Vetrans: Were you ever disrespected for having served?

[greblc]

[mhr]

1. Never, Not Once!

eom

[greblc]

8. What era did you serve?

[Nile]

11. Yes

While in Vietnam and soon afterwards. It continues to today with some people.

[Journeyman]

2. Yes.

Numerous times while in uniform, and for awhile after discharge. This was in the early to mid-'70s.

[tritsofme]

3. I'm not a veteran, but a very good friend of mine

came back from Vietnam and went to get himself a college education.

He tells me that he was called a baby killer on several occasions, and belittled for what happened in Vietnam, and it has always hurt him very much.

I have quite a number of friends who are Vietnam vets, and that's really the only negative story I have heard.

[Ron Green]

4. I was never disrespected, but I always wore civvies anytime I was

hitchhiking near the post. Just couldn't get rides unless I was 50 miles away. This was 1966-1969.

[TahitiNut]

5. (sheesh) D'uh ... YES.

:eyes:

[greblc]

7. LOL

[greblc]

6. While I was a Recruiter...

It happened to me many times in various forms.

I was once called a "Baby Killer" but never spit on.

I was run out of the Recruiting office by a Group of several hundred Protesters (We Marines stayed until the Police ordered us out.) whom threw Bowling Balls Through the Office Window, Pulled a mannequin (in Naval Dress uniform) from the Neighboring Navy office ,Proceeded to impale the mannequin with a flag pole and then burned the flag.

As a Joke we Marines Sandbagged the entire front window after the glass was replaced.

An Anarchist Group called Revolutionary Anarchist Bowling League (RABL)
did most of the damage.A couple of years later I met one of the RABL members at a party. He had a distinctive name that I'll never forget... Soren Sorenson.

[JSJ]

9. they were better times back then...when protestors had real balls...

...and weren't afraid of taking the fight to the enemy.

[greblc]

10. It was 1986. They were protesting NG troops going to Honduras to Build ...

an Air Strip. In another Protest at a ANG base they turned firehoses on protesters who were trying to climb a fence and get on to base. It was January
and the Temp. was Sub Zero.

Even then I thought that was a little cruel.

[truthspeaker]

13. That wasn't in Minnesota in the late 80s by any chance, was it?

RABL was active at my college, and the name Soren Sorenson rings a bell.

[greblc]

21. 86 or 87 in MN

[tibbiit]

12. I remember the WW2 and Korean War Vets

Doing LOTS of disrespecting of the Viet Nam Vets-- WW2 and Korean Vets = the older White Men who served in what they thought were "real mens declared" wars.
This is NEVER talked about.
tib

[TahitiNut]

14. It's common knowledge at my local VFW post.

I visit my local VFW (Acorn Post, Royal Oak, Michigan) every couple of weeks for their Friday night fish fry. All the folks there are veterans or dependents, mostly the former. It's an aging post, with most members still of the Korean War generation but many from Vietnam. They're keenly aware of the VFW's rejection of Vietnam Veterans in the 70s and understand that's why alternative veterans organizations (e.g. VVA) even came into existence. In fact, this has been one of the topics of conversation in my last 3-4 visits. (No other war in this nation's history resulted in as much formation of and membership in segregated organizations.)

It's hard for wounds to heal when salt gets sprinkled in them so consistently.

[greblc]

25. My Stepfather ( a Vietnam Vet) tried to join the VFW...

The VFW (WW2& Korean war Vets) rejected him serveral times in the 70's.
The VFW has seen a decline in Membership and now they will not stop soliciting him to join now that he is Retired. He returns every solicitation with polite F'You and tells them he wanted to join 30 yrs ago and they turned him down because he served in Vietnam. He joined some Fraternal organization
for Purple Heart Vets and enjoys telling people why he chose this group instead of the VFW.

[RivetJoint]

15. Just once

Yesterday here on DU. Was basically called a war criminal for admitting I participated in the US action against Serbia during the Kosvo campaign. :-(

[bobbyboucher]

17. Basically?

Was it a concensus among posters or a few pacifists mixed in with disruptors.

[RivetJoint]

18. Yes, basically

by just one (seemed to be British) and one other who agreed with him. It was no big deal. Crap like that doesn't stick.

[greblc]

22. Don't you just love getting beat up here.

[bobbyboucher]

24. That was truly overwhelming.

He was totally beaten up.

[Hubert Flottz]

16. Hell yes I protested!

And I was right!

EDIT} I was disrespected by NIXON and the US Army!

[11 Bravo]

19. Yeah, last week at the Republican National Convention

where I saw delegates wearing little band-aids to mock the decorations I was awarded for wounds received in battle 33 years ago.

[donkeyotay]

20. I'm not a vet, but this is what I remember

My experience was that it was the Vets coming back from Vietnam who persuaded me the war was wrong. That never seems to get talked about, but the vets I came into contact with were the most ardent protesters.

I always thought the "they spit on us," was a meme that suited the current rightwing, but wasn't necessarily true just because it didn't jibe with my experience.

I never disrespected a vet, although I certainly remember being harassed by a guard convoy in Washington while I attended a protest.

And, of course, Kent State.

But I had forgotten all about how the real vets didn't respect the Vietnam vets. That Love-it-or-leave-it crowd were rather narrow minded.

[indypaul]

23. Korea '52-53

Remember the '52 presidential campaign issue about being
in that "useless war." But there was no disrespect to
returning GI's to my knowledge. Have worked with Viet
Vets and have relatives who served there and family
friends who died there. The GI is there doing the job
he is supposed to do. If anyone has a argument with
that it is with our "leaders" NOT the GI doing his job.
Don't ask him to risk prosecution and additional punishment
until you've walked a mile in his shoes. Isn't that exaclty
the message John Kerry is sending now? One served and one
swerved.