Vietnam War Interview Forum

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>during the war did you talk about what you would do once it was over?

You're reading a noval about the First World War.  Vietnam was a little different in that we didn't have to stay until the war was over.  We were obligated for a one year tour, after those 365 days were up we could go home, or extend if we chose to.  Our talk was about what we were going to do when we got back to the "World."  Most of us arrived as replacements caming from different parts of the country and arrived in Vietnam at different times so we didn't go home as a unit and couldn't plan doing much together after we got back.  The dreams about going home were probably similar to those in WW1 but we may have had a little more hope of getting back.

>if so, was it a commmon topic?

Getting back home was always talked about.  We made up fanticies about what we'd do, the cars we'd buy, the girls we'd chase, the booze we'd drink and the money we'd make.  It helped us escaped the reality of our war just as I imagine it did for the men in WW1.

>did you do the things you talked about doing after the war?

Some did, some tried but life back home wasn't as good as they imagined, and some tried to pick up life where they left off as if nothing had happened.  I was one of the latter.

>as the war went on.. did you ever find it hard to imagine a time without war? explain....

Again, we only had to survive for a year (13 months if you were a Marine).  There were times during that year that a part of me felt I would never make it home, the odds were too poor for the job I was doing.

>when the war finished did you struggle with the concept of peace?

The Vietnam war didn't end until 3 years after I came home.  No one at home acted like we were in a war, except maybe the protestors and their preceptions were all screwed up.  I was upset when we pulled out of South Vietnam and gave it up to the North.  It seemed unfair that so many kids died and were wounded to just walk away.  There were no celibrations like those at the end of the World Wars.  Vietnam seemed to be an embarrassement for our nation and no one wanted to talk about what really happened to the soldiers.  We were blamed for loosing the war, there was no peace for many of us back home.

>how did you feel when you came home?

Everything was different than it seemed before I left.  Some said it was becasue of the protestors and the politicians.  That may have been partly true, but the biggest change was in each of us.  The values we learned growing didn't apply while we were in Vietnam.  Life wasn't precious or fair.  People at home were consumed with the continual persuit of the "American Dream."  Most of our society were self centered, self indulgent and had no use for the lessons we learned in Vietnam.  Suffering together, supporting one another, and self sacrifice weren't needed to grab your piece of the pie back home.

It was a very confusing time for many of us trying to figure out what happened while we were gone.  How and why did we change, we didn't ask to be changed, why didn't people care about what we went through, why did our nation just give up, why did the protestors have so much influence with arguments that were crazy to us fighting out in the jungle?  Some of us still haven't resolved these questions.

>please feel free to skip any questions, your response is of high value. thankyou.

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