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Post by clyde on Aug 21, 2014 19:49:34 GMT -5
I remember the Viet Nam War very well. I lost several very good friends in that conflict. I was an anti-war protestor during that era. We never protested the soldiers in the war, just the useless war itself. Please remember that there was a Draft during that period. You had to go whether you wanted to or not. No one that I knew ever disrespected or hated the participants. There is a big difference.
By the way Carol, that is a very interesting post!
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Post by JeriJet on Aug 21, 2014 20:33:35 GMT -5
For many years, probably at least 15, we had military advisors participating in the region, still mostly known as French Indo-China.... I remember in the 50's that Laos seemed to be the hot spot.... it was pretty much all guerrilla warfare.... and Eisenhower had decided against outright intervention.... in the mid 50's north and south Viet Nam were divided at the 17th parallel, but it wasn't until about 1960 that the Viet Cong came into being.
WWII and Korea kept us concerned about the expansion of Communism, and then the erection of the Berlin Wall and the disastrous Bay of Pigs failure made us more committed to thwarting Communism wherever we could.... So, initially Americans were pro-intervention. But, it wasn't until the mid 60's that Congress gave permission to deploy regular combat units.... There was a lot of strong support at the time -- with songs and movies like The Green Beret (68/69?), etc.
However, LBJ's goal had begun to change ... not for the U.S. to win the war, but for U.S. troops to bolster South Vietnam's defenses until they could take over (sound familiar?!), which set the stage for future public and troop disappointment when the U.S. found themselves in a stalemate with the North Vietnamese and the Viet Cong.
When the Selective Service Lottery was held in late 1969, and because of the perceived lack of enough appropriate armaments and supplies being provided to our fighting men, many Americans started protesting our involvement, boosted by the growing "counter culture" among college students.... But many wanted us to raise our involvement and just finish the thing.... but that was not to be.
By the time it ended, I was in my thirties and had already been working for ten years -- Hard for me to believe now....
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Post by patriciaanne on Aug 21, 2014 20:35:02 GMT -5
How many of you remember the POW/MIA bracelets during the Vietnam War? They were very popular when I was in high school. Did any of you have one? I remember being in first grade, having lunch in the cafeteria and asking one of the little girls what she had on her arm. She told me it was a POW bracelet. I never actually had one myself.
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Post by patriciaanne on Aug 21, 2014 20:38:56 GMT -5
I am confused. I thought that Vietnam was a war that the public hated and did NOT support the troops. Don't these bracelets contradict that ? Not everyone felt that way. And not everyone engaged in those shameful, terrible "assaults" against our returning troops. Unfortunately, too many did. A very dark time.
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Post by patriciaanne on Aug 21, 2014 20:44:48 GMT -5
However, LBJ's goal had begun to change ... not for the U.S. to win the war, but for U.S. troops to bolster South Vietnam's defenses until they could take over (sound familiar?!), which set the stage for future public and troop disappointment when the U.S. found themselves in a stalemate with the North Vietnamese and the Viet Cong.
As my father says, if you're going to go to war it should be to WIN, not to break even.
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Post by Brenda on Aug 21, 2014 21:38:25 GMT -5
My husband was in the Navy during the Vietnam War, and he said that he and his fellow team members were insulted and spit upon when they returned from Vietnam. He was stationed in San Diego, and he said protestors used to gather when they knew a ship was coming in so they could shout these insults at the returning servicemen. I do think those people were in the minority, though. They were just the ones that got the publicity, because it seems the media likes to focus on negativity. I was a college student during that time, and I remember protests on campus, but they were not so much against the actual fighting men, but mostly toward President Nixon and Congress.
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Post by patriciaanne on Aug 21, 2014 21:47:28 GMT -5
My husband was in the Navy during the Vietnam War, and he said that he and his fellow team members were insulted and spit upon when they returned from Vietnam. He was stationed in San Diego, and he said protestors used to gather when they knew a ship was coming in so they could shout these insults at the returning servicemen. I do think those people were in the minority, though. They were just the ones that got the publicity, because it seems the media likes to focus on negativity. I was a college student during that time, and I remember protests on campus, but they were not so much against the actual fighting men, but mostly toward President Nixon and Congress. I would like to think that was the minority. Unfortunately, the media can spin it to make it seem like everyone feels that way, and then it has the same effect on our troops. Such a sad, tragic time.
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Post by JeriJet on Aug 22, 2014 4:54:19 GMT -5
My husband was in the Navy during the Vietnam War, and he said that he and his fellow team members were insulted and spit upon when they returned from Vietnam. He was stationed in San Diego, and he said protestors used to gather when they knew a ship was coming in so they could shout these insults at the returning servicemen. I do think those people were in the minority, though. They were just the ones that got the publicity, because it seems the media likes to focus on negativity. I was a college student during that time, and I remember protests on campus, but they were not so much against the actual fighting men, but mostly toward President Nixon and Congress.
It's a shame that we have no real "press" anymore.... too many folks are fooled by the media into believing whatever the media want to portray -- and this covers all realms of life.... it's gotten worse in these days since Viet Nam -- everyone's got an agenda....the only way to even begin to understand what is really going on is to watch and read everything you can, but that would be a full-time job, so we're stuck hardly ever knowing the truth....
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Post by Deleted on Aug 22, 2014 7:37:13 GMT -5
My husband was in the Navy during the Vietnam War, and he said that he and his fellow team members were insulted and spit upon when they returned from Vietnam. He was stationed in San Diego, and he said protestors used to gather when they knew a ship was coming in so they could shout these insults at the returning servicemen. I do think those people were in the minority, though. They were just the ones that got the publicity, because it seems the media likes to focus on negativity. I was a college student during that time, and I remember protests on campus, but they were not so much against the actual fighting men, but mostly toward President Nixon and Congress.
It's a shame that we have no real "press" anymore.... too many folks are fooled by the media into believing whatever the media want to portray -- and this covers all realms of life.... it's gotten worse in these days since Viet Nam -- everyone's got an agenda....the only way to even begin to understand what is really going on is to watch and read everything you can, but that would be a full-time job, so we're stuck hardly ever knowing the truth....
I agree Jeri-Jet. Depending on what newspaper you read or TV network you watch, the story and opinions are almost entirely different. And everyone has an agenda. And it seems to be always a negative agenda. Whether it was the Trayon Martin/George Zimmerman story, the current Ferguson/Michael Brown Story, and even (and I pray for America) the current hate between The Republicans or Democrats. I have never seen the hate between the parties this bad in my life. Depending on what TV network you watch, the opinions for all these stories are almost entirely different as to who is to blame. I am so turned off by the news. I can't even stomach it anymore.
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Post by clyde on Aug 22, 2014 10:22:03 GMT -5
My husband was in the Navy during the Vietnam War, and he said that he and his fellow team members were insulted and spit upon when they returned from Vietnam. He was stationed in San Diego, and he said protestors used to gather when they knew a ship was coming in so they could shout these insults at the returning servicemen. I do think those people were in the minority, though. They were just the ones that got the publicity, because it seems the media likes to focus on negativity. I was a college student during that time, and I remember protests on campus, but they were not so much against the actual fighting men, but mostly toward President Nixon and Congress. There are idiots in every generation. We must not forget Kent State in 1970, however, when the National Guard in Ohio shot and killed student protesters. Today, many of those Viet Nam Veterans, including my husband also, are still being ignored, denied health care, VA benefits, etc. Let us hope that history does not repeat itself.
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Post by JeriJet on Aug 22, 2014 10:53:37 GMT -5
My husband was in the Navy during the Vietnam War, and he said that he and his fellow team members were insulted and spit upon when they returned from Vietnam. He was stationed in San Diego, and he said protestors used to gather when they knew a ship was coming in so they could shout these insults at the returning servicemen. I do think those people were in the minority, though. They were just the ones that got the publicity, because it seems the media likes to focus on negativity. I was a college student during that time, and I remember protests on campus, but they were not so much against the actual fighting men, but mostly toward President Nixon and Congress. There are idiots in every generation. We must not forget Kent State in 1970, however, when the National Guard in Ohio shot and killed student protesters. Today, many of those Viet Nam Veterans, including my husband also, are still being ignored, denied health care, VA benefits, etc. Let us hope that history does not repeat itself.
Actually denied VA health care and other benefits ?? How can the VA get away with this ?? ... I thought you didn't even have to be in a war to get VA benefits, although it can take too long.... ??
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Post by patriciaanne on Aug 22, 2014 11:05:43 GMT -5
There are idiots in every generation. We must not forget Kent State in 1970, however, when the National Guard in Ohio shot and killed student protesters. Today, many of those Viet Nam Veterans, including my husband also, are still being ignored, denied health care, VA benefits, etc. Let us hope that history does not repeat itself.
Actually denied VA health care and other benefits ?? How can the VA get away with this ?? ... I thought you didn't even have to be in a war to get VA benefits, although it can take too long.... ??
The level and quality of health care given to our nation's heroes is deplorable--and getting worse. Anyone who wants to know what government-controlled health care is like need look no further than the VA system.
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Post by clyde on Aug 22, 2014 11:21:38 GMT -5
This is from the Veterans' Administration's own website:
VA disability compensation provides monthly benefits to Veterans in recognition of the effects of disabilities, diseases, or injuries incurred or aggravated during active military service. The program also provides monthly payments to surviving spouses, dependent children, and dependent parents in recognition of the economic loss caused by a Veteran's death during military service or, after discharge from military service, as a result of a service-connected disability. VA benefits are not for any Veteran - they have to be disabled or dead.
There have been huge scandals going on recently about the ineptitude of the VA. Disabled Veterans are waiting months and years for decisions on their claims. If you wait long enough to adjudicate a claim for a sick person and they die, then you don't have to worry about making a decision on that claim.
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Post by carol on Aug 22, 2014 12:34:38 GMT -5
Forget disability our veterans have died waiting just to see a doctor. There was an article in our local newspaper a few months ago about the VA. One veteran was trying to get a biopsy for a small dark spot on his face. He waited three years before he actually got scheduled for one. By that time it was too late. Half of his face was eaten away by cancer.
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Post by JeriJet on Aug 22, 2014 14:45:50 GMT -5
This is from the Veterans' Administration's own website: VA disability compensation provides monthly benefits to Veterans in recognition of the effects of disabilities, diseases, or injuries incurred or aggravated during active military service. The program also provides monthly payments to surviving spouses, dependent children, and dependent parents in recognition of the economic loss caused by a Veteran's death during military service or, after discharge from military service, as a result of a service-connected disability. VA benefits are not for any Veteran - they have to be disabled or dead. There have been huge scandals going on recently about the ineptitude of the VA. Disabled Veterans are waiting months and years for decisions on their claims. If you wait long enough to adjudicate a claim for a sick person and they die, then you don't have to worry about making a decision on that claim. VA hospital benefits always used to cover all vets, for any medical problem..... is that not true any more? My maternal grandmother's second husband and an uncle (the husband of her daughter) both used the medical benefits frequently.... and not for any service-related problem.... Both men served in WWII and Uncle Jim in Korea as well.
In fact, her second husband (who we always called Uncle Ken) was kept right in a ward at the VA hospital in Bath NY for months while they were waiting for a place in their nursing home.... We were amazed at this !! .... He died in October 2003, so it wasn't that long ago....
It may be a different story with Uncle Jim, because he was a career Army man (retired in the late 60's, I think).... all medical was covered -- even a knee replacement, and some skin cancer from all the golf he played !! .... He also used the facility in Bath, except I remember they sent him down to another hospital in St. Albans for something once -- lung related..... He received excellent care until his death in 2005.
I don't remember any stories of trouble getting care or long delays.... I guess it could be that the VA hospital in Bath is far better than most.... but it does make me wonder.
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