Why were vietnam war veterans treated badly upon returning from the war?
I am unsure about the attitudes of the Americans at that time, but here in Australia many of the people who were against the war felt that the soldiers had the right to refuse to go to Vietnam and fight and that the draftees had a legitimate right to refuse the draft. Following WW-2 the allies held "War Crime Trials" at Nuremberg and in Japan and one of the rulings that came out of the trials was "that a soldier has the right to disobey an UNLAWFUL order". A soldier can not use the excuse, "I was only following orders" when he commits murder, kills innocent men, women and children, violates international laws, treaties and agreements. As the Second Indochina (Vietnam) War was an illegal war, started by the Americans in violation of the "1954 Geneva Agreements on Indochina", the soldiers had the right, and the duty, to disobey being sent to Vietnam. That being said, I realise that both the American, and the Australian governments prosecuted any draft dodgers and any soldiers who refused to go to Vietnam. Both nations therefore were hypocritical, and were in violation of the "Nuremberg Ruling" and were acting illegally in their prosecutions.
Why should I be proud of my grandfather for serving the Vietnam War when he might have killed innocent people?
…Because he served the perceived needs of his country. Any moral aspects of legal war are on the heads of the ruling classes not on the heads of the people who believe in their governing elements. Which is why President Harry Truman had a sign on his desk, “The buck stops here”- it was his duty and obligation to make the hard decisions, and he did just that.There are rules, however, in a war about who can be legitimately injured, killed or detained. Those rules are pretty well defined and widely known. But again, ordinary ‘enlisted’ soldiers are not permitted to make these determinations except in extreme cases. The soldiers who participated in the Mai Lai massacre were not the people who could stop it. That was the role of Lt. Calley.But even in WW II, private soldiers could and did resist illegal orders - and often did not suffer for it. Sometimes private soldiers did illegal things too and that was a crime. But simply participating in a war at the behest and command of your state is a good thing if you believe in civilization at all.
Why were the U.S. Vietnam Soldiers ostracized instead of being honored on their return?
I have nothing but the utmost respect for the people who serve our country in wartime or not. I was young when the Vietnam took place but I did notice how our soldiers who served our country weren't thrown any parades or even acknowledged as an equal let alone an honorable man. Help! This is very disturbing to me. I have become an activist without a whole lot of knowledge on the subject. All I know is that they put their lives on the line in the same if not WORSE conditions as any other soldier in any war and their country has treated them like dirt. It just isn't right!
Is lying about military service or veteran status…i.e. "Stolen Valor" illegal?
The Stolen Valor Act of 2013 was signed by President Barack Obama on June 3, 2013. The act makes it a federal crime to fraudulently claim to be a recipient of certain military decorations or medals in order to obtain money, property, or other tangible benefit. The key here is tangible benefit and many states are now enhancing this and in some cases, elevating their laws to where the federal law fails. In addition, it is personally appalling and demeaning since I earned my medals and badges. But, I don’t go out of my way to make a big deal about seeing a faker unless they’re wearing combat valor awards and I know its bullsh.. Just on the news yesterday an individual that said he was a Viet Nam veteran had to walk that back saying he is a Viet Nam era veteran.1.4 million people serving in the U.S. armed forces, according to the latest numbers from the Department of Defense. That means that 0.4 percent of the American population is active military personnel. 2 million military veterans in the U.S. population. If you add their figures on veterans to the active personnel numbers mentioned above, 7.3 percent of all living Americans have served in the military at some point in their lives. It is like collector cars they say more split window Corvettes are reported to be owned and or tagged then were ever built. I say all this because at any time only about 10% of those that even apply to serve even qualify and of those less than 1% go in and the numbers of us that do a full career are even smaller.
Is it ridiculous that a Vietnam War hero was sentenced to seven years in prison for buying an automatic rifle in the early 1980s?
Retired lawyer and former FFL holder and Class 3 collector here... I looked up Alfred Pick in the Federal Court data base. Lots of fun things there some documents are attached too, which I’ll take down in a week or two…First he was charged with 3 things... 1. Unregistered NFA M-14 2. Addicted to illegal drugs and having guns (that question on the 4473) and 3. firearm with removed serial number. He as looking at 25 years. With the Feds you do at least 85% of the time, so for someone his age,, its basically life. YES there was marijuana and cocaine. He fore fitted all his firearms, which will be scrapped in the end. None that I could see on the list were actually collectibles.Case was interesting on 2 levels... The Plea Agreement was sealed. Honestly, its NEVER sealed. The other is that the US ATTY made a motion to take away his "acceptance of responsibility". If you accept responsibility (plead guilty) then they give you a reduction in sentence.You guys assume he was telling the truth about buying it at a gun show. Would you have an unpapered no serial number M-14 on your table at a gun show not knowing who may walk by? I’m guessing he shipped it home from Vietnam or he stole it from the Army or whatever.When caught he told the Feds he bought it at a gun show. They raised the serial number or got him to confess that it did come from the Army. They sealed the plea agreement under threat of more charges (lying to a federal agent, etc; OR charging him here and THEN turning him over to the ARMY for their prosecution and MORE prison time). Hence they sealed the plea agreement. Judge gave him a bit more time than "guidelines".... He was lucky.Lesson here.... If you like to smoke pot (doesn't matter if its legal for medical or recreational purposes in your state), don't do it and own guns. Make a choice of one or the other. For the USATTY its a slam dunk easy prosecution and conviction if you possess marijuana (even residue in a bong or ashtray) and a firearm. No intent required to do anything. NO way to get out of it. You lose your guns to the feds and can't have any in the future.https://drive.google.com/drive/f...
Do you agree with the Vietnam war?
At the time of the Vietnam war the US Army had: "All the gear but no idea." They was smashed to pieces because the enemy had strategy, They couldn't beat them because they knew their area so well. Just gives the USA a lesson that you dont need to get involved in other peoples wars and conflicts. But they still do, look at Afghanistan for example. But Respect to all the Soldiers that have served in a war.
Was America the bad guy in the Vietnam War?
Yes. First, we supported the French in their fight to hold on to their colony. So in a fight between a foreign colonizing power trying to maintain its hegemony vs an occupied colonized people fighting for their freedom, we sided with the oppressor and against the oppressed underdog.Second, after the Viet Minh defeated the French and liberated their country, we prevented free democratic elections from taking place because we knew the winner would be Ho Chi Minh and his Viet Minh, whom we opposed. I.e.; we stood in the way of democracy/ were anti-democracy.Third, we ensured that instead of a unified country, which was the clear will of the majority (a majority will we made sure would never get expressed in the polls by preventing elections from taking place), Vietnam was split between a nationalist North which, commie or not, had successfully fought to free their country from foreign occupation, and a corrupt US stooge government in the South with little popular support or legitimacy.Fourth, we killed a few million Vietnamese when points one through three resulted in the inevitable war for reunification. And the reunification, by the Viet Minh, still happened despite all our efforts.My Lai MassacreThere were good wars this country fought, and some iffy ones. But the only war in which we were the clear cut evil guys who deserved to lose was Vietnam.