I hope this isn’t the wrong time to talk about this subject, but I’ve always wondered. I’ve always heard that Vietnam Veterans were spit upon when they returned home. While I realize that the anti-war movement wasn’t all flowers and love, spitting on the veterans they were hoping to save doesn’t seem to jibe with the vibe, if you will. Has anyone ever heard of specific incidents where this occurred, or is it an urban legend?
Thanks.
Welcome kabloowie to the SDMB.
{Is there a proper format for this?}
No one knows for sure about the spitting situation, but here is a good article on the topic.
http://www.rlg.org/annmtg/lembcke99.html
Spitting was, at most, a rare occurrence.
I don’t doubt that it did rarely happen.
Although it seems like half the Vietnam veterans I know claim to have been spit on.
The following was posted in the duplicate thread by Bricker. I thought it deserved to be salvaged, and it seems that Manny agrees, so I’m reposting it here. Thanks, Rick, for sharing this:
Bricker
Member
Registered: Dec 1999
Posts: 2278
10-14-2001 08:56 AM
A close family friend was a Vietnam vet, and not only did he recall being spit on when he returned from Vietnam in 1970, but I was permitted to read letters he wrote at the time to his then-girlfriend about what happened.
He had gotten the proverbial “million-dollar wound” – that is, he was wounded enough to be sent home. He was awarded a Bronze Star (with V-device) and a Purple Heart.
Three times, on his way home, through airports and then a bus trip, wearing his uniform, with medals, he says people spit at him and many more times, called him things - “baby-killer” comes to mind. Several other times, he says, people shook his hand and congratulated him. One old man in a wheelchair got in front of him and pulled himself to his feet to offer a shaky salute.
I gathered from talking to my friend that the spitters and name callers tended to be, so far as he could tell, anti-war, younger folks; the congratulators tended to be older and more neatly dressed.
This is, of course, anecdotal - but according to what I’ve read - and heard - from those that were there, “saving the soldiers” was more an abtract goal than a specific one. Of course, you cannot impute to a vast movement any particular set of beliefs; undoubtedly most peace protestors would never dream of spitting on another human being.
Similar to what we’re seeing today, though: the bad eggs get the attention. Many IMF protestors simply have a gripe with what they see as inhumane corporate actions - the few that wear masks and try to smash property get a disproportionate share of attention.
Vietnam vet (USN, '64-'68) here. I spent my entire hitch aboard an amphibious ship, hauling Marines around Vietnam.
In port we saw quite a lot of protestors, but no spitting. They pretty much directed their ire at the govt, and not at the servicemen. Some were friendly toward us and would explain their position.
After I got my discharge and began to mix with the antiwar crowd I found them to be sympathetic, not hostile, esp. toward enlisted vets.
Welcome, kabloowie.
Peace,
mangeorge
I was in the U.S. Army and served and was wounded in Viet Nam in 1971. I never saw nor experienced spitting. I agree with Mangeorge in regards to my reception by anti-war types.
I went to college after my return and there were a number of protests on campus against the war, but never any antagonism towards me as a vet nor any I ever heard of towards other vets.
I have always felt the stories about spitting on vets were more political foder for some politician trying to wave the flag rather than an actual fact.
Still there is a chance it might have happened. I guess that’s what makes urban legends.
TV
I was anti-war in those days, but never would’ve spat myself. Shortly before the American withdrawal, I cut my hair short & was hitchhiking in an army surplus olive green trenchcoat. A couple of kids drove by without picking me up & flicked a cigarette butt at me. I always figured it was the coat & haircut, but maybe they just didn’t like my looks, even though hitchhiking was more common those days.
I’ve never been to Vietnam but did spend all of 1969 and half of 1970 in the Army stationed in NJ and I can say this:
My experience was much more like the experience described by TV time than Bricker’s close family friend.
Here is another thread on the topic http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=71601
Long story short, according to the responses there, spitting was an Urban Legend.
Also, my question there, which I have asked of many vets since then, was if you’re a 19 year good shape vet back from Nam, are you gonna let some college kid spit on you? Wouldn’t you generally react by stomping the tar out of the spitter rather than hang your head in shame? Doesn’t make sense to me. None of the Vets I’ve talked to have ever said they were spit on. As pointed out by other vets in this thread, the anti-war protestors directed their hatred to the government and not to people in uniform.
Ya know, if you ask most vets, I think you’d find that they would say that they were treated more (badly? I need a better word) by the establishment than by the anti-war crowd. Honestly. Especially wounded vets.
“Oh well, you’re back. Get a job”
Sorry, sore spot.
Peace,
mangeorge