I was in the Air Force and turned 21 in 'Nam, and the realization that I was unwelcome when I came home affected me a great deal. I tended to be anti-social and avoided being around others not in my (career) military circles.
The deeply ingrained sentiment (courtesy of Hanoi Jane and John and their contemporaries) of the public at large was brought home to me in the late '90's when I particpated in an HR sponsored management sensitivity training class conducted by a large corporation where I was employed. We were there to improve our ability to relate to minorities and other oft oppressed types that exist in our culture, specifically in the workplace.
Various stereotypes were the focus of the exercise and different categories of people were written on large sheets of paper taped to the walls. Each participant had to make a stereotypical comment under each heading. One of the headings was "Viet Nam Veteran". My entry under that one was hated.
After the session the instructor came to me privately, and apologized for even including that category. She explained that had she known there was actually a Viet Nam Vet in the group, she wouldn't have included it because of how I might react and for the safety of the group at large.
I was stunned by the (false) impression so deeply ingrained in her comments and I reassured her I was long past any negative reaction to being a member of that group and that the comments others wrote didn't bother me.
Point of this story being: time passes and you either move beyond unpleasant situations in your life or you withdraw completely from participation in society (like many actually did). I felt sorry for my instructor and those who share(d) her view of a group of people who are finally getting a chance to clear the record via the activities of the Swiftees.