Vietnam War Research Paper

Throughout American history, war has caused more divide and debate in those not fighting in the war in Vietnam. A war started by the fear of the spread of communism, this conflict lead to the deaths of many men. Sending Americans to Vietnam was widely debated, splitting American citizens into two groups, pro-war and anti-war. Depending on one’s socioeconomic position in society, their perspective on whether or not the Vietnam war should have been fought varied, which led to the treatment of the soldiers upon their arrival home. Despite the fact that many of the soldiers being sent to Vietnam were from the working class, the majority of the people on the pro-war side were from the working class as well. During the war there were many protests on college …show more content…
The working class citizens were more excited and welcoming towards the veterans, friends and neighbors who had served their country. When they returned, many of the soldiers “knew [their] parents would be happy to see [them]” but “didn't know if anybody else would be happy to see [them]” (Troyer). Protesters from the upper and middle class who opposed the war waited for the veterans outside of the airport. “Instead of finding love, [the veterans] were bombarded with hate” (Feist). “The spitting on veterans was just a small part of the overall feeling of lost honor” (Feist). Many protesters made the veterans feel as if they were bad people for going to war, they shouted at them and disrespected them. Soldiers should not have been disrespected because they were “[accepting] a responsibility that they thought was theirs as an American citizen” by fighting in Vietnam (Zeitlin). Although this war was very controversial, the veterans still should have been honored and respected for risking their lives on the battlefield to fight for those who can not fight for