Agreed Donkey. I'd say the younger generation was more influenced by the hippies and the older people were more influenced by the media.

To give you just a 'little' idea of what transpired when we came home, I can relate two stories from my personal life.

Coming home from Vietnam:
When I came off an airplane in Ohare Airport in Chicago, I picked up my duffel bag and was 'running' from one concourse to another to catch a connecting flight ... a bald headed bimbo (Hari Krishna or some such sect), jumped in front of me and was screaming some of the most filthy language at me I have ever heard coming out of the mouth of a woman (I was in uniform). It seemed, one of the simplest things I was, was a 'baby killer' and a 'rapist'. Since I didn't have time to argue with her, I raised my hand and stiff-armed her right between her breasts and knocked her on her arse, then stepped on her as I continued on my way. An airport policeman saw what happened, hurried up and without hindering me asked me what happened ... I told him, he turned around and went back to the bimbo, and the last thing I saw was the cop putting a set of handcuffs on the 'lady?'.

Home on leave ... first week after return from Vietnam:
My girlfriend and I were walking down Main Street in our town, when a jet went supersonic overhead with the resultant sound that we all associate with an airplane exceeding the sound barrier. As the sonic boom was fading into silence, I looked up at the people that were standing around and realised that I had unconsciously reacted to the loud booming, window and ground rattling sound ... you Vietnam Vets know exactly what I mean. I had 'hit the deck' and rolled to cover (streetside curb), against the next 'incoming'. When my girlfriend told the people that I had JUST returned from Vietnam, I heard comments from some of the younger little 'corner warrior pr*cks', that had me seeing red. If it hadn't been for my girl I would have ended up in jail for committing mayhem on people that just weren't worth it.

DOES THIS SOUND FAMILIAR TO SOME OF YOU? My stories are MILD in comparison to some of the stories I have heard from other Vietnam Vets ... spitting and name calling were just some of the mildest actions carried out against returning veterans.

Is it any wonder that some of our compatriots snapped and went on people killing rampages?

There were a few times that I could have been one of them ... but ... I was never quite that far gone (bent but NOT warped).

To me, Vietnam was wrong. But it wasn't the fault of the soliders that served there. They were simply obeying their orders.

Originally Posted by The Cooler King

Agreed Donkey. I'd say the younger generation was more influenced by the hippies and the older people were more influenced by the media.

Cronkite was no screeching hippie. When the immortal Walter Cronkite declared the war 'unwinable' most mainstream people took notice. After that the antiwar movement changed from hippie's puerile rebellion against all forms authority (thats what it really was) to a more general sense of disatisfaction of the war amongs ordinary people. My father served in the US Army from 1957-1960 so he was certainly no hippie, he simple thought we had no business in Vietnam.

I also agree that to credit the anti-war movement to Jane Fonda is a unfair comparsion. There is a difference in protesting a war, and giving aid and comfort to the enemy. I might be against whats going on in Iraq, but that doesnt mean I am going to do PR for Abu-al Masri. Nor does that mean I would participate in the humiliation of our soldiers as they returned home. Politicians start wars not soldiers.

I'd like to point out when troop numbers exceed past a certain point it is war not a conflict, plus only a certain ammount can be activated by the President, after than ammount is exceeded Congress must declare.

-Jas-

Hate to -p- in your helmet ... your comment

"War against Vietnam was never declared by Congress, thus the correct term is Vietnam Conflict."

is 10,000% incorrect.

Even though war was never declared, Vietnam WAS later declared to have been a 'WAR' (instead of a conflict), and guidance was circulated through the chain of command that 'henceforth and forevermore', the Vietnam Conflict would be referred to in ALL official records, instructions and memos as the Vietnam War ... it was further directed that as many changes to existing records as possible would be carried out to reflect this change. This was directed by the Joint Chiefs with the concurrence of Congress and the President of the United States via directives to all branches of the military.

I have looked everywhere I can think of to give you some references ... but ... was unable to find specific sites. What I can say, is that I personally remember seeing these directives ... and ... that I made changes to some of the directives, instructions and training materials that were held within my command in response to these directives. (This took place in the 80s or 90s ... don't remember the exact date).

Maybe some of you other vets can help with dates and references - would sure appreciate it.