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I have relatives that served in Vietnam (drafted, most served in the enlisted ranks), and worked with several other Vietnam veterans (all retired officers, all

by fotbr 9y ago

I have relatives that served in Vietnam (drafted, most served in the enlisted ranks), and worked with several other Vietnam veterans (all retired officers, all were career military, and nearly all had been commissioned before the Vietnam War had started). I, perhaps oddly, do not know how my relatives feel about the war or the Ken Burns documentary. Most flat out refuse to talk about those years. Perhaps that's not so odd, given the times and situations they faced both abroad and on coming home. The folks I worked with, on the other hand, were pretty uniformly proud of the job they and their men did. They did not all agree with the politics surrounding the war, both in recent years as well as at the time, but being professionals, they did as they were ordered. Several of them, now professors of U.S. History, thought the Ken Burns' documentary was very well done, and reflected reality in a way that Hollywood never did or desired to. A couple of those professors include the Burns' documentary as part of their courses' curriculum. I don't know if any of that helps with your curiosity.

averagewall 9y ago
It seems common for soldiers to have such extreme deferrence to rank that they can proudly do things that they otherwise belive are wrong just because their boss told them to. I used to work with an Afganistan veteran and he was the same - fighting was somehow good but the politicians making the decisions were making wrong decisions. Why not quit if you're part of something you think is wrong?
- hutzlibu 9y ago
  "Why not quit if you're part of something you think is wrong?" Because then you have to really start thinking on your own plus you don't get the benefits of the army anymore. Comfort zone.
criddell 9y ago
> were pretty uniformly proud of the job they and their men did Individually, I'm sure there's plenty to be proud of. But as a group, they did a lot of terrible and evil things extremely well. Since starting that documentary, when I've been thinking about large protests, I'm struck by how often the protestors are right. I know going forward it's going to change how I see big protests.
- gedy 9y ago
  > Individually, I'm sure there's plenty to be proud of. But as a group, they did a lot of terrible and evil things extremely well. You could say the same for many of the"anti-war" movement. Individually there was a lot of concern and desire to do the right thing, but the context of the Vietnam war was it was also a civil war, and many people in Vietnam wanted to fight back against communists who had been doing some pretty awful things. So collectively, there was some undermining of resistance to them, and which also resulted in millions? of refugees and hundreds of thousands in life loss after the war.
- Feniks 9y ago
  Keep in mind the war was enacted by a democratically elected government. There's no diminished responsibility. Very few folks decided to return their passports and emigrate. People liked to blame the Army but everything that happened was in the name of the American people and by their leave. "I didn't know" and "I thought it was a bakery" are poor excuses.
  - criddell 9y ago
    > the war was enacted by a democratically elected government If Burns' documentary is correct, the government and military lied about pretty much all aspects of the war. If that wasn't the case, I would agree that the American people are to blame. > Very few folks decided to return their passports and emigrate. Thank goodness for that. The people that fought the most against the war may very well be the best Americans. In the first Gulf War when we (the US) were bombing Iraq to take out the supposed weapons of mass destruction, I supported the action. I remember arguing with my sister that even though it might be wrong for the US to invade another country, removing Hussein's offensive capabilities was too important. The ends will justify the means! Boy, was I wrong. Again though, it was lying by the government, failures of the press, and failures of officials I trusted (esp. Colin Powell) that was the basis of my support.

by fotbr 9y ago

averagewall 9y ago

It seems common for soldiers to have such extreme deferrence to rank that they can proudly do things that they otherwise belive are wrong just because their boss told them to. I used to work with an Afganistan veteran and he was the same - fighting was somehow good but the politicians making the decisions were making wrong decisions. Why not quit if you're part of something you think is wrong?

hutzlibu 9y ago
"Why not quit if you're part of something you think is wrong?" Because then you have to really start thinking on your own plus you don't get the benefits of the army anymore. Comfort zone.

criddell 9y ago

> were pretty uniformly proud of the job they and their men did Individually, I'm sure there's plenty to be proud of. But as a group, they did a lot of terrible and evil things extremely well. Since starting that documentary, when I've been thinking about large protests, I'm struck by how often the protestors are right. I know going forward it's going to change how I see big protests.

gedy 9y ago
> Individually, I'm sure there's plenty to be proud of. But as a group, they did a lot of terrible and evil things extremely well. You could say the same for many of the"anti-war" movement. Individually there was a lot of concern and desire to do the right thing, but the context of the Vietnam war was it was also a civil war, and many people in Vietnam wanted to fight back against communists who had been doing some pretty awful things. So collectively, there was some undermining of resistance to them, and which also resulted in millions? of refugees and hundreds of thousands in life loss after the war.
Feniks 9y ago
Keep in mind the war was enacted by a democratically elected government. There's no diminished responsibility. Very few folks decided to return their passports and emigrate. People liked to blame the Army but everything that happened was in the name of the American people and by their leave. "I didn't know" and "I thought it was a bakery" are poor excuses.
- criddell 9y ago
  > the war was enacted by a democratically elected government If Burns' documentary is correct, the government and military lied about pretty much all aspects of the war. If that wasn't the case, I would agree that the American people are to blame. > Very few folks decided to return their passports and emigrate. Thank goodness for that. The people that fought the most against the war may very well be the best Americans. In the first Gulf War when we (the US) were bombing Iraq to take out the supposed weapons of mass destruction, I supported the action. I remember arguing with my sister that even though it might be wrong for the US to invade another country, removing Hussein's offensive capabilities was too important. The ends will justify the means! Boy, was I wrong. Again though, it was lying by the government, failures of the press, and failures of officials I trusted (esp. Colin Powell) that was the basis of my support.