Why were the Vietnam War veterans treated so badly when they came home?

Answer 1

The First View: Some believe they weren't. Those have that belief say it is a myth propagated by a government that was trying to turn around anti-war sentiment by telling stories of "hippies" spitting in the faces of "vets returning from Vietnam." In reality, celebrities like Jane Fonda and a few Viet Nam veterans were working together with anti-war activists to stop the war. The second view: Perhaps a more realistic assessment would be to recognize that we tend to dislike what we're uncomfortable with, and clearly, Americans were uncomfortable with the Viet Nam War. Many did not understand the rationale for our involvement in Indochina in the first place, while others were ambivalent about the idea of our presence in a country, whatever the justification, when half of the population didn't want us there. Even of those who supported the Viet Nam War, many were dismayed by the government's decision to engage in a limited, and therefore unwinnable, war. Unfortunately, whatever the basis for the objections to the war, returning veterans were often viewed by their fellow Americans as reminders of an embarrassingly failed mission...one which many believe we should not have embarked upon in the first place...and that makes us uncomfortable. Contrary to the assertions of the first poster, while there certainly were some veterans (like John Kerry, for instance) who worked with anti-war activists, the vast majority did not. Accusations against fellow veterans by some of those who did, such as calling them murderers, baby killers, rapists, etc., did little to help gain appreciation for, and acceptance of, our returning veterans. It would be easy to blame the government for our embarrassment and regret over how we treated our returning veterans, but wouldn't it be better to accept responsibility for our own actions and ensure that it will never happen again?

Answer 2

Many of these veterans were wrongly associated with many atrocities e.g. the My Lai Massacre . The public transferred it's hostilities against an unpopular war by abusing many of these veterans , with most serving honorably , upon their return .

Answer 3

There were incidents when terms like Baby Killer were used, but those were usually exagerated.

Answer 4

Noone celebrates since we lost, they weren't acknowledged. They weren't mistreated, just not respected as they should be. They deserve every bit of respect you can give.