quote:

Originally posted by bdesavage:
Was in 69 was home to Michigan for Fathers funeral, had some time relatives lived in Oakland stopped there for a vist before heading back. Uncle wanted to take Me out and wanted Me to wear Uniform to show Me off(had the Green Beenie) at the local VFW.

Interesting. If it was going to happen anywhere, that would be it, I imagine.

Someone wearing the green beret would have probably been a particular object of their ire, but to actually carry it out against someone wearing the green beret in those days strikes me as the height of stupidity.

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Originally posted by sigfreund:

quote:

Originally posted by bdesavage:
Was in 69 was home to Michigan for Fathers funeral, had some time relatives lived in Oakland stopped there for a vist before heading back. Uncle wanted to take Me out and wanted Me to wear Uniform to show Me off(had the Green Beenie) at the local VFW.

Interesting. If it was going to happen anywhere, that would be it, I imagine.

Someone wearing the green beret would have probably been a particular object of their ire, but to actually carry it out against someone wearing the green beret in those days strikes me as the height of stupidity.

Add Chicago, Philadelphia, and New Haven Connecticut to the list.

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Originally posted by GT-40DOC:

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Originally posted by 2012BOSS302:
Vietnam - the war the US military won and our politicians proceeded to lose.

Here is how some chose to protest.


POS Hollywood commie


Oh look two commies - Hanoi-Jane and Hanoi-John

I was there at the same time Fonda was in N. Viet Nam showing her ass. The powers that be at the time would not let any of us fly anywhere near where she was located. It did NOT set well with any of us, including the ground crews.

I was at Udorn RTAFB when she was in Hanoi. We all wanted to kill her. I will take that anger to my grave

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
I'm just a young buck (was only 13 when the last troops were pulled out of Vietnam), but that is one person that I absolutely LOATHE with passion. I don't wish ill will on many people, but I hope she dies a long, slow, agonizing, painful, cancerous death. One so painful, MORPHINE won't alleviate it.

Quang is correct. However: I fought in the R.V.N. (Republic of Viet Nam), and sometimes had to coordinate my arty fire with the ARVNs. I always write it as Viet Nam, because that is the name of the country regardless of what others may call it.


By the way:
"Myth: Most Vietnam veterans were drafted.

2/3 of the men who served in Vietnam were volunteers. 2/3 of the men who served in World War II were drafted. [Westmoreland] Approximately 70% of those killed were volunteers. [McCaffrey]"

.

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Originally posted by 12131:

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Originally posted by RHINOWSO:

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Originally posted by 12131:
Viet Nam is how it is written in the native language.
Vietnam is the American way it is written.

What about 'Nam?

'Nam is badass/slang term used by the GIs.

Most of the guys I knew called it The Nam.

quote:

Originally posted by bdesavage:
Was in 69 was home to Michigan for Fathers funeral, had some time relatives lived in Oakland stopped there for a vist before heading back. Uncle wanted to take Me out and wanted Me to wear Uniform to show Me off(had the Green Beenie) at the local VFW.

10th or 5th?? Is Me your first name???

Was western Pennsylvania that secluded from the world?

No. It is a failure of our educational system in teaching geography and History to students.

I spent my last night in San Francisco with my uncle before reporting to Oakland for shipment. I was in uniform and we went out for dinner and to a comedy club. I don't remember anyone saying anything. That was late in 69.

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Originally posted by redleg2/9:
Quang is correct. However: I fought in the R.V.N. (Republic of Viet Nam), and sometimes had to coordinate my arty fire with the ARVNs. I always write it as Viet Nam, because that is the name of the country regardless of what others may call it.

I have a question for you. Walking through Snow Hall, I know you may be familiar , I often saw pictures of the guys in Vietnam on the gun line with a cigarette hanging out of their mouth wearing their trousers, boots, flak jacket and helmet. There would be empty canisters all around.

Was that how the gun line really was or was that more of a photo op type of picture?

Came home in 1971 - St.Louis, never spit on but baby killer and a few other expletives were thrown around. I guess Mai Lai massacre didn't help!

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Originally posted by MTJbyrd:
The myth of our soldiers being spit upon comes more from Chuck Norris movies than reality.

The only comment I can make to this is BS. I was spat on and called a baby killer upon return stateside. I spent 3 days is lock up for breaking the idiots jaw and got Articled over this....But would do it again even today.
As a draftee I don't need or want any ones thanks for my service. TOO little too late

I was in the army during that MCF. I was one of 8 guys with my MOS who were put on 24 hour alert for immediate transfer to that shit hole. At then end, I was the only one who did not go. For which I shall be eternally grateful. Of the 7 guys from my unit that went, 5 did not come home.

The insane political correct horse shit that took place back then should have resulted in treason charges against a lot of politicraPs, then stood them against the wall and shot them.

We lost 1000s of good and honorable men who were doing their duty to the country. Unfortunately, wars are always fought by people far removed from the decision makers who send them to war.

Is it not interesting that Hanoi Jane was accompanied by Hanoi John in some of those pictures?

And to think that lying sack of shit, traitor, actually ended up as secstate.

And yes, I was spit on and experienced some verbal abuse while traveling with my wife and daughter in this country.

Only once in the several years I was on the east/west German border.
Wife and I were on a train in Germany, some yutz seemed to take exception to my uniform and started babbling, in German, about all those German whores who dated/married Americans. I started to "respond" but wife stopped me. Other people in the area took care of him.

As to the draft: I served with quite a number of draftees. Without exception they did their jobs, spent their time, and went home.

I have mixed emotions about the draft. Let it stand at that.

The anti-military liberal ideology was on display during that era, but don't think for a second it still doesn't exist. Many liberal elites still hate the military and look down on those who serve.

I am fascinated by this period in our country with everything that was going on. What a time to be alive (which I, unfortunately, did not experience.)

Was born in the spring of 1969, so my personal involvement is limited. However, I did essentially grow up with my best friend's Dad who was a Korean and Viet Nam war Marine veteran.

That means I ended up knowing a thing or two about it without actually being there.

My take:

Protests were mostly about the draft as stated earlier. Although many former protesters (males) have told me that they just wanted to get laid so they had to be "anti-war".

Hanoi Jane committed treason, and that carries the death penalty in these parts. How she's had a pulse all these years later is a sad commentary on our justice system. One of many, but still...

Spitting on veterans did occur. That's assault, and should have been treated as such. Again, legal system failing.

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Originally posted by redleg2/9:
Quang is correct. However: I fought in the R.V.N. (Republic of Viet Nam), and sometimes had to coordinate my arty fire with the ARVNs. I always write it as Viet Nam, because that is the name of the country regardless of what others may call it.

I was part of a FO/AO team. The AO officers often stated that the ARVN could not effectively coordinate artillery fire which was problematic.

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Originally posted by sigfreund:

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Originally posted by bdesavage:
Was in 69 was home to Michigan for Fathers funeral, had some time relatives lived in Oakland stopped there for a vist before heading back. Uncle wanted to take Me out and wanted Me to wear Uniform to show Me off(had the Green Beenie) at the local VFW.

Interesting. If it was going to happen anywhere, that would be it, I imagine.

Someone wearing the green beret would have probably been a particular object of their ire, but to actually carry it out against someone wearing the green beret in those days strikes me as the height of stupidity.

Yeah, in our small town, when my brother would come home, wearing his Green Beret, the woman were all over him and the guys who did not like it, said nothing.

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Originally posted by Johnny 3eagles:

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Originally posted by MTJbyrd:
The myth of our soldiers being spit upon comes more from Chuck Norris movies than reality.

Bullshit.

Thank you. I came back in June 1973 and we were warned about traveling in uniform. We were bussed from Travis AFB to SFO. Got off the bus and within thirty feet was approached by a cute woman in a long skirt who spit on me. Don't remember seeing Chuck there.

quote:

Originally posted by MTJbyrd:

The myth of our soldiers being spit upon comes more from Chuck Norris movies than reality. Most war protesters were there because their brothers or friends from high school were at risk of coming home in a box.

"Being spit on" is more of a short hand term encompassing a variety of disrespectful conduct towards military members than a single universal experience we all endured.

It took a variety of forms. We learned to do our socializing at O clubs in San Diego and not bother bars and dances places on the beach. We were easily identified as military, neatly groomed, better dressed. Maybe the women were reluctant to dance with you, service was slow, you sensed you were unwelcome. Our sailors experienced some discrimination along those lines.

It wasn't universal, but being military did not come with the level of respect that has become normal since Reagan.

Let's not forget the impact on our own politics. The doper dirtball hippy draft dodgers eventually made common cause with the Communist Party USA which had "high negatives" back then. That led to the takeover of the Democrat Party, the nomination of McGovern and McWhatzizname, and the downward slide to the Clintons and you know who.

I thank each of you for commenting on my question. It came to me while watching the fat boy send up a missile while our side stood against the war that we won but the politics lost. History is filled with such scenarios.

I did not think there would be many of the peace-nicks speaking up, but the subject was well covered.

I always hoped it would be a lesson learned but probably not.