High Desert Minute Men - Viet Nam Vet Loses Contrator Job - Link Here
It is in Windows Media Format. From the link, click on this picture
I don't know if this qualifies as 'abuse' but it certainly had a negative effect on our quality of life.
My late husband was a combat VN vet. At that time, whenever a combat vet committed a crime, the newscasters were quick to point that out. It made it seem that all combat vets were serial killers waiting to happen.
My husband was turned down for job after job by snot-nosed college grads who a. thought he would go postal on the job or b. hated the war, the military and didn't want anyone who'd been a part of that in the workplace.
He became positively venomous towards people who had college (they'd gotten deferments). His inability to get good employment for a long time affected our finances, his depression levels, his post-traumatic stress, our homelife, everything. It got to the point where he finally had to leave off his combat experience from his resume. He was ashamed to have to do so, because, tho he didn't want to be drafted, he went, he did his duty and he was proud of it.
jeez. I hate these liberal bastards. Now I'm going to have to redo my mascara before I can go out for the afternoon.
Prior to the Viet Nam war, enlisted personel were not allowed to wear civilian clothes on liberty or off base except in certain circumstances, those circumstances being while on leave or if their duties required civilian attire. The reason for this were simple and direct, the lockers on barracks and ships didn't not have enough space alloted for civilian clothes so only uniforms were allowed.
As a direct result of personal attacks by anti war protestors, enlisted personel were allowed to wear civilian clothes when not on duty.
On my way home from Boot Camp in unifrom in 1975 I was assaulted by an "anti war protestor" complete with peace signs patches, bell bottomed jeans, a field jacket, and the sort of body funk that would strip paint, in a Greyhound Bus station in Jacksonville Florida.
I wasn`t abused when I returned from VN on 4/16/71 to
Ft.Lewis Wa,but the officer that was in charge our group
told us not to wear an uniform into town as there were many GI`s
that were accosted when they went into Tacoma with their
VN medals on,Called baby killers,spat on,I never saw it,
but I believed him.
I got stuffed on some of the best steak I`ve ever eaten
in the mess hall and came back home to Tn.
Bernie might have a few words to share on this subject, LadyX.
My time was in the very early years of the war ('63-'67) and I only travelled in uniform one time ('66) with no incidents brought to mind.
That sounds like some upper westside socialite who asks why GWB was elected when nobody they know voted for him. Idiot!
The anti-war protestors at Walter Reed do it TODAY.
Coop, can you show it?
My husband was brought home seriously wounded and did not encounter protestors, he did not pass through a civilian airport, but a couple of things stick in my mind. I remember a funeral for a Marine who died in Vietnam and protestors were on the corner of an intersection the funeral procession was coming down. We just happened to pull up to the stop sign at the intersection and when my dad figured out that the protestors were there to harass the funeral party he jumped out and chased them away. This was not one nut-case family like the Phelps bunch, sad to say they were college students. A woman I know whose husband was serving had a dead rabbit put in her mail box with a note that said her husband was killing children in Vietnam. She moved and did not tell anyone in the new neighborhood her husband was in Vietnam.
I know a lot of the returning Veterans did not tell people they had served, it was harder to get jobs and places to live. TV shows and movies did portray Vietnam Veterans as drug crazed killers. My brother had drinks bought for him and he was cursed and called a baby killer, usually by college girls.
Mostly what I remember is a coolness that would come over people when they found out someone in the room had served in Vietnam. I also remember returning Veterans not being welcome at Veterans Organizations (to this day my husband won't join any of them for that reason) and they were treated differently even at Military and VA hospitals than other Veterans were. It was perceived by even many older Veterans that they had not fought in a real war, or that they had lost the war.
It was more attitude than open and vocal, the attitude of an ungreatful nation, that did not appreciate their service. I have heard from many Veterans that came back to San Francisco/Oakland that they were greeted by protestors who gathered outside the airport to throw things at them and yell obscene things. At one point it got so bad many were told to change out of uniform before leaving the airport, though many did not change clothes.
This man will believe what ever he wants to believe, I know what I know happened and I believe any Veteran that says he was mistreated or denied a job or other things because of his/her service in Vietnam.
My father-n-law is a nam vet, he was called various name, spit on and even was provoked into some fights ( upon his home coming).
Bump for Nam Vets....
I lived in the era so I know that it happened.
I still haven't forgotten/forgiven those that perpetrated those acts of cowardice, their lack of compassion, and thanks...
I never will forget my Buddies sacrifices and our treatment coming Home...
I am doing all I can to make sure our HEROS of this current war never go through that...
Also meant to commend you on your restraint. I think I would pinched this teacher's head off.
High Desert Minute Men - Viet Nam Vet Loses Contrator Job - Link Here
It is in Windows Media Format. From the link, click on this picture
To make matters worse I was still in the Reserves.
Check out The Homecoming (Paperback)
by Bob Greene
It never made any newspapers, but on my first trip back, mid 1970, I was already on the plane with my jacket off when a young woman boarded and sat next to me with her daughter, maybe 7 or 8.
We took off from Seattle headed towards St.Louis where I would change flights to go on home in Florida. We chatted and I played games with the little girl the entire way, a nice flight and fun, after finishing one year in Nam.
When the plane landed, as usual, we all got our things together to head off to wherever. When I reached under the seat and pulled out my greens jacket and put it on, complete with appropiate Army badges and such, she snatched her daughter back away from me yelling get away from the killer!
The whole plane turned to see her as she literally ran out of the plane, best she could. No one said a word and ignored the whole thing. I just got what I had and left the plane for the next flight.
A good thread over on Swift Vets. Articles listed at the bottom of the thread.
http://www.swiftvets.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=20976