How does it feel?

[Andy]

The post James made, The Face Of My Enemy, is pretty long. This is something similar to the point I think James was trying to make. I have a question for all of you about your feelings toward the Vietnamese way back when and if those feelings have changed.

Prior to arrival in RVN and early during my time there the enemy were ?dinks? and words like that. I didn?t hate the Vietnamese people but did hate the VC and NVA, the guys who were hurting and killing my friends. After the fact, a day or week later, looking at what our Arty and air craft did to them I was (a) happy that all that ordinance was on our side and (b) sorry that any humans had to endure that. (For some reason killing them with ground fire never bothered me!?!)

Anyway, the strongest emotion I had for the enemy, probably after the second time I got out of the hospital, has been respect. That isn?t 35 years later looking back on things, when I got out in ?69 I?d tell people I respected the enemy and what they endured. Maybe that is ego, how else could I explain getting my butt all banged up by those little people? Nonetheless, there has been respect for the Vietnamese, in my eyes all these many years.

Honestly, how did you feel about the Vietnamese back it the day, have those feelings changed?

Stay healthy,
Andy

[DMZ-LT]

I was very naive. I honestly felt I had to go fight communism like my Father fought the Nazi's. I hardly knew where Viet Nam was let alone anything about the history of the people. I volunterred. In my head I thought I would be leading men to free villages and the young women would stand by the side of the road and hand us flowers as we pushed the enemy back. I had seen this on TV on WWII . Along the DMZ there were no civilians , it was a free fire zone. Most of the people I saw were dead NVA.They were our age and good fighters. I respected them and killed them when ever I could so they would stop killing us. The ARVN I saw did not look motoviated to fight and did not do well in the one battle I saw them in. I felt sorry for the regular people to be caught in a war. thought the countryside was beautiful. Having seen the elephant I feel very lucky to be alive when so many , from both sides , died or have been maimed.It was an unreal year of joy and horror mixed with lots of blood. I have nothing against the people then or now. I did feel superior to most men --- ours and theirs - cause we were armed killers and we were good at it and I was alive. Today I still would fight against communism. I have no desire to go back to my killing fields. My neighbor is my age and was a Vietnamese Ranger - he speaks no English but there is a warrior bond between us.I have rambled on enough and probably didn't answer what Andy asked. Welcome home to all the brothers and Peace to ALL people

[Bill Farnie]

I did hate but also respected the enemy for his fighting ability and what he endured concerning the overwhelming fire power that was brought to bear on him. I hated him because he was trying to kill me. Didn't hate the Vietnamese people. In fact had very little contact with them. When my unit moved up to I Corp to Camp Eagle I did have some contact with the people while providing security for a couple of Medcaps but that's about it. The AO I walked , like my homey , had no villages. Just jungle. I've been told that there were Yards in the Ashau Valley but I never saw any. I don't hate my enemy any longer but I have absolutely no desire to go to Nam and meet him.

[VIETNAM 1968]

In answer to Andy's question. When I first went to Vietnam I had no feelings about Vietnamese, either for or against. Like DMZ Lt, I volunteered to go to Vietnam because I felt I would be saving all of Southeast Asia from Communism. I believed the Domino Theory and felt that if Communism was not stopped, all of Southeast Asia would fall and eventually we would then have to stop the spread of Communism right here in the United States. (In retrospect the Domino Theory proved CORRECT in spite of what Jane Fonda and some other Americans would like everyone to believe. Laos was eventually taken over by the Packet Lao, and Cambodia was consumed by the Cama Rough after Vietnam fell to Communist control) This left only Thailand as the only country in Southeast Asia not effected by the spread of Communism.

We now have a NEW THREAT from International Terrorists instead of Communism. I still love my Country dearly and I would gladly serve again if called upon to do so. In fact, I did just that right after September 11, 2001, and my Air Force Reserve unit was activated for one year. I am digressing however and will get back to Andy's original question.

My feelings for the Vietnamese changed drastically after my Best Buddy died of wounds received while serving as a Navy Hospital Corpsman just South of Danang Airbase. I started to hate ALL VIETNAMESE and held everyone responsible for his death. Unfortunately I still carry that emotional wound to this day and will probably take it to my own grave! I still look upon all Vietnamese as being responsible for his death. The NVA and Viet Cong for killing him, and the Vietnamese people for being so LAZY and unwilling to FIGHT THEIR OWN WAR that they let the Communists win. I still believe that My Buddy, and the rest of the 58,000+ Americans DIED FOR NOTHING during that fifteen year conflict. All to shore up a series of CORRUPT PUPPET SOUTH VIETNAMESE GOVERNMENTS who NEVER HAD THE BACKING OF THEIR OWN PEOPLE IN THE FIRST PLACE!

To all of my Vietnam Veteran Brothers and Sisters I again state:


WELCOME HOME


VIETNAM 1968

[Seascamp]

At least initially I was very intimidated and un equipped to be in the situation. I had zero knowledge of the culture, language or customs so everything was a threat. Later on once learning the ways of things, especially what went on along the coast, estuaries and wider rivers it wasn?t so threatening but not any less dangerous and the skill was knowing the difference. As to the Vietnamese themselves, I don?t recall anything but a neutral emotion not unlike any other group of people. Some were dangerous as all hell, others not. But knowing or guessing who was who wasn?t so easy and kept the edge and stress level up all the time.

These days I can still say I?m neutral but have come to learn what they were going through at the time and what they are contending with today. In their environment they are bright, industrious, clever and can be very outspoken where they need to be, but otherwise are generally very respectful and polite and expect the same in return. In other environments they are amazingly adaptable but retain the same basic Vietnamese cultural persona, in my opinion. One fellow who left VN as a child refugee ended up becoming the chief engineer and design team leader for the new Ford Mustang. Now I?d say that is a heck of a job of adapting that resulted in an excellent car, an excellent professional reputation and fine rewards.

Scamp

[39mto39g]

although you probibly already know my feelings, I will try to explain a little.
When I arrived, I had no idea who the vietnamiese people were or even what side I was on.
While at Fort Benning I got orders to go to VN and was assigned to the 25th inf div, I reported to Pleku and was assigned a unit, 1/35 3/25. I got to my unit and was assigned to a company. I zeroed my gun and made friends, We went for a walk and about a week later we came back. I burned some shit in a barrel, pulled guard on a 60 bunker and then we went for another walk this time we would be paralleling a ARVIN unit, Up until now I had not been closer than 100 feet from a Vietnamese and still didn't have any idea who they were. While on our walk we came upon this creek and started to cross when a couple guys started fireing acoss the creek, so we all fired, at nothing by the way. When some one yeld stop fireing about 10 times, everyone stoped,
The ARVIN were suposed to check across the creek, They were gone, not a trace, just gone, So we went across and found where there were a few spent shells (30 cal carbin) our Sgt picked up the shells and talked with the LT. I had no idea still what was going on. We get back to base camp and the LT goes to the ammo dump and checks with the SGT there and the lot numbers from the shells matched lot numbers that the Ammo SGT had for the ARVIN troops.
Now it didn't really take me more than a few more of these incidents to figure out that. 1--we were on the wrong side, 2.--the people that we were hear to help weren't helping us. 3--- when the shit hits the fan all we have is each other and nobody gives a shit.
With those kind of guidlines its not a big leep to dislike the population and the country and the war and the protestors and the guy accros from you in the bar.
Over the years just plane getting older has changed me from dislike to don't care, i guess. As long as they stay away from me. I wont bother them.
Now through in a bunch of friends dieing for those ungreatfull people and its really hard to forget, and forgiving isn't in the mix.

Ron

[ArtySgt]

I went to Vietnam to fight communsim just as my older Brother did in Korea. I spent two years in Germany pulling border patrol with an Armored Cav unit, I saw the mine fields, guard towers, thier own people fenced in and covered with machine guns prior to going to Vietnam. In Vietnam my unit was partly over-run shortly after going to Vietnam and after I was wounded I watched as NVA troops walked around murdering our wounded. I watched one guy beg for his life, he was shot in the face with the rest. Right now I'm so angry I can't think stright. Do I hate the Vietnamese, your damn right I do. I don't care what other American units did, mine never shot wounded while I was there. Who has the right to tell me how I should feel about the damned North Vietnamese Army ?

[reeb]

I am like some of you, I got there and didnt know shit from shineola.

First time was from board ship and didnt see very much at all, then went through eand e school and went on land. Alot of difference.

The only remorse I have for them Gooks/Dinks is that when we were done there, they ( alot) got a free ride to the good ol USA and with homes, money jobs the whole nine yards.

Some were NVA, some were South citizens.

I dont like the idea of the USA going there and coming home and geting shit/spit upon and mainly by the VA now.

But if I had to go again, I definately would ( left behind a real good looker at the NCO club, but by now she would be 50 and her teeth would look worse than you know what ), and go into the Army this time. I never got to see very much action like the Army or Marines, but I was there and doing my duty.

enough........

[phuloi]

I think that for me the main feeling I harbored for the Viets was mis-trust.I mean,I became painfully aware right off the git-go that I did not trust ANY of these people.Most assuredly not the ARVN,but not the beetle nut chewing mamasan either.No one was to be trusted.When a guy goes 24/7/365 in that type of environment,strange shit starts to go on behind his eyes that can stay embedded there for quite some time.
Trust is a huge issue for me yet,today.

[BLUEHAWK]

An outsdier like me usually draws incoming when commenting on threads like this one, but I have to say here that so many times I have read your words along these lines, and from the perspective I AM able to rightfully claim with honor, everything points to your enemy being considerably viciously barbaric (among other things, to say nothing at all about Communism!)... which alone by itself, as a separate fact, pretty much explains a whole lot about the perceptions you gained serving there, from all the different sides they come, at least this much appears to be a constant.

I am just glad you are home... and I thank you for your service in what I take to have been virtually impossible circumstances.