Vietnam War Impact

The Vietnam War was one of the longest and most debilitating wars in the history of the United States which lasted up to fifteen years and resulted in massive casualties for our nation. The war primarily took place between the communist government of North Vietnam and the anti-communist government of South Vietnam which was backed by the United States. The war officially began in 1960 when the Viet Cong began military operations in South Vietnam and lasted until the fall of Saigon in 1975. No matter how we look at it, it can be said with utmost certainty that the Vietnam War was a national failure, and its impact was deep and long withstanding. It resulted in the loss of more than 58,000 lives of American soldiers, it severely wounded and permanently …show more content…
It is hard to imagine what these war veterans went through especially considering that most of them were barely in their early twenties. Lt. Downs was one of such veterans. At the age of twenty-three, he lost his left arm above the elbow and suffered severe nerve damage in his right arm due to a special kind of land mine known as the “Bouncing Betty” – “a mine that flies up out of the ground and explodes about waist high; designed to kill and disable” (Downs, 269). When the mine exploded, it injured five others of his platoon. His feelings can only be explained in his own words, “My eyes registered the horror of a brilliantly white jagged bone sticking out of the stump of arm above where my left elbow had been. Ragged bloody flesh surrounded the splintered bone. My mind cursed as utter helplessness and despair overwhelmed me” (Downs, 231). Modern technology and warfare activities made the war one of the bloodiest and deadliest wars in history. Lt. Downs described himself as becoming “pretty callous to life” (Downs, 83) a mere two months after his arrival in Vietnam. The boundaries of war became blurry due to guerrilla warfare which took an immense psychological toll on the soldiers. While assigned to a free-fire zone in Chu Lai, Downs’ internal turmoil became evident when he came across a group of three middle-aged women, two old men and two children, all of …show more content…
However, the Vietnam war was not like any other war in the history of United States. It was the first war ever to be reported in extensive detail by mass media coverage, television and newspapers alike. This highlighted the brutality and the futility of war among citizens at home, who began to have negative connotations with the soldiers who were only following orders of their superiors. As noted by Downs, “…At the end of the day, the soldier is assured the killing is justified. When he comes home, he will be welcomed as a hero, receive forgiveness, and be absolved of his sins. But it never worked that way for the Vietnam Veteran. He carried with him all the horrible tragedy of war and yet, at home, was held to blame. No forgiveness, therefore no resolution and no absolution. The Vietnam War gave birth to a generation of anger and bitterness” (Downs, 263). Therefore, after being exposed to the stress and trauma of war, the average soldier returned to his homeland only to be greeted by his portrayal to the public as a deranged, psychotic murderer with no values or morals. Mass media coverage helped fuel the antiwar sentiment among the nation. A vast majority of public held these soldiers responsible for the atrocities of war and ridiculed them for their participation in it. Vietnam became the most unpopular war in history, the effects of which were felt