes, I agree with the Hollywood versions of the war being not quite so correct. I did watch all the movies, they were good movies if you kept the fact in perspective that it is a movie and not real life. What is so tragic are the soldiers that go to fight for us overseas, do not die but come back as injured and missing limbs and parts. I see them homeless and begging in our streets. Can we not do something to help these people. It is a huge problem and I think we as a nation are failing them. I do not know anyone that has come back injured personally, but I see them and it bothers me a great deal. This is not right. We become involved in these wars, the president and congress want us to support the war effort and they want lots of money to do it, than I go to my favorite restaurant and outside on a bench is a veteran with no legs begging for food! So what we are saying is support the war, send more troops, but sorry fellows if you get hurt you are on your own and in the streets. Can't fight anymore.. too bad... fend for yourself you are no longer useful to the U.S.A. we don't care what happens to you. Horrible... Disgusting... Deplorable and so unchristian. Where is the compassion? I hate it! Shirley |
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Syndicated columnist Bob Greene ,upon hearing the deplorable treatment the returned soldiers were receiving ,conducted a series of interviews with them ;verified their stories ,and authored a book about their experiences called The Homecoming .If you want to know the truth don't count of Hollywierd to provide it.
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The conservatives are not "allowing" it.
With the leftist elite in control, just how many conservatives would you expect "them" to hire anyway? They stack the deck by allowing only those that share their twisted ideals to be employed and in the position to manipulate the news to reflect those views and the socialist agenda they so desire. That's OK though, with the internet, and talk radio, the truth is getting out and they are beginning to loose the total control they once had. Why do you think they want to eliminate, or at the least, control conservative talk radio? |
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Wildsporty writes: "What is so tragic are the soldiers that go to fight for us overseas, do not die but come back as injured and missing limbs and parts. I see them homeless and begging in our streets. Can we not do something to help these people. It is a huge problem and I think we as a nation are failing them. I do not know anyone that has come back injured personally, but I see them and it bothers me a great deal. This is not right. We become involved in these wars, the president and congress want us to support the war effort and they want lots of money to do it, than I go to my favorite restaurant and outside on a bench is a veteran with no legs begging for food!"
While I agree with most of what you have written here, the part I quoted is not correct. Take a look at the Veterans Administration and its budget. The double-amputee you describe may be a veteran, but he is not disabled as a result of his service to America. Veterans who have 'service-connected' disability are compensated, even when able to hold an otherwise normal job. There are disabled veterans whose disability is not 'service-connected' that are paid a subsistence allowance because they have no other resources. |
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Right now the DAV commission is fighting with the Social Security Department because they want to deduct the Veteran benefits paid from the Disabillity Social Security that is received by the disabled Veteran.
Now the Disability Social Security is for the disabled that have paid into the system through social security and become disabled. The Veteran's check is for service to the country and becoming disabled in the process. Why should one benefit cancel out the other. There are many things like this that just make me mad. Yes they are paid a benefit when they are disabled. Is it enough to live on? I don't think so or they would not be applying for disability social security. I donate to the DAV and to the Disabled Veterans when I can afford to do so. It is the best thing I can do to help. In return I hear many stories... I don't think they are lying to me. Shirley |
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