THE
VIETNAM WAR
America's longest and
most divisive war, the American involvement in Vietnam spanned two
decades - from the mid-1950s to the mid-1970s. At its height, more
than 500,000 American troops were stationed in Vietnam, and more
than 58,000 Americans lost their lives there. American involvement
evolved from the attempt to prevent the Communist regime in North
Vietnam from taking over the South.
 In the early 1960s,
an American anti-war movement, believing the war was an immoral
and inappropriate policy, emerged in opposition to the war. As the
conflict went on, American society became increasingly divided
over U.S. involvement, a polarization that was to become the
center of the inter-generational conflict that defined the
turbulent 1960s.
By
the late 1960s the anti-war movement in the US had grown large
enough to split the country over the war. When President Johnson
declined to run for a second term in 1968, it was clear that
Vietnam would be the war America wouldn't win. By the early 1970s,
American involvement began to wind down. When the last American
troops left in 1973, the Communists in the North entered the South
and established a unified Communist government in all of Vietnam.
Click "The
Vietnam War: An Overview" for more information.
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THE RETURN HOME
Veterans returning
from Vietnam expected a very different reception than the one many
of them received. Having heard their fathers' stories and seen the
Hollywood movies that celebrated the heroic welcome and homecoming
that World War I, World War II, and Korean War vets received,
Vietnam vets were deserving of something similar -- even more
so. In contrast, Vietnam vets were often surprised and
disappointed to be greeted very differently - often with
indifference and sometimes even anger. Vietnam
veterans were stereotyped and demonized to such a great extent that
even the widows of deceased servicemen received late-night harassing phone
calls. It has been said by some that at no point in our country's history have our veterans been hurt more by our own countrymen than by the enemy.
Vietnam vets were harassed, believed spit at, threatened, and denied
employment. For many vets, the homecoming was often a
powerful first encounter that made their adjustment to civilian
society more difficult.  THE WELCOME HOME
We
The People Three simple
but very profound words, the significance of which cannot be underestimated.
When our sons and daughters answer the call to duty and put
their lives on the line for our nation -- they risk their lives
not just for a country or a piece of land, but for its people and our way of life --
for each and every one of us, members of the family called
America. In return, We The
People have a duty to honor them for their
courage and for the sacrifices they make on our behalf -- to
welcome them back into society ...to welcome them home.
This national duty, to be carried forth on a scale that is
worthy of such an event, was not afforded to the Veterans of the
Vietnam War. Worse yet and much too often, the anger against the
War was turned against the very same sons and daughters who were
willing to give their lives for ...We
The People.
Now
it is our turn, We The People, to answer the call of duty to honor them.
The 2003 Welcome Home Day Event is not about the war. It is not
about the protesters. And, it is not
about blaming anyone on either side of the fence for any of the events
that transpired. It is about understanding what Vietnam
Veterans and their families have experienced,
and is an opportunity to come together as a nation, speaking with one voice, to finally
give them the national recognition they so richly deserve and to to
give
them
their
long
overdue
welcome
home. |
