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Message
Any Vietnam vets on here
Posted on 6/21/21 at 11:47 pm
Posted on 6/21/21 at 11:47 pm
I was watching a show on Netflix tonight by Vietnam vets, and this echos what I have been told by vets over the years. Basically they claim:
War ended because soldiers revolted and said screw this shite, many killing officers etc.
Majority of soldiers were opposed to the war, thought it was bullshite.
Military command was incredibly incompetent.
Soldiers themselves started to join the anti war movement, have underground newspapers, coffee shops, etc which lead to the bombing campaign as they military no longer trusted its own ground forces toward the end.
Body count was name of the game and women and children counted the same as Vietcong. They were taught to be monsters.
Significant number of officers were fragged. (Killed by Grenades)
There was a significant uprising among African American soldiers.
The story about hippie women spitting on soldiers and calling them baby killers was complete bullshite made up by military to hide the fact that basically it’s entire ground force rebelled, and so many of its soldiers, joined the anti war movement. (They lost control of their own people because they were such mf lying pos no one believed anything they said.)
Basically alleging that the hippie Vet split was not like we have been told but rather the young people (hippies and vets) worked together to oppose the war more often than against each other.
The shite vets got when coming home was from older generations not hippies.
No one wanted to be the last to die in Vietnam over a war that clearly had nothing to do with us.
Any vets want to add to this or dispute it. I am not saying it’s all true, some I know is, or strongly suspect as I have heard it from many vets, and family members but other parts I have no idea.
War ended because soldiers revolted and said screw this shite, many killing officers etc.
Majority of soldiers were opposed to the war, thought it was bullshite.
Military command was incredibly incompetent.
Soldiers themselves started to join the anti war movement, have underground newspapers, coffee shops, etc which lead to the bombing campaign as they military no longer trusted its own ground forces toward the end.
Body count was name of the game and women and children counted the same as Vietcong. They were taught to be monsters.
Significant number of officers were fragged. (Killed by Grenades)
There was a significant uprising among African American soldiers.
The story about hippie women spitting on soldiers and calling them baby killers was complete bullshite made up by military to hide the fact that basically it’s entire ground force rebelled, and so many of its soldiers, joined the anti war movement. (They lost control of their own people because they were such mf lying pos no one believed anything they said.)
Basically alleging that the hippie Vet split was not like we have been told but rather the young people (hippies and vets) worked together to oppose the war more often than against each other.
The shite vets got when coming home was from older generations not hippies.
No one wanted to be the last to die in Vietnam over a war that clearly had nothing to do with us.
Any vets want to add to this or dispute it. I am not saying it’s all true, some I know is, or strongly suspect as I have heard it from many vets, and family members but other parts I have no idea.
19
Posted on 6/21/21 at 11:54 pm to TutHillTiger
My daddy is a USMC Vietnam Vet and he says the war was only “lost” because of politicians. It annoys him to hear people say we lost and thinks it was shitty to abandon the Vietnamese. It was dragged on bc of hippie anti war propaganda and politicians who worried too much about the opinion of those who didn’t know what they were talking about.
This post was edited on 6/21/21 at 11:55 pm
Posted on 6/22/21 at 12:01 am to TutHillTiger
The war ended when the middle class lost faith in the war effort. The hippies didn't move the needle. When squares started showing up at the war protest they knew it was over.
The radicals were never more than a tiny minority on campus. Look at a yearbook from even a hotbed of protest like Berkely. Most of the kids look perfectly normal doing normal things. One of the Kent State victims was an ROTC cadet uninvolved in the protest, hit by a stray bullet as he walked to class.
The radicals were never more than a tiny minority on campus. Look at a yearbook from even a hotbed of protest like Berkely. Most of the kids look perfectly normal doing normal things. One of the Kent State victims was an ROTC cadet uninvolved in the protest, hit by a stray bullet as he walked to class.
Posted on 6/22/21 at 12:18 am to TutHillTiger
I don’t know if he’s still kicking but there was a guy who loved to talk about it. I don’t remember his username but it started with an r I think. I’m sure there are other vets as well on here who aren’t as vocal
Posted on 6/22/21 at 12:29 am to red sox fan 13
Meridian Dog is a Vietnam vet
Posted on 6/22/21 at 12:31 am to TutHillTiger
Was your movie made by the North Vietnamese Government. Everything you posted is wrong or extremely exaggerated.
War was won, until Congress defunded South Vietnam and the Russians and Chinese did not.
War was won, until Congress defunded South Vietnam and the Russians and Chinese did not.
Posted on 6/22/21 at 12:39 am to TutHillTiger
My father is a Vietnam Vet(1968-1969) and he almost never talks about his service even though he didn't have much of a combat role while in the country. I have heard him say, many times, that it was a political war and we could have marched into Hanoi in a matter of weeks or months had the politicians not been in charge. He also has said that most of the soldiers just wanted to do their draft hitch and get the frick back to the USA. The only time I have ever seen him react emotionally to any movie was when he went to watch Platoon, he wasn't
emotional like sad or something, he was very pissed off. He told me that the movie was trying to show that the soldiers in Nam were a bunch of drugged-out monsters that had an insatiable blood lust. He admits that there were some soldiers that acted as they did in Platoon, but he swears it was not like that for most of the men overseas. This was not the message that I got from Platoon but he was sure as hell extremely angry about the movie. As to all the other shite you mentioned, I have no clue. Like I said he does not talk about his time over there very much.
Edited to add:
I wonder if the time frame of their service determines the experience. While I was writing the above post, it occurred to me that his experience may have been very different than the experiences of soldiers who served closer to the end of the war rather than fairly early on. According to him, he entered Vietnam shortly after the big TET offensive in 68. Would love to hear your thoughts on this idea.
emotional like sad or something, he was very pissed off. He told me that the movie was trying to show that the soldiers in Nam were a bunch of drugged-out monsters that had an insatiable blood lust. He admits that there were some soldiers that acted as they did in Platoon, but he swears it was not like that for most of the men overseas. This was not the message that I got from Platoon but he was sure as hell extremely angry about the movie. As to all the other shite you mentioned, I have no clue. Like I said he does not talk about his time over there very much.
Edited to add:
I wonder if the time frame of their service determines the experience. While I was writing the above post, it occurred to me that his experience may have been very different than the experiences of soldiers who served closer to the end of the war rather than fairly early on. According to him, he entered Vietnam shortly after the big TET offensive in 68. Would love to hear your thoughts on this idea.
This post was edited on 6/22/21 at 12:47 am
Posted on 6/22/21 at 12:41 am to TutHillTiger
I am a Vietnam vet, USMC grunt 1969-70. Twice wounded.
You listen to and watch too much liberal agenda crap and to disgruntled people. There were problems, for sure, my own company commander was fragged by four a-hole losers. Though the guy earned their hatred.
I fought and bled for my country.
Beyond that I’m not going to spend more time refuting your assertions. Seems like you have your mind made up already.
You listen to and watch too much liberal agenda crap and to disgruntled people. There were problems, for sure, my own company commander was fragged by four a-hole losers. Though the guy earned their hatred.
I fought and bled for my country.
Beyond that I’m not going to spend more time refuting your assertions. Seems like you have your mind made up already.
Posted on 6/22/21 at 12:44 am to LSU2001
That is pretty much what my daddy says as well.
He also says many in his platoon mostly feared Dear John letters than anything.
He also says many in his platoon mostly feared Dear John letters than anything.
Posted on 6/22/21 at 12:48 am to MDB
By the way, you caught me at a bad time of the year — June 24, 1969 (52 years ago this week) I was wounded and had to ID my best friend’s body by what was left of his mustache.
RIP Rod Janetta.
RIP Rod Janetta.
Posted on 6/22/21 at 12:48 am to red sox fan 13
Yeah I know we never lost a battle, etc and its well documented that when vets and middle class people joined that big rally from forest gump, Nixon acknowledged it was over.
How old was your dad in Vietnam? Was he in his late 20s or 30s?
I remember the daily fatalities on the news every night. Eventually everyone seemed to know someone killed or seriously wounded and the lies they were telling everyone got old.
We had a draft back then so it wasn’t just working class like it is now. A lot of people in South didn’t use their family to get out of it like trump an his Yankee friends. It was considered cowardice in my family. Your number comes up u fight, some even volunteered to get better assigned as they knew their number would come up.
They rarely ever talk about it, some were clearly screwed up by it, some less so
How old was your dad in Vietnam? Was he in his late 20s or 30s?
I remember the daily fatalities on the news every night. Eventually everyone seemed to know someone killed or seriously wounded and the lies they were telling everyone got old.
We had a draft back then so it wasn’t just working class like it is now. A lot of people in South didn’t use their family to get out of it like trump an his Yankee friends. It was considered cowardice in my family. Your number comes up u fight, some even volunteered to get better assigned as they knew their number would come up.
They rarely ever talk about it, some were clearly screwed up by it, some less so
Posted on 6/22/21 at 12:56 am to TutHillTiger
quote:
How old was your dad in Vietnam? Was he in his late 20s or 30s?
I don't know if your question for me or not but my father was 24 when he was drafted so maybe 25 by the time he was sent over. He has told me that he was one of the older guys in his unit. He said most were 18-22.
Posted on 6/22/21 at 1:03 am to LSU2001
I was 19.
Amazing stat: of the 58000 or so killed in Vietnam, about 37000 were less than 20 years old. Let that set in.
Also, most KIAs came during the first 3.5 months in country.
Amazing stat: of the 58000 or so killed in Vietnam, about 37000 were less than 20 years old. Let that set in.
Also, most KIAs came during the first 3.5 months in country.
This post was edited on 6/22/21 at 1:07 am
Posted on 6/22/21 at 1:08 am to MDB
quote:
I am a Vietnam vet, USMC grunt 1969-70. Twice wounded.
You listen to and watch too much liberal agenda crap and to disgruntled people. There were problems, for sure, my own company commander was fragged by four a-hole losers. Though the guy earned their hatred.
I fought and bled for my country.
Beyond that I’m not going to spend more time refuting your assertions. Seems like you have your mind made up already.
Thank You Sir for your service to this country......
Posted on 6/22/21 at 1:08 am to TutHillTiger
My mind is not made up at all but I have read the pentagon papers, and let’s just say I know politics and our government too well.
I didn’t mean to ever attempt to diminish your service, or any of my family members, it was certainly not lost on the ground. So sincerely thanks for your sacrifice and service.
Several of them have told me some stories, about large groups of soldiers that just got high all the time to deal with stress etc, as well as having friends killed by local women with grenades etc, never really trusting anyone Vietnamese and one relative told me about going over and being there a week or so and some guys coming up to him and telling him in so uncertain terms, “ frick that guy, (his CO) you don’t have to do all this shite, if he gives you any shite just kill him.” That always stuck with me.
Several others told me similar stories, that is a CO was a real prick or likely to get them killed, he wouldn’t make it back from patrols. (A lot of them were Lieutenants too. So they were telling this to explain when they first got deployed they basically totally relied on sgt or someone that had already done a tour to lead until they could figure out what was going on.)
That’s all I was saying has to have some truth to it, to be from so many different people.
The refusing to fight stuff they were talking about was after the tet offensive and maybe after withdrawal had been announced or everyone knew was coming, and no one wanting to be last to die in a bad war. No one ever told me anything about that so no clue how big an exaggeration that was.
Were people dicks to you after the war?
I didn’t mean to ever attempt to diminish your service, or any of my family members, it was certainly not lost on the ground. So sincerely thanks for your sacrifice and service.
Several of them have told me some stories, about large groups of soldiers that just got high all the time to deal with stress etc, as well as having friends killed by local women with grenades etc, never really trusting anyone Vietnamese and one relative told me about going over and being there a week or so and some guys coming up to him and telling him in so uncertain terms, “ frick that guy, (his CO) you don’t have to do all this shite, if he gives you any shite just kill him.” That always stuck with me.
Several others told me similar stories, that is a CO was a real prick or likely to get them killed, he wouldn’t make it back from patrols. (A lot of them were Lieutenants too. So they were telling this to explain when they first got deployed they basically totally relied on sgt or someone that had already done a tour to lead until they could figure out what was going on.)
That’s all I was saying has to have some truth to it, to be from so many different people.
The refusing to fight stuff they were talking about was after the tet offensive and maybe after withdrawal had been announced or everyone knew was coming, and no one wanting to be last to die in a bad war. No one ever told me anything about that so no clue how big an exaggeration that was.
Were people dicks to you after the war?
This post was edited on 6/22/21 at 1:19 am
Posted on 6/22/21 at 1:15 am to TutHillTiger
Yeah 19, damn that’s crazy and too young. I think average in WW2 was like 24 or something like that.
I have heard about having to survive the first 90 days. My dad used to talk about being with buddies at a end of semester party at ole miss, then next day they are gone to Vietnam and then 5 or 6 months later or so he would hear they would killed in action. He said it seemed so unreal, “ I was just drinking beer with this guy and now he is gone.” He said it happened a lot.
I have heard about having to survive the first 90 days. My dad used to talk about being with buddies at a end of semester party at ole miss, then next day they are gone to Vietnam and then 5 or 6 months later or so he would hear they would killed in action. He said it seemed so unreal, “ I was just drinking beer with this guy and now he is gone.” He said it happened a lot.
Posted on 6/22/21 at 1:24 am to TutHillTiger
There were basically three wars fought: 1965-68; 1968-70; 1970-75.
Political fervor varied by periods.
My views are biased by the fact I was in the Marines with no draftees and many motivated grunts. I had little interaction with VC/villagers; fighting exclusively against the NVA.
Black Marines were troubled by riots back home but it did not spill over into our units or into battle. We fought side by side.
Perhaps I was isolated into an “ideal” combat unit situation. My tour may not reflect what seems to be a popular revisionist review.
Coming back home was met mostly by profound apathy and gross ignorance of what we had undergone. Just like today’s riots and protests, most seemed to be centered in the liberal population centers and not perpetuated here in the Deep South or in the so-called flyover states.
Little has changed politically. It never does. Just puts on a new face.
Political fervor varied by periods.
My views are biased by the fact I was in the Marines with no draftees and many motivated grunts. I had little interaction with VC/villagers; fighting exclusively against the NVA.
Black Marines were troubled by riots back home but it did not spill over into our units or into battle. We fought side by side.
Perhaps I was isolated into an “ideal” combat unit situation. My tour may not reflect what seems to be a popular revisionist review.
Coming back home was met mostly by profound apathy and gross ignorance of what we had undergone. Just like today’s riots and protests, most seemed to be centered in the liberal population centers and not perpetuated here in the Deep South or in the so-called flyover states.
Little has changed politically. It never does. Just puts on a new face.
This post was edited on 6/22/21 at 1:27 am
Posted on 6/22/21 at 1:30 am to MDB
Got you, and thanks for sharing and clarifying that point. That makes perfect sense. They guy with the” just shoot the CO” etc was at the end of the war in the 70s. I know he started in the guard for a a few years then was deployed
Posted on 6/22/21 at 1:42 am to MDB
quote:
am a Vietnam vet, USMC grunt 1969-70
Thank you for your service.
Posted on 6/22/21 at 1:57 am to TutHillTiger
My uncle served in the South Vietnamese army. He said that escaping the country after the war made him more nervous and scared than the actual war itself.
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