All My Children Discussion Group -- Discussion Question: Returning Veterans

All My Children Discussion Group

Topic: Discussion Question: Returning Veterans

Topic Posted by: starfish
Date Posted: Tue Jan 31 8:16:58 2012
Additional Comments: Why are the Iraq and Afghanistan veterans welcomed home as heroes, whereas the Vietnam veterans were largely ignored, or even received with disdain? The tenets of the two wars were very much the same: in Vietnam we were fighting the nameless, faceless specter of communism. In Iraq and Afghanistan, we were fighting the nameless, faceless specter of terrorism.

Is the difference in attitude due to the post-September 11 surge in patriotism? Or because today's returning veterans went voluntarily, while most who went to Vietnam were drafted? Do we somehow feel more 'victorious' this time around, since we were able to take out Saddam and Osama? Or maybe war is just somehow more acceptable today than it was in the 60s and 70s?

Posted by: Miss.Bear
Date posted: Wed Feb 1 0:01:32 2012
Message:
One of these days the U.S is not going to be a super military. Look what happened to Rome, they were pretty dominate. I think Rome was a lot like U.S is at one time. At one time England ruled about half the world. I think that there won't be a United States anymore, not like how it is now. It may not happen tomorrow but I think it will eventually happen.

Replies: (list all replies)

Miss Bear, I think that you are right. I read the book by Fareed Zakaria. Other countries like China will be superpowers in the years to come. However, I think that the U.S. will continue to be powerful for many years. Holly

Posted by: Holly
Date posted: Tue Jan 31 19:05:58 2012
Message:
As a Christian, I do not believe that war is acceptable in the eyes of Jesus Christ. However, there are evil people in this world and we have to fight against them sometimes.

There are men in my family who have gone to war and I have enormous respect for their sacrifice. However, I feel very strongly that the United States has gone to war when we should not have been there.

My father is a veteran of World War II and I do believe that Adolf Hitler was an evil man so it was necessary to go to war. My first cousin is a veteran of the Vietnam War and I believe that the war in Vietnam is a different story and a different war and not to be compared with World War II.

The wars in Afghanistan and Iraq were about oil. These wars were not about our freedom. I have respect for our veterans but I do not respect our government for sending our soldiers to wars that were not necessary. We were attacked on 9/11 by Osama bin laden. He was from Saudi Arabia. So why did we go to war in Afghanistan and Iraq?

I will always have respect for our veterans but I do not have respect for our government who sends our soldiers to war that are not necessary.

Replies: (list all replies)

Unfortunately, people have been fighting unnecessary wars for a long time which is what I am learning in class. As far as Hitler goes, he could have been prevented and we never would have had a WW2. I think it is a matter of time before U.S is no longer the super military force that we are now. Reading my history books I'm quite convinced of this.

Posted by: Grandma b@s
Date posted: Tue Jan 31 11:15:43 2012
Message:

I think it was happened with the Vietnam veterans that opened our eyes. I think those of us that lived through it and saw what happened are more determined that it won't happen again.

PS - I missed being classified a Vietnam veteran by 6 days, my roommate and my ex husband were classified as Vietnam veterans because they enlisted earlier.

Posted by: W.E.
Date posted: Tue Jan 31 9:31:35 2012
Message:

I would also like to think what I&B said is true.

We all wore POW/MIA bracelets. My friends got to see their person come home. All I wanted was to see mine come home and send him the bracelet I wore for years.

I found out he died on the very day he went missing by visiting the Vietnam Wall in DC. Jesus Gonzalez may you forever rest in peace!

Posted by: SheilaT
Date posted: Tue Jan 31 9:06:10 2012
Message:
What ingy said. Frankly it was shameful the way Vietnam War vets were treated, especially since they were almost all draftees, whereas current military are all volunteers. I guess we've learned a bit of balance over the years. Now we are capable of objecting (even vehemently) to a war without blaming those doing the fighting.

Posted by: ingyandbert
Date posted: Tue Jan 31 8:50:03 2012
Message:
I'd say it's because in the roughly 40 years since then society has learned something.