American soldiers returning from Vietnam were not greeted with welcoming arms by a public that believed they were the instruments of an immoral war. The returning soldiers were young. And unlike the soldiers who returned to America after World War II, these “kids” were not given anything like a hero’s welcome. “Readjustment Blues,” written by Bill Danoff and sung by John Denver (1972), looks at protest demonstrations from the eyes of returning Vietnam veterans and reflects the consternation felt by them. (https://youtu.be/ELAV4QDl_UQ)
Just out of the infantry this morning,
I had to pay my dues across the sea,
But no one back in boot camp ever warned me,
What the readjustment blues would do to me.
“Welcome to Havana,” said the pilot,
“We must have made a wrong turn on the way.”
“Let’s buy some cigars and keep it quiet,
If they don’t know we’re here we’ll get away.”
Just as I had realized he was joking,
I saw we were in Washington D.C.,
‘Cause there was all the patriotic buildings.
Just like I had seen them on T.V.
It must have been a holiday,
’cause there was this parade.
People carried signs I couldn’t read that they had made.
‘Till I got closer and my heart fell to my socks;
There was a battle raging and
The air was filled with tear gas and rocks.
There was the flag I’d fought against so often,
The one I fought for hanging upside down,
The wind was blowing hard, the dirt was flying,
It made the city sky look dark and brown.
I saw a girl, she could have been my sister,
Except her hair was long and in her face,
She explained this was a demonstration,
Against the war and for the human race.
Now I’ve seen a lot of strange things in my travels,
Cannibals, yes, and aliens galore,
But I never thought I’d see so many people
Saying we don’t want your f—kin’ war!
The troops all had on uniforms
Just like the one I’d worn,
But they were all domestic and my duty tour was foreign.
They carried guns just like the ones across the sea,
Except this time I was the citizen
And they were pointing their guns at me,
Yes, I was just a citizen and
I was walking down the street,
And it was just then that the Readjustment Blues
Got through to me.
In “Back to the World,” (“The World” is what American servicemen in Vietnam called the United States), Curtis Mayfield sets out some of the problems Vietnam vets—particularly Black veterans—had in transitioning back to civilian life after service in Vietnam. (https://youtu.be/kvkBtKi9VIc)
Back in the world
Back in the world
Back in the world
Back in the worldCrawlin’ through the trees
Stuck in mud up to the knees
Fightin’ this damn war
Wonderin’ if the Lord knows what it’s forSix long years stretch
An’ we boys was in a hell of a mess
I gotta keep my mind; take it slow
Fightin’ hard for what I don’t knowI wanna get back home, I gotta get back home
Back to the worldI had a talk with little mom
Strenuous face as she began to hum
She said: ”Boy, it’s good to see ya.
My prayers must’ve been with ya.
And now that you’re back and done
Let me tell ya son
The war was never won
The war was never wonIn these city streets everywhere
You gotta be careful where you move your feet; how you part your hair
Do you think that God could never forgive this life we live?
Back in the world
Back in the worldOh-oh-oh-oh-oh
My, my , my, my
It’s so hard, it’s so hard, it’s so hard
This life is so hardI’ve been beaten up and robbed
“Soldier boy ain’t got no job”
Back in the world
Back in the worldHad a long old stretch of sacrifice
Gettin’ back home will be awful nice
“Chile, your woman has long been gone”
The doggone war just lasted too long
People don’t give a damn
People don’t give a damn
People don’t give a damnSo I’m standin’ here in future shock
Can give the mouth an awful block
Talkin’ ‘bout hard times, hard times, hard times
Back in the worldOh-oh-oh-oh-oh
My, my , my, my
It’s so hard, it’s so hard, it’s so hard
This life is so hardI been beaten up and robbed
“Soldier boy ain’t got no job”
Back in the worldBack in the world
Uh huh. Back in the world
Back in the world
Uh huh, uh huhOh-oh-oh-oh-oh
My, my , my, my
It’s so hard, it’s so hard, it’s so hard
This life is so hard
Back in the worldOoh ooh ooh hoo
Ooh ooh ooh hoo
In 1965, Vietnam seemed like just another foreign war, but it wasn’t. It was different in many ways, as were the soldiers who did the fighting. In World War II the average age of the combat soldier was 26. In Vietnam, he was 19. “Nineteen,” written and sung by Paul Hardcastle (1985), reports facts about trauma experienced in combat and asks about the reason for the war. (https://youtu.be/b8JlTIo–CQ ; www.youtube.com/watch?v=H6GoOP5tSbU)
In-in-in Vietnam he was 19
(TV announcer’s voice) The shooting and fighting of the past two weeks continued today
25 miles west of Saigon
(Vet’s Voice) I really wasn’t sure what was going onNi-ni-ni 19, 19, ni-19 19
19, 19, 19, 19In Vietnam the combat soldier typically served
A twelve month tour of duty
But was exposed to hostile fire almost everyday
Ni-ni-ni 19, Ni-ni-ni 19Hundreds of thousands of men who saw heavy combat
In Vietnam were arrested since discharge
Their arrest rate is almost twice that of non-veterans of the same age
There are no accurate figures of how many of these men
Have been incarceratedBut a Veterans Administration study
Concludes that the greater of vets
Exposure to combat could more likely affect his chances
Of being arrested or convictedThis is one legacy of the Vietnam War
(Singing Girls) All those who remember the war
They won’t forget what they’ve seen
Destruction of men in their prime
Whose average was 19De-de-destruction
De-de-destruction
War, warDe-de-destruction, wa, wa, war, wa, war, war
De-de-destruction
War, warAfter World War II the men came home together on troop ships
But the Vietnam vet often arrived home within 48 hours of jungle combat
Perhaps the most dramatic difference between
World War II and Vietnam was coming home
None of them received a hero’s welcomeNone of them received a heroes welcome, none of them, none of them
Ne-ne-ne, ne-ne-ne, none of them, none of them, none of them
None of them received a hero’s welcome
None of them received a hero’s welcomeAccording to a Veteran’s Administration study
Half of the Vietnam combat veterans suffered from what
Psychiatrists call
Post-Traumatic-Stress-DisorderMany vets complain of alienation, rage or guilt
Some succumb to suicidal thoughts
Eight to ten years after coming home
Almost eight hundred thousand men are still fighting the Vietnam War(Singing Girls) De-de-destruction
Ni-ni-ni 19, 19, ni19 19
19, 19, 19, 19
Ni-ni-ni 19, 19, ni-19 19
19, 19, 19, 19(Soldier’s Voice) When we came back it was different, everybody wants to know
“How’d it happened to those guys over there
There’s gotta be something wrong somewhere
We did what we had to doThere’s gotta be something wrong somewhere
People wanted us to be ashamed of what it made us
Dad had no idea what he went to fight and he is now
All we want to do is come homeAll we want to do is come home
What did we do it for?
All we want to do is come home
Was it worth it?
In September 1974, President Ford, who succeeded Nixon when he resigned in August 1974, offered clemency to American draft dodgers and military deserters.
Then, Saigon fell to the NLF. On the morning of April 30, 1975, while American helicopters were lifting off final escapees from the American Embassy, a column of North Vietnamese tanks rolled down the main street in Saigon (soon to be re-named Ho Chi Minh City) and captured the city. Thus, the longest and most contentious war in American history came to its conclusion.
In 1982, The Vietnam War Memorial (“The Wall”) in Washington, D.C. was dedicated. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial was founded by Jan Scruggs, a Vietnam veteran, who wanted to acknowledge and recognize the service and sacrifice of all who served in Vietnam. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund, Inc. (VVMF), a nonprofit charitable organization, was incorporated on April 27, 1979, by a group of Vietnam veterans. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund, Inc. (VVMF) raised nearly $9,000,000 entirely through private contributions from corporations, foundations, unions, veterans and civic organizations and more than 275,000 individual Americans. On July 1, 1980, in the Rose Garden, President Jimmy Carter signed legislation to provide a site in Constitution Gardens near the Lincoln Memorial. It took three and half years to build the memorial. http://www.thewall-usa.com/information.asp; http://www.history.com/news/6-things-you-may-not-know-about-the-vietnam-veterans-memorial
The design of the Wall is perhaps its most unique feature. The design was the result of a public competition among architects. The winning design was submitted by an undergraduate at Yale University, Maya Ying Lin. The Wall is granite, black cut-stone masonry, and is V-shaped, with one side pointing to the Lincoln Memorial and the other to the Washington Monument. It chronologically list the names of those who died during the Vietnam War. There are more than 58,000 names on the Wall, including fatalities and MIAs. (Id.) Some songs relating to “The Wall” reveal its importance.
“A Name on The Wall,” written and sung by Joel Mabus (1988) depicts the emotions visitors may experience at the memorial. (https://youtu.be/GsUXKeeTIIk)
Well, I guess you could call it our summer of freedom,
the year that we both turned eighteen –
We hitch-hiked to Denver, straight out of high school
man, we were sights to be seen.
And that was the year that you dated my cousin, ’til
they took us away in the fall.
Now I dearly wish you were standing here with me as
I touch your name on the wall.[chorus:] Touch a name on the wall,
Touch a name on the wall.
God help us all
Touch a name on the wall.Every time I come here I wear my fatigues, to honor
the men that I knew.
I touch every name that came from my outfit, and I
read them out loud when I do.
Now some people say that they all died for nothing,
but I don’t completely agree –
‘Cause this brother here didn’t die for no country – He
died for me.[chorus]
Now, usually walls are made for division
– to separate me from you.
But God bless the wall that brings us together,
and reminds us of what we’ve been through.
And God damn the liars and the tin-plated heroes who
trade on the blood of such men.
God give us the strength to stand up and tell them –
Never again![chorus]
“More Than a Name on a Wall,” written by Jimmy Fortune and John Rimel, performed by the Statler Brothers (1989) tells a different kind of experience at The Wall, but one equally touching. (https://youtu.be/t8tjba__SBA) (There’s no music for the first 1:20 minutes of the video; pictures make the statements.)
I saw her from a distance as she walked up to the wall
In her hand she held some flowers as her tears began to fall
And she took out pen and paper as to trace her memories
And she looked up to heaven and the words she said were theseShe said Lord my boy was special and he meant so much to me
And oh I’d love to see him just one more time you see
All I have are the memories and the moments to recall
So Lord could you tell him that he’s more than a name on a wallShe said he really missed the family and being home on Christmas day
And he died for God and country in a place so far away
I remember just a little boy playing war since he was three
But Lord this time I know he’s not comin’ home to meShe said Lord my boy was special and he meant so much to me
And oh I’d love to see him but I know it just can’t be
So I thank you for my memories and the moments to recall
So Lord could you tell him that he’s more than a name on a wall
“The Wall,” was written and is sung in this video by Bruce Springsteen (2003). (https://youtu.be/GR7liJUaZ3A). In his spoken introduction, Springsteen mentioned two friends who were killed in Vietnam: “the drummer of my first band and another close friend in town.” He was probably referring to Bart Haynes and Walter Cichon. Cichon was the lead singer of The Motifs, a mid-1960’s New Jersey shore band, the hottest new band in that region at that time. Drafted in 1967, Cichon was killed in Vietnam on March 30, 1968. He was 22-years-old. Bart Haynes was the first drummer in Springsteen’s earliest band, The Castiles. He joined the Marines and went to Vietnam on May 13, 1967 and killed in action five months later, on October 22, 1967 at the age of 19, in Quang Tri, South Vietnam.
Cigarettes and a bottle of beer, this poem that I wrote for you
This black stone and these hard tears are all I got left now of you
I remember you in your Marine uniform laughing, laughing at your ship out party
I read Robert McNamara, says he’s sorryYour high boots and striped t-shirt, ah, Billy you looked so bad
Yeah you and your rock and roll band, you were the best thing this shit town ever had
Now the men that put you here eat with their families in rich dining halls
And apology and forgiveness got no place here at all, here at the wallWell I’m sorry I missed you last year, I couldn’t find no one to drive me
If your eyes could cut through that black stone, tell me would they recognize me
For the living time it must be served as the day goes on
Cigarettes and a bottle of beer, skin on black stoneOn the ground, dog tags and wreaths of flowers, with the ribbons red as the blood
Red as the blood you spilled in the Central Highlands mud
Limousines rush down Pennsylvania Avenue, rustling the leaves as they fall
And apology and forgiveness got no place here at all, here at the wall
Many soldiers who came home from the Vietnam War did so as damaged human beings. “The terrible trauma of the Vietnam War challenged many American soldier’s abilities to cope, both during their tours and afterward when they faced a difficult readjustment to civilian life.” (Hillstorm, p. 202.) John Prine’s song “Sam Stone” depicts a common scene. The song is a reference to the use of morphine to treat crippling, painful injuries, and, the repercussions of its use over a lifetime. (https://youtu.be/xSeBEgFjGLA)
Sam Stone came home,
To his wife and family
After serving in the conflict overseas.
And the time that he served,
Had shattered all his nerves,
And left a little shrapnel in his knee.
But the morphine eased the pain,
And the grass grew round his brain,
And gave him all the confidence he lacked,
With a Purple Heart and a monkey on his back.There’s a hole in daddy’s arm where all the money goes,
Jesus Christ died for nothin’ I suppose.
Little pitchers have big ears,
Don’t stop to count the years,
Sweet songs never last too long on broken radios.
Mmm….Sam Stone’s welcome home
Didn’t last too long.
He went to work when he’d spent his last dime
And Sammy took to stealing
When he got that empty feeling
For a hundred dollar habit without overtime.
And the gold rolled through his veins
Like a thousand railroad trains,
And eased his mind in the hours that he chose,
While the kids ran around wearin’ other peoples’ clothes…There’s a hole in daddy’s arm where all the money goes,
Jesus Christ died for nothin’ I suppose.
Little pitchers have big ears,
Don’t stop to count the years,
Sweet songs never last too long on broken radios.
Mmm….Sam Stone was alone
When he popped his last balloon
Climbing walls while sitting in a chair
Well, he played his last request
While the room smelled just like death
With an overdose hovering in the air
But life had lost its fun
And there was nothing to be done
But trade his house that he bought on the G. I. Bill
For a flag draped casket on a local heroes’ hill.There’s a hole in daddy’s arm where all the money goes,
Jesus Christ died for nothin’ I suppose.
Little pitchers have big ears,
Don’t stop to count the years,
Sweet songs never last too long on broken radios.
Mmm….
One of the great tragedies of the Vietnam War was the way the American troops were treated when they came home. Unlike soldiers of previous, publicly-supported wars (when soldiers were welcomed as heroes) Vietnam War veterans were made the targets of the public’s discontent with the war. The following song expresses the reaction of those soldiers.
“The Eagle Cried ~ Vietnam Veterans Tribute,” was written and sung by U.S. Army Major Jason Billington. (https://youtu.be/Ehbc1zU1BwQ)
A 12-month tour behind him
and all his hopes ahead
A pride that beat with his young heart
for all the things he did
As he stepped off the airplane
He stooped and kissed the ground
And he traded a war on foreign soil
For one in his hometownThere was no love for the Soldier
Limping back home from the fight
That old flag was stitched with more
than blue and white
But we turned our eyes
When the Eagle criedI saw them spit upon him
And I heard them call him names
Something changed within his eyes
He didn’t look the same
He hid his wounds from battle
so others didn’t know
But he couldn’t hide the damage from
Their scars upon his soulThere was no love for the Soldier
Limping back home from the fight
That old flag was stitched with more
than blue and white
But we turned our eyes
When the Eagle criedA generation later we stand at war again
But I thank the Lord we’ve chosen now
To honor faithful men
But we can’t forget to look back
And give our gratitude
To all the men who fought before
And lived and died without their dueLove has come back for the soldier
To carry him home from the fight
‘Cause that old flag it flies with more
than blue and white
So many tears fill our eyes
When the Eagle criesLove has come back for the Soldier
To carry him home from the fight
God forgive us for the day we lost our sight
And we turned our eyes
When the Eagle cried
Was American Vietnam policy a mistake based on a misunderstanding of the internal Vietnamese circumstance or an overaggressive anti-communist mentality? Could The United States and its South Vietnamese ally have defeated the Viet Cong and its North Vietnamese ally but for the limitations imposed by the American political leaders and the dissent of the anti-war protestors? These questions linger even now. It is likely that there will never be consensus. (See, Clymer, George C. Herring, History and Historiography of the Vietnam War, pp. 23-30.)