The result was Platoon, a work as controversial as it was successful. From day one, enlisted soldiers are conditioned to follow commands from their superiors. Over two dozen of the men I served with have died, most by suicide. By signing up you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. I’m so unbelievably sorry that this platoon didn’t receive the support they needed when they returned from this and subsequent deployments. “The Vietnam veterans, we couldn’t believe it.
HAMILTON – Dan Mayer was drafted into the Vietnam War in 1965 and spent 11 months and 20 days in country. After the battle, another African-American soldier, Francis (Corey Glover), stabs himself in the leg to escape further action. These soldiers are stained forever by the contemptible actions of a ratings-obsessed president. That dream came true in only one place, the front lines of Vietnam […] I’m talking about thousands of Americans who found their common humanity on the front, where they shared the last drop of water, where they gave their lives for each other.”, But Terry would also say “putting on a uniform doesn’t wipe away racism”. It’s better than nothing. I wanted to help the people in Afghanistan.
— Ann Wells, 60, Air Force, 1980-2008, I have felt the guilt, confusion, and disillusion of surviving war and coming home. The following is a selection of the reactions: My reaction on reading this story was first sadness for the men, then disgust with the whole situation, and finally resignation. We believe in the chain of command and the UCMJ. Psychologists estimate that 20 percent to 25 percent of the 3.8 million Americans who served in Vietnam have PTSD or signs of it, with frequency and severity the greatest among those who saw heavy combat. Olive saw the grenade, and then saved the lives of his fellow soldiers at the sacrifice of his own by grabbing the grenade in his hand and falling on it to absorb the blast with his body.”. This atrocity isn’t on you. Vets have been given the short stick on mental health care, and I see more headstones, divorces, and substance abuse. These platoon members have been destroyed by the aftermath of the honorable deed of upholding the best of the armed forces. Enjoy more articles by logging in or creating a free account. At the age of 17, Ken Braun volunteered to be a Navy corpsman. Mass graves and death everywhere were burned into our young minds. We were supposed to be looking for Viet Cong, ammunition and rice storage. Of the “New Standards Men”, 41 percent were black. About 20 years after I got home, I went to a reunion and they were talking about things that happened that I don’t remember at all.
I’ve seen too many cases where some idiot in charge never pays the price for what he ruins. It would take nearly 20 years after the end of the war for America to get right with its Vietnam veterans. Jim Rather was a naive 19-year-old college student when he received a letter from his Uncle Sam. But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us!
— Craig Gagel, 41, Army, 2000-2003, Having commanded an infantry platoon and company in Vietnam in the same area that Lt. Calley had committed a terrible atrocity, my men suffered the consequences. 'There was a lot of crying, hugging, talking, praising each other for having served in Vietnam,' said Matt Shuy, the clinic's team leader. By June, Wowwk had been wounded twice—the second time seriously—and was sent back to the United States for treatment at Boston’s Chelsea Naval Hospital. We were all young and didn’t fight the war for love of God or country. For a decade, as one person was shipped off to fight, another was returning. I was sent to medic school. This hero worship blinds us from acknowledging the mental health crisis in our military and veteran population. A Vietnam veteran in Memphis, Tenn., grabbed a gun and threatened to kill himself this month after watching television clips of 'Platoon,' the explosive movie about the Vietnam war. Inspired by his brother, who flew C-130 military transport planes, …. Suicide is a plague among us. When you’re losing your troops regularly in a horrible manner to booby traps and snipers, it’s hard to maintain discipline — but that is a huge part of a leader’s job.
It was the opportunity of our generation. He reported that “another war being fought in Vietnam — between black and white Americans.”.
At least I can say, our unit did our best, and even though we did not ultimately succeed, we did what the American people asked of us with as much honor as possible. I defended dozens of other soldiers who were ignored and discarded — the command would call them “sh--birds.” Their prior service meant nothing; zero tolerance was the command philosophy. A majority of veterans rejected the politicization of their service. And there you have it.".
The effects and memory of the war – particularly for PSTD sufferer Paul (a towering performance from Lindo) – are still raging. He threatened suicide.'. They were joined by an influx of prejudiced, poorly-educated whites from southern states. The impact on the spouses and children is the most heart wrenching. “On the front you found brotherhood, sometimes born of real feeling and other times of intimidation,” he said. There’s even an argument about which music gets played on the radio. In 1986, the nation's 189 VA counseling centers centers saw about 90,000 Vietnam vets, half suffering from or having symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder -- a condition referred to as 'battle fatigue' or 'shell shock' during World War I and World War II.
When you’ve been there 3 days you have no excuse. I saw combat on two of my deployments.
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the war's start.
I packed medical supplies and a .45, but I didn’t usually pack a rifle. 'A lot of people are still processing what they have seen.
A: Not to trust politicians, I guess. This atrocity isn’t on you. At just 18 years old, Olive leapt onto a grenade while pursuing the enemy at Phu Cuong. The rest were killed or bit by a snake or a scorpion or a punji stick. We had 40 in our platoon who trained together and went to Vietnam together. But looking out the window and seeing civilians stop to watch the small convoy of hospital-bound vehicles, his excitement turned to confusion. 'I can't say they liked the movie, but they appreciated it. ", Massive Burmese python could be a Florida state record. A: I think I have a really selective memory. The feelings of friendship and loyalty as well as disgust and hatred are stronger than most people experience in their lifetimes. Lehigh County …
The popular images are largely white: naïve youngsters discovering the horror it all; crackpot commanders sent loopy by the slaughter; white saviour types; and hippies on the homefront putting flowers into gun barrels. Speaking to the Chicago Tribune in 1987, Swans saw the black characters in Platoon as “unable to lead and unable to follow.” Swans himself was awarded two Silver Stars, four Bronze Stars, the Air Medal and a Purple Heart during seven months with the 1st Air Cavalry Division, “Millions of people are going to accept this movie as an accurate picture of blacks in the war,” he said. We slept on the ground the entire time except for those four days. He and his wife Faye…. — Raphael Kearns, 71, 1967-1971, Navy corpsman, serving in Vietnam in 1970; 1974-1989, Navy Nurse Corps officer, I cried. All Rights Reserved. Ci…, In the spring of 1963, Turner Demmons graduated from Flathead High School. In fact, an account of the battle by infantry Larry Heinemann would be adopted into film form by his fellow battle survivor, Oliver Stone. If someone got hurt, I’d stabilize, treat for shock, clean the injury, stop the bleeding and try to get a medevac, if needed. That makes this a dangerous movie.”, Terry Wallace believed that part Martin Luther King’s dream came true in Vietnam.
Protestors demonstrate for full benefits for all US veterans, including Vietnam War veterans in July, 1974. We had 40 in our platoon who trained together and went to Vietnam together. When you’ve been there 3 days you have no excuse. 'Silence of the Lambs' house for sale in Pennsylvania. A: I was young and wanted to see what war was like. He seemed to enter combat command with a determination to kill Afghans, and it appears he did not respect them at all. A federal study released this month found that soldiers who served in Vietnam were much more likely than other recent veterans to die during their first five years out of service, particularly from drugs, car accidents and suicides.
The Washington Post recently asked veterans to respond to its story on former Army officer Clint Lorance and ‘The Cursed Platoon.’ More than 300 wrote. His Medal of Honor citation details the incident: “As the platoon pursued the insurgents, Pfc. Later, Junior is among the soldiers who attempt to rape girls when they turn over the village, and he tries to dodge fighting by pouring a burning chemical repellent on his feet. — Matthew Kurtz, 32, Army, 2005-2013, My reading of this caused me to weep as I haven’t in a few years.
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