Reflections: The Aftermath of Vietnam

Below is a little thing I wrote some years ago about why some Vietnam veterans feel the need to get together.
— David Hugus

Denigration and contempt are common reactions by the civil population to the members of the military during times of peace when soldiers’ sacrifices and pain can be safely ignored. But during times of conflict, the need for defenders of the nation is clear, their sacrifices well known and the heroism of the few is well publicized. The returning soldiers from World War II were greeted by the civilian population as heroes, saviors of the world and hailed by some to be members of the Greatest Generation. But a war weary country largely ignored the returning veterans of the Korean War. And in a way unprecedented in recent history, Vietnam veterans, even during a time of active conflict, were subjected to the active disdain, revulsion and outright hostility of the civilian population. Who can ever forget the strict instructions to carry a set of civilian clothes in your carry on baggage on the returning flight from Vietnam to the USA so you could change in the airport and try to avoid unpleasant incidents provoked by ignorant, misdirected anti-war protesters?

I suppose that the protesters were not even a significant minority, but the majority of the population, either through intimidation or indifference, choose not to oppose the vocal critics of the soldiers who were only the instruments of US foreign policy. Consequently, the Vietnam veteran returned from a frequently traumatic experience to at best a neutral environment and at worst to an actively hostile one as a result of serving his country. This lead to a feeling of isolation, especially to those who did not remain in the military with its closed bases and feeling of mutual support in the face of civilian revulsion. Veterans did not want to contaminate family members with whatever it was that caused the hostility so concerns, traumas, and the need for help were largely buried to avoid inflicting the prevailing outcast status onto loved ones.

In the face of this initial hostility and isolation now evolved into a universal indifference, the ability to reunite with those who have shared your experiences provides the single safe haven for the Vietnam veteran. There is no need to explain what you went through. They understand. There is no need to describe the terror, the ever present anxiety, the overwhelming feeling of failure when a friend is killed. They know. There is no need to try to grapple with the population’s hostility and rejection. They have coped. You can just exist in an environment of understanding and acceptance. No explanations required, no justifications needed, no questions asked.

This comfort, limited as it is, does not come free. You need to recall the experiences that produced this bond. You need to reflect on things long buried and perhaps better left unremembered. You need to recall those who did not return. You need to see the physical evidence of war’s ravages on the bodies of your fellows. You need to deal with experiences that are brought into sharper focus than is comfortable. You need to sympathize with the destroyed relationships, the addictive behaviors, the failures to cope. You need to support those who have had greater difficulties accommodating to the hostility and indifference. You may not judge, you can only accept.

It is a measure of the powerful need for acceptance and understanding that all of these negative influences do not deter Vietnam veterans from coming together. No one else understands. No one else accepts. No one else forgives. We need that and no one else can or will provide it.

What was the immediate reaction from your friends and family upon your return from Vietnam?

Friends and family had questions about why we were in Vietnam and what it was like. Obviously, there was no hostility, but also there was no credit given for service. Mostly just a focus on the rationale behind our government's decisions which, equally obviously, I was not well equipped to answer. Part of that was because I had no visibility into the thinking at the highest levels of our government. Partly that was because our government's behavior was just hard to explain. Still is.

How long was it before someone thanked you for your service?

I am not really sure. I suspect that it was about 2004 or so after the country started thanking service members and veterans for service in Iraq and Afghanistan. Vietnam vets were belatedly included in the general good feeling about those who served in those conflicts. But it was reasonably clear that Vietnam veterans were an afterthought. The focus was on the people currently serving, not those who had served in Vietnam.

When did you publicly make it known you had served?

I stayed in the army after Vietnam so I didn't have to integrate into a civilian world. People who knew me obviously knew I was in the army, but I certainly did not advertise that fact. In the 23 years that I was in the army, I wore my uniform in public exactly once. That was in 1982. I suspect that you have heard several times that returning Vietnam servicemen and women were told to carry civilian clothes with them on the returning aircraft. Because the flights were military charter, we had to be in uniform to fly. However, we were strongly advised to change into civilian clothes as soon as we reached the States. The intention was to try to minimize unpleasant airport scenes where soldiers were spit on and had eggs and fruit thrown at them.

What were some of the ways you were treated differently than WW1, WW2, and Korea vets?

As I note in the attachment, World War II veterans were hailed as saviors of the country and world and called the greatest generation. When I joined the army in 1966, Korean veterans were mid-career with about 15 years service. They didn't talk about their treatment much, but when they did they noted two things. The first was that the country largely ignored them and the conflict. They generally called Korea the forgotten war. The second thing that they noted was the unfriendly treatment they received from the "old soldiers" in the army. Because of the rapid increase in the army' size and the heavy casualties, particularly in the early part of the war, soldiers who served in Korea often received rapid promotions. Some of my acquaintance made SFC in the two years they were in the army, most of the time in Korea. But when they returned to the States, they were often faced with a review board composed of senior NCOs (read that WWII veterans) who asked them garrison questions about ceremonies and garrison functions. Every wrong answer cost them a stripe. A lot of these soldiers faced the board as mid-level or senior NCOs. Many left the boards as E4 or below. So Korea vets were ignored by the public and had their combat service disrespected by the people in the army who did not serve in Korea.

But to my knowledge, the only time in our history where active duty and recently returned veterans were actively reviled and castigated for their service was Vietnam. I believe that a lot of the emotional problems, drug and alcohol and relationship difficulties encountered by Vietnam veterans stemmed from their treatment after returning, rather than the service itself.