During the Vietnam War, the U.S. military used more than 19 million gallons of various herbicides for defoliation and crop destruction in the Republic of Vietnam. Veterans who served in Vietnam anytime during the period beginning Jan. 9, 1962, and ending May 7, 1975, are presumed to have been exposed to herbicides.
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What has the US done to help Vietnam Veterans?
VA provides a full range of equipment and services to Vietnam Veterans and all eligible Veterans. These include artificial limbs, durable medical equipment, hearing aids, eyeglasses, ramp and vehicle modifications, and implantable devices such as replacement hips or biological tissues.
What qualifies as a veteran during Vietnam era?
- Mexican Border period (May 9, 1916, to April 5, 1917, for Veterans who served in Mexico, on its borders, or in adjacent waters)
- World War I (April 6, 1917, to November 11, 1918)
- World War II (December 7, 1941, to December 31, 1946)
- Korean conflict (June 27, 1950, to January 31, 1955)
What did Vietnam veterans receive a cold Homecoming?
Homecoming: When the Soldiers Returned From Vietnam is a book of selected correspondence published in 1989. Its genesis was a controversial newspaper column of 20 July 1987 in which Chicago Tribune syndicated columnist Bob Greene asked whether there was any truth to the folklore that Vietnam veterans had been spat upon when they returned from the war zone.
How did Vietnam veterans feel after the war?
There's always time for feel-good love stories ... Both remarried. Dennis, a Vietnam War veteran, served in the Army after the two divorced. In the beginning, their sons kept them connected; they'd see each other when Dennis picked up the kids for a ...
How were most Vietnam veterans treated?
Perhaps the cruelest aspect of the war was the treatment of the returning soldiers. Unlike the hero status given to the returning soldiers form World War II, the soldiers that served in Vietnam were portrayed as baby killers, psychos, drug addicts and war mongers.
How Vietnam vets were treated when they came 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.
Did Vietnam veterans get therapy?
Dr. Arthur S. Blank Jr., the director of Vietnam Veteran Counseling Centers that are run by the Veterans Administration, said the occurrence of what is known as ''post traumatic stress disorder,'' or P.T.S.D., among Vietnam veterans is enormous.
Why were Vietnam vets treated poorly when returned?
American soldiers returning home from Vietnam often faced scorn as the war they had fought in became increasingly unpopular.
How were Vietnam veterans treated once they returned?
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.
How old would a Vietnam vet be today?
▶ Vietnam Veteran ages range from 55 to 97 years old.
Do all Vietnam veterans have PTSD?
Incidence of PTSD in Vietnam Veterans At the time of the study (middle- to late-1980s), among Vietnam veterans, approximately 15% of men and 9% of women were found to currently have PTSD. Approximately 30% of men and 27% of women had PTSD at some point in their life following Vietnam.
Why do Vietnam vets have PTSD?
Many mental health professionals in Psychiatry attribute the high incidence of PTSD in Vietnam-era veterans to a lack of “decompression” time.
Why did Vietnam veterans have PTSD?
Unlike veterans who fought in previous conflicts, the Vietnam veterans were never welcomed home, so many of them suffered from significant social isolation. Jim's PTSD was a result of his military experience in conflict and social isolation which created a vicious circle.
Why was Vietnam so hard on veterans?
There are persistent stereotypes about Vietnam veterans as psychologically devastated, bitter, homeless, drug-addicted people, who had a hard time readjusting to society, primarily because of the uniquely divisive nature of the Vietnam War in the context of US history.
What percent of Vietnam vets are still alive?
These numbers have come about due to the extensive research of various mortality indexes and sources by the American War Library which concluded that about one-third of those who served in the Vietnam War are still alive today.
Why do Vietnam vets not talk about the war?
Civilians do not like to hear about killing, and combat soldiers do not want to talk about it. There is no euphemistic way to talk about killing, and there is no eloquent way to describe a violent death. So, in order to cope, soldiers have invented their own private language to talk about these subjects.
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.
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.
Where was the Vietnam Veterans Memorial erected?
The veterans were seemingly blamed for what had happened in Vietnam until 1982 when the Vietnam Veterans Memorial was erected in Washington, D.C.
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.
What were the psychological problems of Vietnam veterans?
However, the NVVRS also revealed that a substantial minority of Vietnam-era Veterans were suffering from a variety of psychological problems such as PTSD, and were experiencing a wide range of life-adjustment problems, such as marital trouble and work difficulties.
When was the Vietnam Veterans Readjustment Study completed?
1988: Completed the National Vietnam Veterans Readjustment Study. 1991: Established that, in Vietnam Veterans, there does not appear to be a causal relation between homelessness and military service, including exposure to combat.
What percentage of Vietnam veterans are good?
Despite the serious injuries they experienced, the health status of 70.7 percent of Vietnam Veterans surveyed, and 85.8 percent of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans, was rated excellent, very good, or good. However, many health issues persist for Veterans of both eras, including pain, skin problems, TBI, and PTSD. top.
How many gallons of herbicide did the US use in the Vietnam War?
During the Vietnam War, the U.S. military used more than 19 million gallons of various herbicides for defoliation and crop destruction in the Republic of Vietnam. Veterans who served in Vietnam anytime during the period beginning Jan. 9, 1962, and ending May 7, 1975, are presumed to have been exposed to herbicides.
How many people were in the Vietnam War?
According to federal law, the United States' military involvement in the Vietnam War began in February 1961 and lasted until May 1975. Approximately 2.7 million American men and women served in Vietnam. During the war, more than 58,000 servicemen and women lost their lives. Vietnam Veterans represent the largest cohort of American Veterans in terms ...
How many twins are there in Vietnam?
The VET Registry consists of approximately 7,000 identical and fraternal male twin pairs, both of whom served in the military during Vietnam.
Does the VA provide hearing aids?
VA has long been a leader in helping Veterans with amputations regain mobility and achieve a maximum amount of independence. VA provides a full range of equipment and services to Vietnam Veterans and all eligible Veterans. These include artificial limbs, durable medical equipment, hearing aids, eyeglasses, ramp and vehicle modifications, and implantable devices such as replacement hips or biological tissues.
Why did soldiers go to Vietnam?
Family patriotism was only one of the reasons that soldiers felt compelled to go to Vietnam. Some were forced to go due to the draft and others, like Tex Howard, just wanted to get out on their own and “ the Army seemed like a good way to do this.”. Others felt a sense of duty to serve their country.
How many Vietnam veterans have negative experiences?
According to personal interviews with 25 veterans, approximately 92% of them experienced an overall negative experience returning home from serving their country.
What happened to the children in the 1968 Tet Offensive?
Soldier rescues two children that have come under fire from North Vietnamese troops during the 1968 Tet Offensive, 1968. For many, the wounds and emotions still run very deep for Vietnam veterans. Yet, the pain for some has subsided over time, due to the change in feeling and behavior towards the veterans.
How many colleges were protested in Vietnam?
Washington DC. The protests spread to over 350 colleges and universities. Even some soldiers in Vietnam rebelled against the war, wearing peace symbols on their uniforms, refusing orders and assaulting officers. Thousands of soldiers deserted the army.
Do Vietnam veterans remember their parents?
According to a study done by David Flores in the Sociological Forum, in which Vietnam veterans were interviewed about their experiences before and after the war, veterans remember feeling a sense of patriotism from their parents’ involvement in World War II.
What were the medical advances in the Vietnam War?
Surgeons, anesthesiologists, nurses, and other staff advanced medical practices for soldiers receiving care in the areas ...
What are the medical practices of soldiers?
Surgeons, anesthesiologists, nurses, and other staff advanced medical practices for soldiers receiving care in the areas of trauma care and blood supply, repair of blood vessels to save limbs, and studying the effects of a range of weapons.
What was the practice of universal donor blood banks during the Vietnam War?
Another practice that evolved during the Vietnam War was the use of universal donor, or Type O, blood banks in various stations throughout Vietnam. Techniques that were developed during World War II and the Korean War greatly reduced the need for amputations in the field by tying the major artery to the affected limb.
Why were Vietnam veterans shunned?
Instead of being treated like heroes as their fathers were after World War II, Vietnam veterans were shunned, ridiculed and expelled from their customary peer groups. Additionally, these veterans found it difficult to reintegrate into a workforce that largely had no use for their military skills.
Why did Vietnam soldiers develop PTSD?
Because the average age of the Vietnam combat soldier was so young and impressionable and the war so violent, many men developed symptoms of PTSD and subsequently alcoholism or drug addiction . And because this condition was not understood then as well as it is today, treatment methods were often inefficient or in some cases non-existent despite ...
Why do Vietnam veterans turn to alcohol?
Addiction and alcoholism among Vietnam veterans has traditionally been very high since the conflict ended in 1975. War is extremely traumatic and often causes soldiers to develop Post Traumatic Stress Disorder or PTSD – a condition that frequently co-occurs with addiction or alcoholism. But while any war can cause a soldier or sailor to turn to drugs or alcohol in order to self-medicate their pain and stress, Vietnam veterans were subject to a hostile return when the war was over. Instead of being treated like heroes as their fathers were after World War II, Vietnam veterans were shunned, ridiculed and expelled from their customary peer groups. Additionally, these veterans found it difficult to reintegrate into a workforce that largely had no use for their military skills. Consequently, many of America’s most courageous veterans became disillusioned addicts and alcoholics with few opportunities to better their lives.
What is the most common disorder in Vietnam?
. .examining the longitudinal course of the onset of psychiatric disorders in Vietnam combat veterans seeking psychiatric treatment, found that PTSD was the most common disorder, although there was a high rate of comorbidity. PTSD was the first disorder to develop after ...
How many Vietnam veterans have alcohol use disorders?
Among Vietnam veterans seeking treatment for PTSD, 60 to 80 percent have alcohol-use disorders.”. (2) Some estimates place the total number of veterans that actually experienced combat in Vietnam at around 1.5 million.
What is the most common cause of alcoholism in Vietnam?
PTSD is widely considered the most common cause of addiction or alcoholism among Vietnam veterans. This disorder occurs after a person has been exposed to some type of severe trauma –physical, mental, emotional, or a combination of all three. PTSD can cause feelings of anxiety, isolation, depression, suicidal ideations, rage and panic.
What drugs did the Vietnam War use?
What drugs did soldiers use in the Vietnam War? According to a 1971 report by the Department of Defense, 51 percent of the armed forces had smoked marijuana, 31 percent had used psychedelics, such as LSD , mescaline and psilocybin mushrooms, and an additional 28 percent had taken hard drugs, such as cocaine and heroin.
Why were sedatives prescribed in Vietnam?
In addition to those amphetamines, which were used to boost endurance on long missions, sedatives were prescribed to help relieve anxiety and prevent mental breakdowns. It seemingly worked. In Vietnam, the rate of mental breakdowns in soldiers was 1 percent, a massive reduction from the Second World War (10 percent).
Why did military commanders prescribe pills?
Military commanders also heavily prescribed pills to help improve soldiers' performance. Substance abuse in the Vietnam War wasn’t just limited to the marijuana and heroin enlistees could buy on the black market. Military commanders also heavily prescribed pills to help improve soldiers' performance. Armed servicemen of the Vietnam War used drugs ...
What was the war on drugs that Nixon fought?
In contrast, President Nixon’s war on drugs enjoyed broad bipartisan appeal, and public officials from both the left and the right were quick to blame marijuana and heroin for American failures abroad.
What percentage of soldiers were heroin users in 1973?
According to a Pentagon study, by 1973 up to 20 percent of soldiers were habitual heroin users. Noting the negative consequences of stifling marijuana use, one army commanding officer was quoted saying, “If it would get them to give up the hard stuff, I would buy all the marijuana and hashish in the Delta as a present.”.
Who said you don't have a drug problem in Vietnam?
From heroin to amphetamines to marijuana, drugs were so commonplace among the troops that, in 1970, liaison to the Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Egil Krogh told President Richard Nixon “you don’t have a drug problem in Vietnam; you have a condition. Problems are things we can get right on and solve.”.
Why did Kuzmarov say that drug use was rampant?
Kuzmarov argues that’s because, while drug use was indeed rampant, fears about addiction were largely overblown, with most soldiers only using drugs casually, when they deemed a situation sufficiently low-risk—s uch as when they were on rest and recuperation leave and during lulls in combat.
