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Opinion of Vietnam Vets

n/an/a Member Posts: 168,427
edited December 2011 in US Military Veteran Forum
I have only met a few of these men. One was mentally corrupted and the other one keeps patting himself on the back.

What has your experiences been.

They are all not God's gift to America in my opinion.

Some great, some good and some others.

Sage1
«1

Comments

  • n/an/a Member Posts: 168,427
    edited November -1
    Were you there? if not who are you to judge?
  • searcher5searcher5 Member Posts: 13,511
    edited November -1
    I owe all veterans who served honorably a huge debt of gratitude for doing what I was never called to do.

    People are still people, no matter what, and there will always be a huge diversity amongst them. You cannot paint any group, or race, or religion with the same brush.

    The people I have issues with are the posers, the ones who want to take credit for things they never did, and likely know nothing more about serving our country than what they learned from watching Gomer Pyle on TV.

    Thank you Veterans, every one of you.

    Dan
  • buschmasterbuschmaster Member Posts: 14,229 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    dunno. some messed up. some totally normal. some very good men. probably 1000's I ran across that been there but that wasn't part of the conversation. on average vn seems to make no difference. on average.
  • n/an/a Member Posts: 168,427
    edited November -1
    Very Few VietNam Vets I know even talk about their exploits while they were in country. The people that irritate me as said are the posers. You know the supply clerk that was a sniper, and the cook that was a navy seal. Then you have the desk jockies that never left the states however they were Airborne rangers... I agree that we needed the rear echelon people, however I get a little irritated when I here one claim something they never did.[:0]
  • cercer Member Posts: 826 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    thank you for your thoughts. your comments are and have always been welcome. any more?
  • cce1302cce1302 Member Posts: 9,555 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by Sage1
    I have only met a few of these men. One was mentally corrupted and the other one keeps patting himself on the back.

    What has your experiences been.

    They are all not God's gift to America in my opinion.

    Some great, some good and some others.

    Sage1




    I am certainly relieved that vietnam veterans were singled out for this study. It would be very grievous indeed if American society in general could be described like this.
  • searcher5searcher5 Member Posts: 13,511
    edited November -1
    Couldn't hurt. The way my week has been, pretty much anything would be an improvement. What scents would you, as an expert, recommend? [:D]
  • SpartacusSpartacus Member Posts: 14,415
    edited November -1
    quote:I have only met a few of these men. One was mentally corrupted and the other one keeps patting himself on the back.


    never mind......it's not worthy of a response.
  • MVPMVP Member Posts: 25,074
    edited November -1
    Vietnam Veterans are as varied as the human race in general. The only thing they have in common is that they served in a war in Vietnam.
  • jeffb1911jeffb1911 Member Posts: 2,111 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I'm amazed at how many "vets" are not really vets at all, or had been mustered out for some reason before they got to do any real "exploits" that they claimed to have done. Seems the real vets i've dealt with were actually fairly normal.
  • bullshotbullshot Member Posts: 14,292 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    War vets, Vietnam or otherwise came from every walk of life, every level of society .... there is no "War Veteran" type.
    Many came back "broken", none should be judged by anyone that wasn't there regardless of where "there" was. Few war vets that I have known speak much of their time spent in battle.

    All who went and fought are heroes in my eyes. I, like every single other American owe them thanks and respect.
    "Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they're not out to get you"
  • Rocky RaabRocky Raab Member Posts: 14,131 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I've met more NON-vets than Sage has met of us. Many are fine people.

    Some of the rest are like Sage.
    I may be a bit crazy - but I didn't drive myself.
  • woodhogwoodhog Member Posts: 13,115 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    unless you wrote that same check to your country as every one of the veterans did, keep your little asides to yourself, please. It only make you look very ungrateful
  • eastbankeastbank Member Posts: 4,215
    edited November -1
    most who fought the vietnam war came home with a few demons, most beat them. but there are some who will never be the same because of the things that they can,t get over. and they fell into booze,drugs,amoung other things trying to escape the horrors they saw and had to do. and its enough to make a grown man cry. eastbank.
  • grumpygygrumpygy Member Posts: 53,466
    edited November -1
    Well were they Marines Or Army.

    If Marines thats Normal

    Army then there is something wrong with them.



    [:o)][:o)][:o)][:o)]
  • OakieOakie Member Posts: 40,519 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Only someone who has never served his country would make such a stupid comment. They were all great men whom sacrificed alot for their country unlike yourself.
  • grumpygygrumpygy Member Posts: 53,466
    edited November -1
    Just had to add, a lot of those who act Merntal or ar loud and as was said Patting themselves on the Back. Were never there. Its just a way to get attention.
  • countryfarmercountryfarmer Member Posts: 4,552
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by Classic095
    Very Few VietNam Vets I know even talk about their exploits while they were in country. The people that irritate me as said are the posers. You know the supply clerk that was a sniper, and the cook that was a navy seal. Then you have the desk jockies that never left the states however they were Airborne rangers... I agree that we needed the rear echelon people, however I get a little irritated when I here one claim something they never did.[:0]


    The ones I know that were there never talk about it....salute to all of them
  • jwb267jwb267 Member Posts: 19,666 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    were you there? chances are your answer is no.
    who is to say if you were out of country and returned that you wouldn't be mentally corrupted or a drunkard
  • KEVD18KEVD18 Member Posts: 15,037
    edited November -1
    May not be popular or well received, but here's my take.

    First, I hold all veterans in the highest regard.

    It's been my experience that Vietnam vets want something more for having served in that war than any other veterans of any other war. Most of the nam vets I am familiar with express this subtextual expectation of a higher level of thanks for being in that war over all the others. I don't believe in the concept of service for recognition/adoration. Respect and appreciation should absolutely be garnered on veterans, but I think people who get into it for the medals, the rewards, etc are in it for the wrong reasons regardless of the time period. No one war is any better or worse than another. War is hell as the saying goes. All veterans deserve our respect and thanks, but on an equal footing.

    That's just my view. Certainly this doesn't apply to every veteran, just most of the ones I've met.
  • Colonel PlinkColonel Plink Member Posts: 16,460
    edited November -1
    I've met and spoken to hundreds of them. I've found them all to be individuals with their own unique perspective.
  • DancesWithSheepDancesWithSheep Member Posts: 12,938 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by KEVD18 May not be popular or well received, but here's my take. First, I hold all veterans in the highest regard. It's been my experience that Vietnam vets want something more for having served in that war than any other veterans of any other war. Most of the nam vets I am familiar with express this subtextual expectation of a higher level of thanks for being in that war over all the others. I don't believe in the concept of service for recognition/adoration. Respectand appreciation should absolutely be garnered on veterans, but I think people who get into it for the medals, the rewards, etc are in it for the wrong reasons regardless of the time period. No one war is any better or worse than another. War is hell as the saying goes. All veterans deserve our respectand thanks, but on an equal footing. That's just my view. Certainly this doesn't apply to every veteran, just most of the ones I've met.
    Just how many Vietnam vets have you met?
  • guntech59guntech59 Member Posts: 23,187 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by grumpygy
    Well were they Marines Or Army.

    If Marines thats Normal

    Army then there is something wrong with them.



    [:o)][:o)][:o)][:o)]


    Effin' Jarheads![:o)]
  • guntech59guntech59 Member Posts: 23,187 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by KEVD18
    May not be popular or well received, but here's my take.

    First, I hold all veterans in the highest regard.

    It's been my experience that Vietnam vets want something more for having served in that war than any other veterans of any other war. Most of the nam vets I am familiar with express this subtextual expectation of a higher level of thanks for being in that war over all the others. I don't believe in the concept of service for recognition/adoration. Respect and appreciation should absolutely be garnered on veterans, but I think people who get into it for the medals, the rewards, etc are in it for the wrong reasons regardless of the time period. No one war is any better or worse than another. War is hell as the saying goes. All veterans deserve our respect and thanks, but on an equal footing.

    That's just my view. Certainly this doesn't apply to every veteran, just most of the ones I've met.


    All other War Vets were treated to ticker-tape parades and a heroes homecoming. Vietnam Vets were trivialized, ignored or insulted and spit on.

    That may help explain the attitude you perceive.

    I have never seen what you are describing and I know a lot of Vietnam Vets.
  • Old-ColtsOld-Colts Member Posts: 22,700 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by guntech59
    quote:Originally posted by KEVD18
    May not be popular or well received, but here's my take.

    First, I hold all veterans in the highest regard.

    It's been my experience that Vietnam vets want something more for having served in that war than any other veterans of any other war. Most of the nam vets I am familiar with express this subtextual expectation of a higher level of thanks for being in that war over all the others. I don't believe in the concept of service for recognition/adoration. Respect and appreciation should absolutely be garnered on veterans, but I think people who get into it for the medals, the rewards, etc are in it for the wrong reasons regardless of the time period. No one war is any better or worse than another. War is hell as the saying goes. All veterans deserve our respect and thanks, but on an equal footing.

    That's just my view. Certainly this doesn't apply to every veteran, just most of the ones I've met.All other War Vets were treated to ticker-tape parades and a heroes homecoming. Vietnam Vets were trivialized, ignored or insulted and spit on.

    That may help explain the attitude you perceive.

    I have never seen what you are describing and I know a lot of Vietnam Vets.Phil, I believe your response is spot on. I don't feel the way Kev is describing nor have I witnessed it with other Vietnam Vets I know; that's not to say that there aren't some that might feel that way.

    If you can't feel the music; it's only pink noise!

  • bullshotbullshot Member Posts: 14,292 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by KEVD18
    May not be popular or well received, but here's my take.

    First, I hold all veterans in the highest regard.

    It's been my experience that Vietnam vets want something more for having served in that war than any other veterans of any other war. Most of the nam vets I am familiar with express this subtextual expectation of a higher level of thanks for being in that war over all the others. I don't believe in the concept of service for recognition/adoration. Respect and appreciation should absolutely be garnered on veterans, but I think people who get into it for the medals, the rewards, etc are in it for the wrong reasons regardless of the time period. No one war is any better or worse than another. War is hell as the saying goes. All veterans deserve our respect and thanks, but on an equal footing.

    That's just my view. Certainly this doesn't apply to every veteran, just most of the ones I've met.


    I don't think that Vietnam vets want special recognition for serving in Nam, I think that most of them just feel that they didn't get treated with the same respect as vets that served during other conflicts.

    I personally believe that this is true as I have never heard of returning veterans of any conflict being spit on when they came home from war. Sadly, Vietnam vets did experience that kind of treatment.

    I was saddened and outraged when I saw that back then. They were the only soldiers that weren't really supported by the American people as a whole.

    Just my opinion
    "Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they're not out to get you"
  • KEVD18KEVD18 Member Posts: 15,037
    edited November -1
    I think people perceive things in different ways. Two people might have separate(but generally similar) interactions with the same person and walk away with different opinions. Maybe I'm wrong.

    How many Vietnam vets have I met? Gee, let me check my diary. I keep a running tally. I don't really have a number for you. Lots. It's the opinion I've formed. It's not necessarily a negative. Just an observation.
  • ElMuertoMonkeyElMuertoMonkey Member Posts: 12,898
    edited November -1
    In my experience, they run the whole gamut. Most have been pretty decent folks and the bad ones were no worse than any other bad person.

    For what it's worth, I generally hold a positive opinion of them.
  • Laredo LeftyLaredo Lefty Member Posts: 13,451 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by thermonuclear
    I only know 1 and he is my Dad. You would never know he was there if something didn't breech the subject, and even then he might not say anything.

    Dad turned down 3 purple hearts. Said he didn't go because he wanted something to show everyone. He went because he was called to. Nothing more and nothing less. He has turned down money for his damaged hearing and never goes to the VA, he opts to pay for his healthcare rather than use up tax money.

    Most I have met could really careless if you tell them thanks or not. I appreciate them, but I have found it's best to just let them alone.

    On a surprising note, my Dad's neighbor had found out he was in Viet Nam (not sure how) and came by the house and talked to him for a minute and she apologized for protesting the war. She said it was very bad judgement on her part.

    I thought that was pretty cool.



    Thats interesting. While I was in Vietnam one of my sisters was demonstrating in peace marches. She never apologized and I didn't expect her to. That issue never came between us.
  • thorhammerthorhammer Member Posts: 955 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    We had a vietnam vet at work, nicest guy to work with. what troubled him most was when he had to take orders from an officer to shoot a water buffalo next to some kids. he was in a big chopper that had a 20mm coupola and the officer told him to fire on that water buffalo. he was haunted by the looks of those kids watching their water buffalo fall over and die.

    I assume the vets don't talk about their experiences because they have so many bad memories.
  • MrOrangeMrOrange Member Posts: 3,012
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by cce1302
    quote:Originally posted by Sage1
    I have only met a few of these men. One was mentally corrupted and the other one keeps patting himself on the back.

    What has your experiences been.

    They are all not God's gift to America in my opinion.

    Some great, some good and some others.

    Sage1




    I am certainly relieved that vietnam veterans were singled out for this study. It would be very grievous indeed if American society in general could be described like this.

    Well played, sir.



    Have to agree with others that most likely the one who keeps patting himself on the back probably wasn't there, or was a John Kerry type.
  • skicatskicat Member Posts: 14,431
    edited November -1
    I guess I have the privilege of deer hunting every year with the only Vietnam Vet who wasn't a sniper, an ace fighter pilot, or Rambo's bigger, badder older brother. Far as I know he moved a lot of supplies and built a lot of camps and did a lot of drudge work including mind numbing guard duty.

    While I am not in favor of showing disrespect or cruelty to anyone including returning vets, I cannot but help feel that if more people had protested maybe, just maybe we could have gotten them home sooner and suffered many less casualties.
  • dfletcherdfletcher Member Posts: 8,162 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by Sage1
    I have only met a few of these men. One was mentally corrupted and the other one keeps patting himself on the back.

    What has your experiences been.

    They are all not God's gift to America in my opinion.

    Some great, some good and some others.

    Sage1




    Do you usually draw conclusions on a few hundred thousand based on meeting two people? I would imagine you've met many more but don't know it.

    I'm not one BTW, yours is probably one of the more foolish posts I've read - but I suspect that was your intent.
  • dfletcherdfletcher Member Posts: 8,162 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by eboydell
    quote:Well were they Marines Or Army.

    If Marines thats Normal

    Army then there is something wrong with them.


    Beautiful! Could not have said it better myself. Freakin' idiots!


    I wanted to enlist with the Marines but when they found out I could read and write and knew who my Daddy was they said "Son, you can't be no Marine ....." [;)]

    Everybody's wearing their sense of humor, right?
  • givettegivette Member Posts: 10,886
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by skicat
    I guess I have the privilege of deer hunting every year with the only Vietnam Vet who wasn't a sniper, an ace fighter pilot, or Rambo's bigger, badder older brother. Far as I know he moved a lot of supplies and built a lot of camps and did a lot of drudge work including mind numbing guard duty.

    While I am not in favor of showing disrespect or cruelty to anyone including returning vets, I cannot but help feel that if more people had protested maybe, just maybe we could have gotten them home sooner and suffered many less casualties.

    What does that mean? (Joe thinks to himself). What would have happened if nobody protested? Would the war have been so quick-and-vicious that there would have been an early, and absolute capitulation by the VN's?

    What would have happened if everyone said 'bomb Haiphong'? What then?

    Perhaps they all did, and the news media focused on the few that didn't?

    Is it my perception, or are there no Vietnam style protests in this country as we speak?

    Why is that? What has established complacency now, and not then?

    Is It That The Media Is Downplaying Such Protests Through Lack Of Coverage?

    Kev's post got me ol' noodle thinkin..
    It is not the VN Vets that are responsible for the reception, but the reception itself is the crux.

    We still had the WWII mindset during the time of the returning ROK Vets. Police action. We swallowed it..or we were too young (or unborn) to remember the Vietnam-style reception they received.

    There was a mini-boom in the '50's! Could that have played in?

    Vietnam was the first conflict whereby the public at large was aware of the Military Industrial Complex having a big part (the only part?) in the reason for the conflict's having started in the first place.

    Now, let's consider the reason for the Mid-East. Troops are committed to the preservation of the oil cartels. We have been duped again. But for how long this time?

    Again I ask, why no Vietnam style protests now? What has changed?

    Joe
  • swampgutswampgut Member Posts: 5,555
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by buschmaster
    dunno. some messed up. some totally normal. some very good men. probably 1000's I ran across that been there but that wasn't part of the conversation. on average vn seems to make no difference. on average.


    Screwed up or damn near screwed up people will definitely crack under the pressures of war.

    One's life experiences account for roughly 20% of the adult they will be REGARDLESS of what happens to them along the way.
  • footlongfootlong Member Posts: 8,009
    edited November -1
    Thay sure had good opium in Nam [:p]
  • MMOMEQ-55MMOMEQ-55 Member Posts: 13,134
    edited November -1
    Why not post about something you know about? Unless you was there you have no dog in the fight.[V]
  • footlongfootlong Member Posts: 8,009
    edited November -1
    memo- Let me repeat myself- They had GREAT opium for smoking in Viet Nam . At least thet did 42 years, ten months, nine days ago [:p]
  • n/an/a Member Posts: 168,427
    edited November -1
    Right within walking distance of my house are probably 50 or so Vietnam Vets, Rarely, if ever their service is talked about, About the only thing I have encountered between them is maybe a question of "What Year were you in Country" and "Welcome home Brother" because we damn sure werent welcomed by our country.[:(][:(]
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