Posted on Feb 4, 2017
The First Saddest Day of My Life: A Vietnam War Story | The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American...
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"In an oral history interview, my father shared, “There are many reasons why Vietnam veterans decided not to talk about our war experiences when we arrived home. For me, no one seemed to care about my time in Vietnam, especially people who hadn’t themselves been vets. Everyone looked at me like I had done something bad. People have mothers, fathers, brothers, and sisters, and I did not want to think about having taken that life from someone else, so I just kept quiet.”
The First Saddest Day of My Life: A Vietnam War Story | The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American...
Posted from gilderlehrman.org
Vietnam War
Military History
World History
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 7
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That was a sad time in american History... I remember traveling in the early 70s (73-75)... and the problems with the anti-war Protesters and "Hippies..." and seeing the Guys coming back from RVN and they caught even More Grief...
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SFC (Join to see)
I never really knew that side of history. I'm sorry that happened to you and all other soldiers of that war. I know I've told you before, but it's something I'll never stop saying. Thank you for service.
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SFC (Join to see) Sad but true. We arrived home to a country that we did not recognize and hate that we could not understand. No one wanted Vietnam Veterans around, so the only folks that we could talk to were other veterans. Doing an oral history sounds like something that I need to do. Thank you for the Post!
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SFC (Join to see)
I'm so sorry you had to go through that. thank you for your service and sacrifice. And I think every soldier has a story to tell, you never know how it could help another soldier to know they weren't a lone in similar feelings of the War and it's forgotten aftermath to those who served.
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SFC (Join to see) We were shunned by almost everyone when we returned home.You have to imagine coming home and being an outsider without even understanding why.Like most of the other VN veterans,i was 21 when i got home and like many others i just sucked it up and used the old--"Ain't nothing,it is what it is".
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SMSgt Roger Horton
SFC Pride I was only 19 when I returned home. Landed at El Toro, flew home and back to Camp Pendleton with all that. We had to travel in uniform in those days to get military standby. Took a long time to get over it. My next duty that I returned was Edson Range, MCRD Rifle Range, and it was hard to see those recruits knowing where many would end up and some may not make it back.
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SSgt Terry P.
SMSgt Roger Horton - I always traveled in uniform,while in the Marine Corps,really thought it was required at that time,standby or not.I was at Edson Range in "68 and thought the barracks were great compared to the Quonset Huts we lived in at MCRD.
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