W hen the American soldiers returned home from World War II in 1945, they were greeted as heroes in the United States. Cities and towns across the country held parades to honor the returning veterans and recognize the sacrifices they had made. But the homecoming was very different for most Vietnam veterans.
Full Answer
How were soldiers treated after returning home from WW2?
How were soldiers treated after returning home from World War 2? The returning soldiers were generally respected and loved. During World War II, the jobs of the men at war where taken by women, and there were less people. When they returned, there was housing shortages and the soldiers didn't not know what to do.
What was it like for American soldiers to return to war?
For American soldiers, there was an even more terrifying prospect to return to: Prohibition. After years of fighting the enemy, American troops returned to find that their country had outlawed drinking alcohol! (pictured above). How were returning soldiers treated after World War 1?
How were Vietnam Veterans treated after the war?
The Vietnam veterans were treated with disdain and were essentially shunned once they returned home from war. The veterans were seemingly blamed for what had happened in Vietnam until 1982 when the Vietnam Veterans Memorial was erected in Washington, D.C.
What did soldiers do when they came back from the front?
When soldiers first returned from the front, they were greeted with a hero's welcome. Parades and flag-waving were the order of the day. However, most soldiers only received a few weeks wages after they came back from war, and many struggled to re-adapt to normal life.
How were American soldiers treated when returned homes?
Additionally, when the soldiers returned home from World War II and the Korean War, they were treated as heroes. A euphoric atmosphere overtook the nation, and celebrations were held in their honor all around the country. Unfurled American flags that decorated streets and homes could be seen waving in the breeze.
How were veterans treated on their return home?
Rather than being greeted with anger and hostility, however, most Vietnam veterans received very little reaction when they returned home. They mainly noticed that people seemed uncomfortable around them and did not appear interested in hearing about their wartime experiences.
What did American soldiers experience when they returned home from Vietnam?
Veterans returned from Vietnam not with their battalion or company, but alone on a plane after their 365-day tour. Many of them were anguished by their countrymen's condemnation of their war, felt abandoned by their government, and suffered grievous physical and psycho-spiritual injuries.
What problems did returning soldiers face after war?
The problems facing today's returning veterans are well known: unemployment, homelessness, post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and difficulty getting benefits. But those challenges were hidden for the Greatest Generation, the generation that fought World War II.
What happens to veterans when they come home?
Other common problems include posttraumatic stress disorder, depression, anxiety, problematic alcohol use, and thoughts of suicide. Many veterans suffer from more than one health condition. In addition, many women and men experienced sexual trauma, including harassment and assaults, while in the military.
How do soldiers feel after war?
Soldiers are genuinely torn by the feelings of war — they desire raw revenge at times, though they wish they wanted a nobler justice; they feel pride and patriotism tinged with shame, complicity, betrayal and guilt.
Why were Vietnam soldiers treated badly when they returned home?
American soldiers returning home from Vietnam often faced scorn as the war they had fought in became increasingly unpopular.
How did American soldiers treat the Vietnamese?
Some American soldiers reacted to their situation by lashing out violently against the Vietnamese, while others took out their anger on U.S. military leaders. Some used drugs or alcohol to help them cope with their experiences.
What difficulties did American soldiers face in Vietnam?
Much of the fighting in Vietnam took place in hot, wet jungle terrain. Soldiers suffered from heat stroke, malaria, trench foot, fungal infections and other ailments brought about by hot, humid conditions.
What are some challenges facing our veterans returning home and their families?
Challenges Veterans Face When Leaving the MilitaryUnemployment. Many veterans struggle to find work after they return home. ... Relationship with Themselves. Veterans do a noble thing by serving their country. ... Homelessness. It is estimated that 30 percent of homeless people are veterans. ... Physical Handicaps. ... Poor Mental Health.
What is it called when soldiers come home from war?
Reintegration & Post-Deployment Homecoming • Military OneSource.
How was PTSD treated in the past?
By the late 1800s and early 1900s, the “talking cure,” as popularized by Sigmund Freud, began as a method to treat symptoms that may have been caused by PTSD. These early therapeutic interventions were the first step toward helping people who had survived traumatic events.
What was the order of the day when soldiers first returned from the front?
When soldiers first returned from the front, they were greeted with a hero's welcome. Parades and flag-waving were the order of the day. However, most soldiers only received a few weeks wages after they came back from war, and many struggled to re-adapt to normal life.
Was World War 1 a war to end all wars?
Whilst World War I was seen as the 'war to end all wars', it was only a matter of years before the prospect of World War II seemed menacingly-close - and the thought of returning to war most have been truly horrifying for the veterans of World War I.
What we have learned from the Iraq War?
What we’ve learned in the 13 years since the start of the Iraq War is that a soldier’s journey is not quickly over. There are many things to deal with once he or she returns home from war. For many Iraq War veterans, a whole new phase of struggle began when they returned home from war.
What is the National Veterans Foundation?
The National Veterans Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to serving the crisis management, information and referral needs of U.S. Veterans and their families. We need your help to continue. Please donate what you can to help the NVF continue to serve our Veterans.
What were the problems of returning soldiers in Vietnam?
Some struggled to overcome physical injuries, emotional problems, or drug addictions from their time in Vietnam. Others had trouble feeling accepted by their friends and families. Some returning soldiers blamed their situation on the antiwar movement and developed a deep resentment toward antiwar protesters.
How long did it take for US soldiers to return from Vietnam?
Unlike previous wars, when it usually took weeks for soldiers to be discharged and transported home, U.S. soldiers often returned from Vietnam within two days. Returning to the safety and comfort of home so quickly made it more difficult for them to make sense of the danger and misery they experienced in Vietnam.
Why did Vietnam veterans blame the antiwar movement?
Many Vietnam veterans blamed the antiwar movement for the chilly reception they got upon returning to the United States. They believed that it was not fair for antiwar protesters to question their actions during the war. After all, most protesters had not been to Vietnam. In the eyes of the veterans, these protesters could not understand what the war had been like. In addition, many veterans thought that the antiwar movement should blame the government officials who had sent them to Vietnam, because as soldiers they had only followed orders.
What were the antiwar protesters?
In contrast, many of the antiwar protesters were college students who came from middle- or upper-class families. Many of the deferments (official postponements of military service) granted to young men to avoid serving in Vietnam favored those who were wealthy and well-educated.
How did Vietnam veterans build their lives?
Many Vietnam veterans built successful lives after they returned home from the war. They finished their educations, established good careers, and had families. But many other veterans had a tough time readjusting to life in the United States after they completed their military service.
How much money did the government give to Vietnam veterans?
Partly because it had spent so much money conducting the war, the government offered veterans only $200 per month. This amount was barely enough to cover living expenses, let alone enable the veterans to continue their educations.
What were the health problems of Vietnam veterans?
For example, many veterans developed mental and emotional problems as they struggled to cope with their feelings about the war. They suffered from symptoms including depression, guilt, flashbacks, nightmares, mood swings, angry outbursts, anxiety, and paranoia. Doctors eventually gave this condition a name, Post-Traumatic Stress Syndrome (PTSS), and recognized it as a real psychological illness.
What was it like to fight in the trenches?
As one veteran remembered, fighting in the trenches was like “getting slaughtered as fast as sheep could go up a plank.”. When the fighting ended the next year, any sense of idealism the American public felt when the United States entered the war was quickly replaced with weariness and a strong desire to move on.
What did Hayden write about the country's neglect?
The country’s neglect, Hayden wrote, “burns in the minds of the thousands of men who at this very moment are living their broken lives in almshouses, jails, mental hospitals and hospitals, or wandering, hopeless, about the streets.”.
How many veterans were diagnosed with shell shock?
Hayden wasn’t alone. A precise number is impossible to determine, but a study in 1921 estimated that 76,000 American veterans had been officially diagnosed with shell shock, a term first used by a British physician in 1915 to explain the effect that being near an exploding shell had on soldiers’ senses.
What happened to Hayden in the office?
One day, while working in his office in Washington, D.C., Hayden broke down. He locked himself in his office and held on to his desk as the ache in his head “gave way to a hum, a low chanting hum, like the one that comes when one is just going under an anesthetic.”. Soon he was hot all over and shaking in fear.
Where was Hayden admitted?
Soon he was hot all over and shaking in fear. Later that day, Hayden was admitted to Walter Reed Hospital, where he was subjected to a battery of tests. After he had spent weeks in the hospital, three doctors came to see him. “They seemed to have something on their minds,” he wrote.
When was PTSD included in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders?
While the psychiatric effects of combat on service members wouldn’t be formally recognized until after the Vietnam War, when PTSD was included in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders in 1980, the end of World War II set a different standard for the treatment of former service members. Image.
Who designed the posters for the war?
All but one of the posters on display were designed by an Army captain named Gordon Grant, who worked as an illustrator before the war and was assigned to the Army General Staff’s Morale Section.
What are the steps of veteran transition?
A soldier describes the 5 steps of veteran transition. Author: Vincent "Rocco" Vargas. War is ugly, but it’s not the worst part of military service. I like to explain war as the “easy” part. The “hard” part is getting out. Transition is by far the biggest battle. In war your only worry is death, you don’t have to worry about bills and food ...
Why is the one who is always looking for a handout, looking for the government to help them?
This is the one who is always looking for a handout, looking for the government to help them because it’s what’s owed to them for serving their country. This is the one who forgets that his service to the country was a volunteer decision, and nobody owes him anything.
Why do people view Vietnam veterans as victims?
In fact, the public began to view these veterans as victims because of the shocking mental health problems that many of the Vietnam veterans endured. While many people who are thrown into combat experience mental health problems, the Vietnam veterans experienced more than usual.
Why was the war so slow?
The war was slow to take action against PTSD and to provide veterans with the help they needed because of the public's general disapproval of the entire war. Many veterans have recounted their first days at home with police officers escorting them around because of all of the anti-war protests. ADVERTISEMENT.
How many Vietnam veterans died in the Vietnam War?
According to Illinois University, more Vietnam veterans committed suicide after the war than had died in it. In the Vietnam war, there were more than 58,000 deaths and more than 300,000 wounded as well as more than 700,000 veterans who suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD.
What services do veterans need?
They need a full spectrum of health care services—including prevention, diagnostics, treatment, rehabilitation, education, counseling, and community support— to deal with a wide-ranging set of physical and medical issues. These services need to be focused on the problems specific to veterans. In some cases, that means increasing the number ...
What are the problems veterans face in Iraq?
Other common problems include posttraumatic stress disorder, depression, anxiety, problematic alcohol use, and thoughts of suicide.
Why are women veterans more likely to need mental health care?
For example, women veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan have a higher need for mental health care compared with women who served in other wars, likely due to the differences in the types of roles they had in the military.
Do veterans have health issues?
Many veterans suffer from more than one health condition. In addition, many women and men experienced sexual trauma, including harassment and assaults, while in the military. That can have both mental and physical effects. Learn More. YouTube.
