All the leftist kookiness started back then. We had a draft, so blaming soldiers for the war was bizarre. The left was so worried about our supposed "atrocities," but never gave a damn about the real atrocities by the communist dictators. Remember a Clinton White House staffer telling a general that "uniforms aren't welcome here"? What does that tell you about the attitude of the left toward men in unform?
Don't even get me started. I was lucky. My experiences while in Uniform, near the tail end of Reagans' administration was nothing but good. I had people buy me drinks on planes, people shaking my hand and thanking me for serving, etc... But then, I was flying from a military town back to my own small town mostly, so that may explain it... and coming back from the gulf in the 90s I didn't have any problems either...
My father still wont' talk about Viet Nam, or his return home, very much, and quite frankly he snapped some time after coming home, and did some jail time for assault. I just can't imagine going through what he went through. I'd probably snap, too, because I don't put up with crap either. Anyone EVER spits on me, for any reason, they'll be eating through a straw. Period.