Blog 44

To a Vietnam War veteran:

Q: What was one major difference you saw between the fighting in North Vietnam vs. South Vietnam?

A: North Vietnam was supported by communist allies and South Vietnam was supported by the United States and other anti-communist allies. This aspect provided very different fighting methods and ways of dealing with war. Communist/Anti-communist combat were two extremely different war tactics.

Q: What caused you to enter the war and how did you feel about it?

A: Like many young men in the 60s, I was drafted. I was still in college and didn't really know too much about our foreign involvement policies so I was mostly confused and shocked. I didn't want to leave my home but was kind of excited for an adventure - I was later shown that is was not that simple and interesting.

Q: Was the actual combat part as bad as has it been told to be?

A: The war in Vietnam was nothing that I expected it to be. We had to fight in the jungles, through thick foliage, guns constantly being fired, soldiers constantly falling. You'd see a man next to you firing away and the next moment he'd be lying on the ground, struggling to stay alive and begging for help. You never really move on from witnessing such horrific actions.

Q: How long were you deployed in Vietnam? How did it feel when you came back?

A: I was away for about 3 years, fighting basically everyday. I was so relieved to finally come back to America. I wanted to continue my schooling and start my life but most of all, I wanted to be a hero. When I came back, people treated us as if we were the enemies, as if we were the bad guys. There were so many hippies and anti-war protesters ridiculing us, it definitely wasn't a typical "welcome home."

Q: Do you think communism would have continued to spread in that part of the world if America didn't get so involved?

A: I think communism probably would have grown in the Eastern Hemisphere, especially in Vietnam with the North being so powerful already. For some countries it seems to work, it just doesn't in others.