Dont know exactly how accurate this is.I think pretty accurate..I lived it.!!. I found it very interesting,especially the one about men had to explain why they served..jesus it was messed up..in America anyway!


The average age of a solder was 19. (The average age in WWII was 26.)

In the Vietnam War, many went to college to avoid going to war.

Men had to explain why they served; not serving was acceptable.

Soldiers served a tour of duty.

In combat, there was no safety in the rear--there was no rear in Vietnam.

There was little support for either the soldier or the war from the general population of the United States.

The war was fought in a country whose history, culture, religions, and values were quite different from ours.

Vietnam had not threatened the United States.

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

The war's goal was unclear; there was never clear indication that America would do whatever was necessary to win.

The officers in charge were often inexperienced and/or inconsistent. Fragging occurred.

There were no clear combat zones; there was no front.

Fighting casualties exceeded those in WWII.

Territory was taken, lost, and taken repeatedly.

No emotional support was offered to soldiers returning home.

All of the soldiers did not return home at the same time.

No war since the Civil War caused such a rift in U.S. public opinion, leading to social unrest and violence.

The war was broadcast on television daily. It has been called the television war.





Information obtained from: http://acs.oakton.edu/~wittman/differ.html
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It take many nails to build crib, but one screw to fill it

Jas....sorry to be picky but how did casualties exceed WW2 I can think of several Japanese Islands where America lost about the same number men on these Islands as they did in Veitnam

407,300 American Deaths from combat in WWII

58,239 KIAs in Vietnam
230 Frags (intentional friendly fire)
14,000 MIAs.

No where near more casualties in Vietnam than in WWII.

I think pretty accurate..I lived it.!!.

You lived it? Does that me you served with us in Vietnam?

I feel that the way our countrymen had treated Vietnam Vets was the biggest disgrace that could have ever occured to any country and something that should never be repeated again!

I may not have been alive during the war but I have plenty of family members that had served.

Originally Posted by Donkey

I feel that the way our countrymen had treated Vietnam Vets was the biggest disgrace that could have ever occured to any country and something that should never be repeated again!

I may not have been alive during the war but I have plenty of family members that had served.

Top will probably agree with me on this. I think the anti war movement started by the likes of Jane Fonda gathered a "hip" crowd and their hatred of anything having to do with war was despised, sort of a perverted herd mentality. That obviously included the guys who laid their lives on the line every second they were in country. None of that crowd were worthy to lick the boots of our soldiers.

Originally Posted by Donkey

I feel that the way our countrymen had treated Vietnam Vets was the biggest disgrace that could have ever occured to any country and something that should never be repeated again!

I may not have been alive during the war but I have plenty of family members that had served.

I have a story of a family member who shall remain anonymous who had been drafted and sent to Korea during the Vietnam Conflict. He returned via San Francisco (can't you see this coming), and was confronted by a hippie (my relative was in his uniform at the time) who asked sarcastically "how many women and children did you kill today?" My relative stared at him for a moment and then punched him through a window. When the police arrived and asked what had happened, the surrounding crowd responded that my relative had been attacked and was simply defending himself. A close shave, but it shows you what kind of treatment the soliders got from the civillians at that point in time. (circa 1967-74)

Originally Posted by Missileer

Top will probably agree with me on this. I think the anti war movement started by the likes of Jane Fonda gathered a "hip" crowd and their hatred of anything having to do with war was despised, sort of a perverted herd mentality. That obviously included the guys who laid their lives on the line every second they were in country. None of that crowd were worthy to lick the boots of our soldiers.

Now don't go giving Fonda all the credit. I'd say that Cronkite and the media in general changed more people's opinions about the Vietnam War than any hippy ever did.

Originally Posted by JAS

The average age of a solder was 19. (The average age in WWII was 26.)

That is a myth.
The average age of the US infantrymen who served in Vietnam was 22.

Originally Posted by The Cooler King

Now don't go giving Fonda all the credit. I'd say that Cronkite and the media in general changed more people's opinions about the Vietnam War than any hippy ever did.

But people chose to follow them and act in the most disrespectful way any generation has ever acted (IMO). It is truly sickening the way soldiers where treated upon coming home.

It is one thing to disagree with the war it is another to humiliate the people that where doing what they where told, for they had no other choice. Well other than being even more of a disgrace by runing from their country when asked to support it, which is one of the costs of living here.