VietNam Era

Tina

Hi All,
Reading Country Joe's posts got me thinkingabout the VietNam War era folks here.
What were you doing at that time?
AS Jw's and non-JW's,what were your feelings about the war?
Are you a vet or child of one?
Were you an anti-war activist?
If you were a JW, and of active duty age,what happened?
Thanks in advance for sharing your experiences and thoughts! Tina
Ps If I left out any relevant questions please add to them! T

Carl Sagan on balancing openness to new ideas with skeptical scrutiny..."if you are open to the point of gullibility and have not an ounce of skeptical sense-you cannot distinguish useful ideas from worthless ones."

bboyneko

I didnt exsist yet. Creepy....

Tina

((bboy))))))) okies hun lol. You get a pass on this one lol.T

Carl Sagan on balancing openness to new ideas with skeptical scrutiny..."if you are open to the point of gullibility and have not an ounce of skeptical sense-you cannot distinguish useful ideas from worthless ones."

bboyneko

If I did exsist you know I would have been id dose tunnerls fightin' the vietkong with only a glock and a flashlight!

But seriously, some of my best friends are vietnamese. Weird to think just over 2 decades ago we were shottin' at them. First the french then the australians then the americans.

You gotta hand it to them, they really kicked some ass there on a shoestring budget, the vietnamese.

-Dan

Ustabee

Tina:

I was neck deep in the US Navy at the time; 1967-1976. Spent part of '69 and '70 attempting to 'kill commies for Christ' as one quite irreverent shipmate would say each time we engaged in a fire mission. In 1976 I left the service as a C.Oobjector. Studied with the JW's and 'saw the light.' At the time I didn't realize how much of a flashing light it was. ;-)

Interestingly, I always remained proud of my service, even though I didn't make a big deal out of it. Now, I look back on my years in the JW with regret and my service to my country with pride.

One point, however, the late 60's and 70's were a momentous time. Many of us in the military at the time were very conflicted about the war and its implications. I'm sure some thought that a revolution was about to take place in the U.S. Major colleges at the time were hotbeds for radical idealogy.

The WTS was able to weather the '75 debacle a lot more easily because of the unsettled times. A lot of people were looking for the world to end, not just JW's. [e.g., The Late, Great Planet Earth, by Hal Lindsey] Utilizing the 20/20 hindsight years bring, had the times been a little more settled the WTS would probably have had a much harder time defending the charges of 'false prophet.'

safe4kids

Hey Tina,

Well, I was 4 years old in 1969 so I can't say that I remember much about it. One thing tho that comes to mind is more to do with the psychology of the effects of the war on our vets. It is my understanding (and please correct me if I'm wrong) that mental health professionals learned a great deal about PTSD from the returning vietnam vets. That understanding has since broadened to benefit survivors of many different types of trauma, myself included. To me, this is a fascinating development and something I always associate with that particular war. I'm not sure where I originally made that association. Does anyone know if it's correct?

Thanks. I look forward to reading the responses of those who remember this period in our history.
Dana

"I undid his head collar and took him outside for a drink, and felt, if not exactly a communion with him, at least an awareness of being a fellow creature on a lonely planet."

Dick Francis in "To The Hilt"

Tina

Wow Thank you Ustabee!
I know others I have spoken with have also taken back pride in their service.
It was a heady time to be around! So many societal 'norms'/mores were being challenged! I was not as young as you Dana!(you baby-san you) But I do recall the hotly debated issues going on at the time....

Dana-Spot on!! We did learn al lot more about PTSd.Tho it was a phenomena from previous wars too. Battle fatigue it was called.Some other terms I dont recall offhand...thanks ALl for thr great insights! T

Carl Sagan on balancing openness to new ideas with skeptical scrutiny..."if you are open to the point of gullibility and have not an ounce of skeptical sense-you cannot distinguish useful ideas from worthless ones."

jeffory

tina,
i went to vietnam in 1968 and was assigned to the 101st. airborne . my cousin and i joined the army within months of each other , me in june of 67 and he in aug. of 67. i went north to hue and its environs , he was assigned to the 25th infantry around cu chi. in may of 68 he was killed and i was assigned to escort his body home. i met his metal casket in oakland, ca. it was in the cargo hold of a commercial airliner we flew on to our home near seattle, wa. I still think of those events at times. the airline's protocol was to not deplane until the casket was removed, with me on the ground at attention saluting it was placed in a hearse , he was buried in a cemetary near everett , wa.
sad days.
i returned to vietnam and completed my tour of duty.had trouble re integrating into the society of the 70's , began studying with a kind little old lady --30 years later here i am.
i have never been ashamed of my service. it left a lasting impact but i hope to return there someday in the near future.
beautiful country--beautiful people.
jeffory

LDH

Jeffory--thanks for sharing your story.

I am the child of two Vietnam Vets. After all my Dad saw especially, I wonder if that didn't set him up to buy into the WTBS load of bull lock stock and barrel.

Pardon the pun.

Lisa

Hojon

I was born in '71 so obviously it wasn't an issue for me. I am however fascinated by stories about wars and warfare. I think it's because it's so different than 'regular' life. I mean, they put you in a situation where you are encouraged to kill people, which is so contrary to how most people are raised. It's like they flick a switch, when you are home you have to respect people's life and then once you hit the ground in whatever country you go to suddenly it's the opposite. But when you get home, all of a sudden you have to start being nice again.

That must take a toll on a person's psychology.

VietNam Era

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