OK Vets coming back from Vietnam?

[Perplexed]

I was thinking earlier about current US Armed Forces veterans and the "Thank you for your service" groundswell that's been popular in the US for a while, and how it was different back when the Vietnam conflict was drawing down. Returning vets being spit on and reviled, etc. I was wondering what it was like here in OK for those of you, or whose parents, were coming back in those days?

 

[Blitzfike]

I'm an old guy, I was in RVN 1968-69. When I came back, I came through Travis AFB in California. Went through all the protesters outside the base gate being spit on and called all the normal hate names they came up with. My Wife had sent me a U.S. Postal money order to pay for my plane ticket from there back home in Georgia. That was the normal travel arrangement in my unit. I went to the Bank of America there just off base to cash the money order and was called a baby killer and told to get out. Luckily I met my Base Commander from back home as he was en-route to Viet Nam and he gave me the money to buy my ticket home. I promptly took his wife the money when I got home. I still welcome home any RVN Vets that I meet even today. I'm really glad that the younger folks coming back from our conflicts today don't get treated that way. Now if we could just get the VA to do the job they are supposed to we would be much better off.

 

[stick4]

On my way home after getting out of the Navy I ran into the Dean at the small Oklahoma college I was planning to attend at an airport and mentioned my situation and was planning to enroll there in the Fall semester. He said where have you been studying and I said nowhere, I was just released from active duty. Right then and there his demeanor changed for the worse. I ended up not going to college because of that meeting and thinking back on it, it was one of my better life choices.

 

[Fyrtwuck]

I was in high school when the war ended. My dad was at Cam Ranh Bay 66-67. I can remember all the protests and riots on the news.

 

[John6185]

I went to Thailand first and wanted to return as did and a guy I worked with. He and I flew back together and walked through San Francisco Int'l Airport (Remember Susan Raye?) Anyway, we say some guys in frilly long sleeve shirts and saw how things had changed int he short time we were in Thailand and we said in unison, "Let's go back." We didn't but later I went to Vietnam and when I return it was ho hum, no one seemed to care one way or the other. But things have changed now the boys and girls coming back have the red carpet rolled out. It's sad what they did to the Vietnam military, and I believe many have died and never got over how they were treated.

 

[CorpsVet]

I came back from RVN in December '68. Landed at San Fran. Back then they didn't use "jetways" just rolled up stairs to the door and we walked across the ramp to the terminal. Of course we were in uniform as that was all we had. I had booked a flight to OKC through Dallas. The whole time in and around the San Fran terminal I was called alot of names, spat upon, cussed, etc. We had been briefed to expect this treatment and that what they really wanted was for someone to strike out at them to get the guy arrested and make headlines.

I kept to myself, held my temper and got on my flight using military standby. At Dallas there was a several hours long lay over so I checked my sea bag and took a walk. There were occasional shouts and cussing but nothing organized like San Fran. At OKC, no problems, caught a cab to bus terminal, got a bus to about 30 miles from home town, hitched a ride on a potato truck that was going to pass my destination by a block, and I was home, 3 days before Christmas. No one knew I was coming so I got to surprise everyone.

 

[Frederick]

I'm an old guy, I was in RVN 1968-69. When I came back, I came through Travis AFB in California. Went through all the protesters outside the base gate being spit on and called all the normal hate names they came up with. My Wife had sent me a U.S. Postal money order to pay for my plane ticket from there back home in Georgia. That was the normal travel arrangement in my unit. I went to the Bank of America there just off base to cash the money order and was called a baby killer and told to get out. Luckily I met my Base Commander from back home as he was en-route to Viet Nam and he gave me the money to buy my ticket home. I promptly took his wife the money when I got home. I still welcome home any RVN Vets that I meet even today. I'm really glad that the younger folks coming back from our conflicts today don't get treated that way. Now if we could just get the VA to do the job they are supposed to we would be much better off.

I don't understand the mindset of those liberal scumbags.

 

[SdoubleA]

On my way home after getting out of the Navy I ran into the Dean at the small Oklahoma college I was planning to attend at an airport and mentioned my situation and was planning to enroll there in the Fall semester. He said where have you been studying and I said nowhere, I was just released from active duty. Right then and there his demeanor changed for the worse. I ended up not going to college because of that meeting and thinking back on it, it was one of my better life choices.

Yep, and remember trying to get a job? If you ever mentioned it, the position was suddenly filled. School? Same thing. Finally said Hell with them all.

 

[SdoubleA]

I don't understand the mindset of those liberal scumbags.

Wasn't always just the liberals son.

 

[Frederick]

Wasn't always just the liberals son.

Communists, too?