Waynebob126
Bronze Member
Sorry for the lack of respect from the "older than me" crowd. Welcome home!
The Vietnam Story
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Sorry for the lack of respect from the "older than me" crowd. Welcome home!
Waynebob126
Bronze Member
Welcome home!
Waynebob126
Bronze Member
Welcome home!
Waynebob126
Bronze Member
From Mississippi, welcome home!
Creamer
Elite Member
I can't say it enough - for all of you who served Thank You for doing it!
Waynebob126
Bronze Member
I was born in December of '63. I hardly knew anything about the war. I barely remember seeing anything on the news about it since we did not get a television until I was 9 or 10 years old.
My dad served in the Korean War. He never talked about his time overseas, only his time at Camp LeJune in NC.
Over the years, I've been keenly interested in the history of both the Civil War and the Vietnam War. I have found throughout the years that I now know several individuals that served in Vietnam. I wish that our country and its "hippies" had not disrespected those that served. I wish that I could have been at the airports when troops came back from Vietnam so that I could have given them a handshake, hug or simply say welcome home. Unfortunately, I was still young and not aware of they way troops were treated upon return.
I wish that I could personally visit with Vietnam vets more just to say that it wasn't everyone in the USA that hated them for doing what their country called them to do. It's not every American that doesn't believe in them.
To all those on this forum that served in Vietnam, Thank you and Welcome Home!
My dad served in the Korean War. He never talked about his time overseas, only his time at Camp LeJune in NC.
Over the years, I've been keenly interested in the history of both the Civil War and the Vietnam War. I have found throughout the years that I now know several individuals that served in Vietnam. I wish that our country and its "hippies" had not disrespected those that served. I wish that I could have been at the airports when troops came back from Vietnam so that I could have given them a handshake, hug or simply say welcome home. Unfortunately, I was still young and not aware of they way troops were treated upon return.
I wish that I could personally visit with Vietnam vets more just to say that it wasn't everyone in the USA that hated them for doing what their country called them to do. It's not every American that doesn't believe in them.
To all those on this forum that served in Vietnam, Thank you and Welcome Home!
houstonscott
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Today solders do a year tour every other year, Vietnam guys look like complainers compared to today's military situation. Any Vietnam guys have 12 one year tours? I have a healthy respect for today's guys.
6thgpSF
Gold Member
houstonscott I served with men in S.F. that were WW2,Korea and had up to 6 tours in Nam. I volunteered for the Army ,jump school S.F. and Nam. I'm proud of my service but kept it quiet for yrs. I worked 34 yrs at the V.A. and worked w/ professionals that didn't like Nam vets. I made the mistake once in a staff meeting that I served in VN and a shrink called me a baby killer. You can call me a complainer if you want,my SIL just retired, has 5 deployments as 11b. I respect all those that served honorably. If you served in combat whether for a day or 12 tours you have a right to complain more than those that let others do it for them. For the record I served with the 173 ABN in VN and S.F. at Bragg. russ
houstonscott
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You volunteered for those, I respect that, but only one tour was required.
houstonscott
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During Vietnam only 15% of military we're drafted. A common untruth pushed by media. Interestingly in WWII 85% were drafted.
The VFW has just published a book that may be of interest to some. BRUTAL BATTLES OF VIET NAM America's deadliest days 1965-1972. This book was written by those who were there. A little pricey but facts only, no BS. I was there from Jan16th, 68 through Oct 24, 68. Was sent over short. Bob
6thgpSF
Gold Member
I guess I missed it houstonscott, what branch and when did you serve?...russ
ustmd
Platinum Member
After Dec 5 1942, per Executive Order 9279, you had to be drafted, you could not volunteer for the armed forces. There were concerns about preserving the workforce at home.
houstonscott
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I did thirty years, all active duty, 1974-2004, all USCG, and you?
mjarrels
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Don't get PBS so I will have to wait for NETFIX or some one to upload to one of the steaming channels. Will be interesting to see if the amerasia kids (10's of thousands) are addressed who were left behind in Thailand and the Philippines.
mark
mark
CobyRupert
Super Member
Where did these numbers come from?
polo1665
Super Star Member
Here's a snippet of what I read about it: "Although only 25 percent of the military force in the combat zones were draftees, the system of conscription caused many young American men to volunteer for the armed forces in order to have more of a choice of which division in the military they would serve."
The Military Draft During the Vietnam War * Exhibit * Resistance and Revolution: The Anti-Vietnam War Movement at the University of Michigan, 1965-1972
polo1665
Super Star Member
Here's another excerpt about the differences between the draft in WW2 vs. Vietnam.
"I don't know the actual numbers but it is a fact that more people were drafted in to WW2 than volunteered. The opposite was true for Vietnam where despite all the stories of poor draftees getting the shaft more people volunteered for duty there than were drafted.
The explanation is that after the first patriotic rush to join up after Pearl Harbor most young men realized they would end up in the service soon enough whether they volunteered or not so they waited and made a little money in wartime industry until they got their notice. During the Vietnam war there were all kinds of incentives offered by the Army to those who volunteered, i.e. choice of assignment after a tour in SVN or choice of Military Occupation Specialty if you volunteered. These incentives made duty in Vietnam a little more palatable for those who thought it through before they got their draft notice."
Percentage Of America Volunteers/draftee S? | War History Fans
Reading on down the page:
"Sometime in 1942(?), those who were draft age could no longer enlist, but had to be drafted. There were several reasons:"
1. To spread the quailty of recruits over all of the armed forces. (Seems the AirForce, Navy and Marines were getting most of the 'higher' quaility men)
2. To try to prevent manpower shortages in war industries and farming. One of the 'lessons' of WWI was that you could not allow patriotism to strip your factories and farms of their best men.
3. To control the number of men coming into the services at any one time. That way training resources aren't wasted on too few men or strained trying to train too many.
"I don't know the actual numbers but it is a fact that more people were drafted in to WW2 than volunteered. The opposite was true for Vietnam where despite all the stories of poor draftees getting the shaft more people volunteered for duty there than were drafted.
The explanation is that after the first patriotic rush to join up after Pearl Harbor most young men realized they would end up in the service soon enough whether they volunteered or not so they waited and made a little money in wartime industry until they got their notice. During the Vietnam war there were all kinds of incentives offered by the Army to those who volunteered, i.e. choice of assignment after a tour in SVN or choice of Military Occupation Specialty if you volunteered. These incentives made duty in Vietnam a little more palatable for those who thought it through before they got their draft notice."
Percentage Of America Volunteers/draftee S? | War History Fans
Reading on down the page:
"Sometime in 1942(?), those who were draft age could no longer enlist, but had to be drafted. There were several reasons:"
1. To spread the quailty of recruits over all of the armed forces. (Seems the AirForce, Navy and Marines were getting most of the 'higher' quaility men)
2. To try to prevent manpower shortages in war industries and farming. One of the 'lessons' of WWI was that you could not allow patriotism to strip your factories and farms of their best men.
3. To control the number of men coming into the services at any one time. That way training resources aren't wasted on too few men or strained trying to train too many.
Rock knocker
Veteran Member
PBS and Netflix are really weird. Their participation together seems really cyclical. You can stream "Vietnam" right now from PBS
PBS: Public Broadcasting Service
