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Part III - Will the Real Vietnam Vet Stand Up?
Newsmax.com ^ | Originally published at Newsmax June, 1999 | B.G. Burkett and Glenna Whitley

Posted on 10/26/2002 4:28:07 PM PDT by Ragtime Cowgirl

Part III - Will the Real Vietnam Vet Stand Up?
B.G. Burkett and Glenna Whitley

Exclusive to NewsMax.com: Excerpts from Stolen Valor: How The Vietnam Generation Was Robbed Of its Heroes And its Historyby B.G. Burkett & Glenna Whitley

To order Stolen Valor: How the Vietnam Generation Was Robbed of its Heros and its History please Click Here

America won World War II. Vietnam was "the only war America ever lost."

In World War II, everybody pulled together. Vietnam was the class war, the war in which wet-behind-the-ears, poor, uneducated, minority men were chopped to pieces while college boys thumbed their noses at them in campus antiwar protests.

Brave American soldiers in World War II bested the evil armies of Hitler and Hirohito. In Vietnam, confused, drug addicted soldiers killed women and children.

World War II's veterans came home to stirring parades, ready to sire the baby boom and forge a supernation. Vietnam veterans trickled back in dishonor, fighting drug habits and inner demons. Or so say the stereotypes. Let's look behind the myths:

Myth: The war in Vietnam was fought by teenagers barely old enough to shave, while World War II was fought by men. A much-repeated statistic claims that the average age of the Vietnam soldier was 19, while the average age of the World War II soldier was 26.

Reality: The average age of men killed in Vietnam was 22.8 years, or almost 23 years old. While the average age of those killed was 22.8, more 20-year-olds were killed than any other age, followed by 21-year-olds, then 19-year-olds. More 52-year-olds (22) died in Vietnam than youths of 17 (12). The oldest American serviceman killed was 62. Almost 11 percent of those who died were 30 years of age or older.

Myth: The war was fought predominantly by draftees.

Reality: About one-third of Vietnam-era veterans entered the military through the draft, far lower than the 67 percent drafted in World War II. And once drafted, many men volunteered for the Marines, the Airborne, Special Forces, or other duty likely to send them to Vietnam.

Myth: It was a class war, with the poor and lower middle class those who suffered the brunt of it. The best and the brightest didn't go.

Reality: The force that fought in Vietnam was America's best educated and most egalitarian in the country's history -- and with the advent of the all-volunteer Army is likely to remain so.

In World War II, only 45 percent of the troops had a high school diploma.

Many were virtually illiterate. During the Vietnam War, almost 80 percent of those who served had high school diplomas, even though, at the time, only 65 percent of military age youths in the U.S. had a high school degree.

Throughout the Vietnam era, the median education level of the enlisted man was about 13 years. Proportionately three times as many college graduates served in Vietnam than in World War II.

A study done at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1992 compared the socio-economics of the 58,000 Americans killed in Vietnam to 58,000 randomly chosen contemporaries by rating their home-of-record according to per-capita income. They discovered that 30 percent of the KIAs came from the lowest third of the income range; but 26 percent of the combat deaths came from families earning in the highest third. This result was startling -- and far from the expectation that wealthier Americans were sheltered from the war.

Myth: The war took the highest toll on minorities.

Reality: About 5 percent of those who died were Hispanic and 12.5 percent were black -- making both minorities slightly under-represented in relation to their proportion of draft-age males in the national population. (This will be discussed further in a later chapter.)

Myth: The soldier in Vietnam smoked pot and shot up with heroin to dull the horrors of combat.

Reality: In 1967, the drug use rate of .25 per 1,000 troops in Vietnam was lower than the Army-wide rate of .30 per 1,000 troops. Except for the last couple of years of the war, drug usage among American troops in Vietnam was lower than for American troops stationed anywhere else in the world, including the United States. Even when the drug use started to rise in 1971 and 1972, almost 90 percent of the men who had ever served in Vietnam had already come and gone. America had virtually thrown in the towel; idleness and the declining troop morale led to escalating drug use that reached crisis proportions.

A study after the war by the VA showed drug usage of veterans and non-veterans of the Vietnam age group was about the same. Another study, the "Vietnam-Era Research Project," concluded that drug use was more common among non-veterans than Vietnam-era veterans.

Myth: American soldiers deserted rather than fight the "immoral" war.

Reality: In World War II, the Army's overall desertion rate during that war was 55 percent higher than during Vietnam. Of those troops who deserted during the Vietnam era, only five percent did so while attached to units in Vietnam. Only 24 deserters attributed their action to the desire to "avoid hazardous duty." Of AWOLs, only 10 percent were related to opposition to the war.

Myth: Vietnam vets have high rates of incarceration.

Reality: A 1981 VA study concluded that 25 percent of those in combat during the war had ended up in prison. In the mid-1980s VietNow, one of the first Vietnam veterans' organizations to receive a VA grant for delayed stress counseling, put out a pamphlet claiming that over 70,000 Vietnam vets were behind bars, while over 200,000 were on probation, parole, or out on bail. The more mainstream Vietnam Veterans of America has claimed that 5 to 12 percent of the prison population at any given time are Vietnam vets, with up to 300,000 in the criminal justice system.

All this information is based on self-reporting by prisoners. But in every major study of Vietnam veterans where the military records were pulled from the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis and the veterans then located for interviews, an insignificant number have been found in prisons.

Myth: Substantial numbers of Vietnam veterans are unemployed.

Reality: Vietnam veterans are no more likely to be unemployed than men who did not serve in Vietnam and, in fact, have a lower unemployment rate than those who didn't serve. Figures from 1994 showed that the unemployment rate for U.S. males 18 and over was 6 percent. The unemployment rate for all male veterans was 4.9 percent. Among Vietnam-era veterans who served outside the Vietnam theater, it was 5 percent. For Vietnam veterans, the rate went down to 3.9 percent.

In every category for which I could find statistics, Vietnam veterans were as successful or more successful than men their age who did not go to Vietnam. A Washington Post/ABC News survey released in April 1985, on the tenth anniversary of the fall of Saigon, reinforced the findings of the earlier Harris study. The Post/ABC survey randomly polled 811 veterans who served in Vietnam and Southeast Asia and 438 Vietnam-era veterans who served elsewhere. The poll revealed that only nine percent of Vietnam veterans had never graduated from high school compared to 23 percent of their peers. A Vietnam veteran was more likely to have gone to college than a man of his age not in the service; nearly 30 percent of Vietnam vets had some college education, versus 24 percent of the U.S. population.

That educational edge translated to employment rates similar to non-veterans of the war. In 1985, three of every four said their annual household incomes exceeded $20,000. Almost half made $30,000 or more per year. Seventy-eight percent were homeowners, paying mortgages on traditional, single-family homes -- and more likely to own a home than their peers who did not go to Vietnam. Eight of every 10 surveyed were married and 90 percent had children.

Strikingly, the Washington Post survey indicated that, despite the negative attitudes of the public, Vietnam veterans had positive feelings about their experience:

- Seventy-four percent said they "enjoyed their time in service."
- Eighty percent disagreed with the statement "the United States took unfair advantage of me."
- Fifty-six percent of Vietnam veterans said they benefited in the long run by going to Vietnam. Only 29 percent said they were set back.
- Ninety-one percent of those who served in Vietnam were "glad they served their country."

With this ammunition, I was ready to fight the image battle. But I had forgotten about "Them."

Part I - Rambo and the Bogus War Heroes
Part II - Welcome Home, Babykiller
Part IV - The Ragtag Brigade
Part V - Would I Lie To You?



TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Foreign Affairs; Government; News/Current Events; Philosophy; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: alsharpton; bencohen; billclinton; cynthiamckinney; hillaryclinton; janefonda; jessejackson; juliaroberts; medeabenjamin; oliverstone; peaceniks; ramseyclark; susansarandon
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1 posted on 10/26/2002 4:28:07 PM PDT by Ragtime Cowgirl
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To: Ragtime Cowgirl; 68-69TonkinGulfYatchClub; SAMWolf
Dunno about drugs but my father said drunkeness was rampant even in the medical corps( he mentioned to me that the army had something called the "garrison lifestyle").
2 posted on 10/26/2002 4:37:37 PM PDT by weikel
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To: Ragtime Cowgirl
Bump.
3 posted on 10/26/2002 4:42:24 PM PDT by SAMWolf
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To: Ragtime Cowgirl
Quit posting this stuff. These facts are too likely to interfere with perfectly serviceable myths that make those who opposed the war feel better about themselves. :)
4 posted on 10/26/2002 4:51:26 PM PDT by Restorer
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To: weikel
My dad was at UofM right after WW2 and observed wards of vet patients afflicted with head wounds. My sense of it all is that the real devastation of war is unbelievable in the broken bodies after its over. And veterans hospitals are full of broken spirits from the conflict, in my opinion.

It's not a mystery why the conflict was lost and it was at the top. Lessons learned from Viet Nam helped in Desert Storm and made our military second to none. My sincere hope is that our guys fighting now get the support now and afterwards that they need to do their job well and protect me and my family.

God bless America. God bless us all.

5 posted on 10/26/2002 5:02:54 PM PDT by Thebaddog
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To: Restorer
Other FR excerpts from Stolen Valor:

Part I - Rambo and the Bogus War Heroes
Part II - Welcome Home, Babykiller
Part VI - The VVA - The Vietnam Victims of America

:)

6 posted on 10/26/2002 5:07:24 PM PDT by Ragtime Cowgirl
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To: Ragtime Cowgirl
Nov 1967 to Jun 1969 - drinking and drugs were not a big problem.
7 posted on 10/26/2002 5:14:16 PM PDT by LiteKeeper
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To: Ragtime Cowgirl
Vietnam era vet bump.

5.56mm

8 posted on 10/26/2002 5:18:55 PM PDT by M Kehoe
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To: weikel
We're always amazed to hear these things. My husband was with the Americal Division first tour and the First Infantry Division second tour. He served as a combat company commander 18 of those 24 months 1967 thru 1969 and never had a problem with his men being on drugs or alcohol. We lost 87 friends over there but have stayed in touch with almost everyone left from our group of friends. None of our friends were ever unemployed....or in drug rehab...or in AA. All came in to the Army as high school graduates or GED and left with a college degree. We just don't understand who the Vietnam vets were that created the profile for all Vietnam Vets.
9 posted on 10/26/2002 5:34:15 PM PDT by FryingPan101
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To: Ragtime Cowgirl
It's a terrific book that serves to dispel much of the CW.

Michael M. Bates: My Side of the Swamp

10 posted on 10/26/2002 5:36:27 PM PDT by mikeb704
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To: weikel
"drunkeness was rampant even in the medical corps"

True, but drunkeness was always rampant among 20 somethings regardless of wether they were in the military or some frat house. For those Vietnam Vets that endured the spitting, demonizing, and other BS that the liberal hippie bastards put out, they have a much higher sucesss rate than the general population. Thanks to the GI bill many of us are doing just fine thank-you.

There are still some who try to portray the Vietnam Vet as the drug addicted pshcyo killer. It was particularly tough on those that came home to places like Californicate.

Despite rampant descrimination in jobs and other areas of life, Vietnam Vets are more sucessful than their peacenick counterparts.

There are a lot of us out there, and we are still not Fond of Jane, or Bill Clinton as far as that goes.

A thread here recently asked if Vietnam Vets were actually spit on. It was worse than that. I wore my dress blues to the unemployment office and was told nobody was going to hire me. It would be a good idea to grow long hair, take off the uniform, and collect unemployment. I might get attacked. Well, I was attacked, and one of those hippie bastards still has a toothless grin or wears dentures. I know becuase I still have the scar on my knuckle, where I punched his teeth out.

11 posted on 10/26/2002 5:41:47 PM PDT by SSN558
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To: Ragtime Cowgirl
Fifty-six percent of Vietnam veterans said they benefited in the long run by going to Vietnam. Only 29 percent said they were set back

As bad as it was, I wouldn't trade the lessions I learned there. That little trip made me what I am today. I learned good and evil and what evil men can do to each other, and what good men can do for each other. Men can love and die for other men without being.....well you know.

12 posted on 10/26/2002 5:43:15 PM PDT by chesty_puller
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To: SSN558
I agree( its just my father said he drank more in the army then he did in college lol).
13 posted on 10/26/2002 5:54:11 PM PDT by weikel
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To: mikeb704; All
Don't waste your time clicking on HIS link - it's a pic of the shooters recently arrested.

EGads, why are you posting that crap here on this thread, mikeb704?

14 posted on 10/26/2002 7:22:32 PM PDT by JLO
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To: SSN558
. . . I was attacked, and one of those hippie bastards still has a toothless grin or wears dentures. I know becuase I still have the scar on my knuckle, where I punched his teeth out.

Excellent shot - for all of us!! Thanks for your service! Amazing how the truth about how Viet Vets have done is so different from all the supposed "reality stories."

15 posted on 10/26/2002 7:40:38 PM PDT by toddst
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To: Ragtime Cowgirl
Thank You for posting the truth.
16 posted on 10/26/2002 7:46:29 PM PDT by 68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub
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To: JLO
Don't waste your time clicking on HIS link - it's a pic of the shooters recently arrested.

EGads, why are you posting that crap here on this thread, mikeb704?

The intent of the pic was to connect the shooter with the Million Man March. I usually include the web site with postings.

17 posted on 10/26/2002 9:03:54 PM PDT by mikeb704
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To: Ragtime Cowgirl
Welcome Home, Babykiller...brings to mind my brush with anti-military bigotry in 1966 on my way back from an eighteen month assignment at the medical center on Okinawa, when, apparently unhinged by the sight of my uniform, the ticket agent at United Airlines at SF airport (where else?) handed me my boarding pass and said with a snear "Here's your ticket, babykiller"...naturally I never flew United again, and in fact was delighted to see today that their staff has agreed to a 3.5% pay cut to try to save the company from bankruptcy, which will doubtless occur nevertheless in the near future...I'm so looking forward to it.......
18 posted on 10/26/2002 9:39:51 PM PDT by Intolerant in NJ
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To: Intolerant in NJ
Thank you for your service! The "tolerant" left hasn't changed. There are some fine young men and women serving today who do get it....and appreciate you so much. They have the Vietnam Vets, and a mob of Americans like myself - a younger generation who learned that Hollywood and Walter Cronkite lied to us about the war and our Vets - to stand with them. The "peaceniks" are now in DC defending terrorists and real "babykillers"...exposed at last.
19 posted on 10/27/2002 2:17:13 PM PST by Ragtime Cowgirl
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To: Thebaddog
Lessons learned from Viet Nam helped in Desert Storm and made our military second to none. My sincere hope is that our guys fighting now get the support now and afterwards that they need to do their job well and protect me and my family.

God bless America. God bless us all.

Well said, baddog. What the left did during Vietnam motivates us to slap Jesse Jackson and Susan Sarandon upside the head and shake some truth into Noam Chomsky and Norman Lear today (figuratively speaking (^;).

20 posted on 10/27/2002 2:28:05 PM PST by Ragtime Cowgirl
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