War Effects on the U.S. Soldiers

By: Devon Scimone

The Conditions

Throughout the war, the American soldiers faced extreme conditions such as fatigue, disease and witnessing the death of fellow soldiers, which later they were unable to forget. The terrain was very difficult to fight on as well. Approximately 15% of the 3.3 million American soldiers who served in Vietnam were diagnosed with certain syndromes and even brain disorders caused by the memories of their terrifying pasts (Strathmen).

The CostThe

Vietnam War was a costly war for America. There was over 58,000 American deaths and over 150,000 wounded in battle (Harvard).

The American Public

The Vietnam war had such a large impact on the American public mainly because it was the first televised war (Strathmen). The American people got to see, first-hand, what it was really like over in Vietnam. Because of the visual pictures and videos, most of the public turned against the war, wanted our soldiers out.

The War

The Vietnam war was one of the most tragic wars in history. The impact left on the soldiers and civilians were unforgettable. The painful memories of the terrifying scenes and the large number of deaths will forever remain within the people of America.

The War itself

“The true enemy is war itself, and people on both sides are trapped in its inexorable destruction” (S.V.W.). War has been proven to be a deeply scarring experience for soldiers, and there is no way to protect them from mental trauma before they are sent to fight. Therefore there is no way to prevent the emotional effects of war.

The Soldiers

In Stan Tian’s article he states, “some may say that their inability to form close bonds with loved ones is due to the experience of near death and the fear that they will leave someone behind” (Tian), which shows the soldiers don’t want to get close to someone and not be able to be there and care for them in the future.

Nixon’s SpeechIn President

Nixon’s speech addressing the “Silent Majority” he says “I want to end the war to save the lives of those brave young men in Vietnam” (Nixon) referring to the thousands of deaths and diseases of the young men entering Vietnam.

Impact of the television

“Television brought the brutality of war into the comfort of the living room. Vietnam was lost in the living rooms of America -- not on the battlefields of Vietnam” (Gazette). Because the American public witnessed the war from their living rooms, they saw that the war was not nearly what they thought. Gazette is saying that because of the loss of support from the public, Vietnam ended in a loss.

The Impact

The Vietnam War had a significant impact on estimated 3 million American soldiers who fought in the war. No war has divided the American like the Vietnam. The public wanted nothing to do with the war, after witnessing what was really happening there though the television. The American public did not want our soldiers in Vietnam to begin with, therefore, they showed little or no support.

The Emotional EffectsThe emotional

effects of the war are sometimes worse than the physical. These effects leave the soldiers distressed and many people believe it is unfair that our soldiers have been through so much yet they continue to suffer. The soldiers find it hard to be the same, emotionally, after returning home from war.

PTSDMany undefined mental

problems became popular after the war. One known as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), the soldiers would often recall or re-experience the

specific trauma of war.

The Effect of Agent Orange

The chemical used by the United States, Agent Orange, also left effects on the soldiers. “Approximately 20 million gallons of herbicides were used in Vietnam between 1962 and 1971. Shortly following their military service in Vietnam, some veterans reported a variety of health problems and concerns which some of them attributed to exposure to Agent Orange or other herbicides.” (http://www1.va.gov/agentorange/).

Returning Home

War had a huge impact on the soldiers returning home, especially because of the conflict over the war at home. This led to increased difficulties for the returning veterans trying to readjust back to civilian life.

Returning Home Cont.

As American soldiers returned home, they were spit on and called names such as “war mongers” along with murders. Some people even blamed the soldiers for the war, saying that if it wasn’t for them fighting, the war could have been avoided. This made settling back home even harder.

Returning Home Cont.

Rather than the returning veterans receiving a welcoming parade, the American public seemed to shun the estimated 2 million Americans who went to Vietnam. Nothing was done to help their loved ones who suffered from traumas and needed aid adjusting back to life until 1982, the dedication of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C.

Works CitedFujiwara, Tetsuya. "Vietnam War, disability and." In Burch, Susan, ed. Encyclopedia of American Disability History. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2009.

American History Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.aspItemID=WE52&iPin=EADH0729&SingleRecord=True

(accessed June 5, 2012).

Harvard, Sitikoff. "The Postwar Impact of Vietnam." Oxford Companion to American Military History. (1999): n. page. Print. http

://www.english.illinois.edu/maps/vietnam/postwar.htm.

Nixon, Richard. "'Silent Majority' Address." The Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States. American History Online. Facts On File,

Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?ItemID=WE52&iPin=E04550&SingleRecord=True (accessed June 10, 2012).

"Statement on the Vietnam War." American History Online. Facts On File, Inc.

http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.aspItemID=WE52&iPin=E12590&SingleRecord=True (accessed June 5, 2012).

Tian, Stan. "Emotional Effect of War on Soldiers." (2012): n. page. Print. <http://www.healthguidance.org/entry/11261/1/The-Emotional

-Effects-of-War-on-Soldiers.html>.