What has the nation done to help repair damage done to Vietnam vets?

Answer 1

The nation as a whole has done very little to repair the damage done to Vietnam Vets. However, there has been some events that have made a big difference in the attitude of the nation towards the vets. For example, in the 80s, there were a few parades sponsored by big cities, the largest being the New York City ticker tape parade in 1985 and the Chicago Welcome Home parade in 1986. These parades opened the door for the American people to say thank you to the veterans who had fought and died in Vietnam without raising the spectre of any wrong doing by our government or military.

Therefore, the veteran was allowed to feel appreciated for the first time since he arrived home from Vietnam and this went a long way to healing invisible wounds inflicted by the nation during the war.

It was these feelings toward the veteran that created the whole new approach to the returning veteran and as early as 1991 with the Welcome Home parade to the Gulf War veterans, the nation began to separate the warrior from the government's actions. They showed their support more readily to the returning veteran. This continues today with many groups sponsoring welcome home committees to greet returning veterans from Iraq.