If you’re anything like me, you grew up surrounded by media images of “damaged” Vietnam vets.
“Everybody knew” they were mostly violent drug addicts, losers and criminals. After all, you heard about them going on killing sprees on the nightly news. And when you went to the movies, you saw award-winning, critically acclaimed films that reinforced the stereotype: Rambo, The Deer Hunter, Apocalypse Now, Platoon, Born on the Fourth of July, and Jacob’s Ladder, and minor cult favorites like Mr. Majestyk, Cannibal Apocalypse and Deathdream. Since the 1960s, the “violent Vietnam vet” has been a standard villain in too many movies and tv shows to count.
In previous installments in this series, we’ve looked at the tireless work of Vietnam veteran B.G. Burkett, who has almost single-handedly tried to debunk the many myths about the Vietnam war and its forgotten soldiers. He too was troubled by the media portrayal of Vietnam vets like himself:
“...the popular perception of Vietnam veterans as victims tortured by memories - drug-abusers, criminals, homeless bums or psychotic losers about to go berserk in a post office with an AK-47 - did not fit me or anybody I knew who had served in Vietnam, even those who had been horribly wounded or captured and tortured by the enemy. Certainly their lives were not always perfect, but their problems could not be attributed to their experiences in Vietnam. I brushed off the negative caricatures thinking, ‘That's not reality.’”
But when Burkett tried to fund raise for a Texas memorial to Vietnam vets, he learned that that the media’s brainwashing campaign had preceded him: few were willing to donate to such a memorial, having heard nothing but horror stories regarding veterans of the Vietnam War.
“By the Eighties, more than two decades after the fighting ended, there were reputedly hundreds of thousands of homeless Vietnam vets, most suffering from PTSD. On top of that, they suffered physical disabilities brought on by poisoning from the defoliant Agent Orange. The common refrain: More men had died by their own hand -- victims of suicide -- than had been killed during the decade of the War.”
Burkett’s own research contradicted most of the negative stereotypes. He discovered that Vietnam vets had the lowest unemployment rates in the country, as well as some of the lowest rates of suicide.
Widespread Vietnam Veteran homelessness is another myth.
“Back, around the late 70's Teddy Kennedy had a $10 million government grant to have a building in Boston for all the homeless Vietnam veterans,” says Burkett. “Several of guys gave testimonies about how they ended up on the street after Vietnam, but I got the military records of those individuals and virtually none of them were Vietnam veterans.”
Another myth he dispelled was the incarceration rate of Vietnam veterans.
“I went to the bureau of prisons and got the statistics, the demographics,” Burkett told one reporter. “At the time there were 1 million men in prison. 55% of those in prison are black, only 10.5% Vietnam Veterans are black. 80% of the incarcerated do not have a high school degree. As I mentioned 90% of Vietnam Veterans do have a high school degree. You can't get in the military with a felony conviction and 80% of the incarcerated have a felony conviction as a youth offender. About 75% came from broken homes, but about 80% of Vietnam Veterans came from a 2-parent home.”
Like Burkett, two other Vietnam veterans turned filmmakers were dismayed by these stereotypes. Brothers Christel and Calvin Crane decided to make a four-part series called The Long Way Home, in their attempt to counter all the negative imagery.
However, even after their films won major awards, they had trouble getting them show more widely.
They were told their films weren’t “balanced” enough and featured too much “flag waving.
Next time someone insists that the media isn’t biased, keep that in mind.
And if all this sounds a bit familiar, it should: as Diana West points out in a recent column, the new DHS report warning law enforcement about the alleged threats posed by "returning veterans" seems based upon decades of Hollywood propaganda rather than sound real world data.
Comments
it is interesting that liberals never let the truth get in the way.
For a testimony of the goodness of our Vietnam veterans, you need look no farther than John McCain and my husband.
Almost all know the story of John McCain, know of his bravery and dedication to his fellow soldiers. There is no better example of a true American patriot than John McCain.
There are no better examples but there thousands and thousands of vets, both men and women, who have served or do serve our country with brave distinction, just like John McCain.
My husband denies being a hero. He served a combat tour in Vietnam, circa 1967 - 1968. Twice wounded, second time he returned to our rural Oklahoma farm, near death. Took two years to nurse him back to good health. I was nine years old back then, and already knew this boy would be my husband and he is. We have been married almost thirty years.
He is hard working, honest, well educated and quite the gentleman. He is also a rodeo riding Okie farm boy who does not tolerate nonsense.
My old man did not come home crazy nor go crazy. He is amongst the best of fathers, best of husbands and best of American patriots.
Well, he is a tad bit crazy but this because I drive him crazy. He should know better than to marry an ornery red skinned Okie farm girl.
Nonetheless, you are quite right, Kathy. All this nonsense about Vietnam vets, about any of our vets of history and of current, this is simply such; nonsense.
These Homeland Security reports you write of, Kathy, are very disturbing. The "left extremist" report writes of those boys being well educated computer geeks who do not engage in violence but do engage in computer hacking.
The left extremists report does make some mention of animal rights people and environmentalists who are violent, mostly a footnote. However, there is no mention of Obama associates, Bill Ayers, Wright, Pfleger and the Nation of Islam. Nor is there mention of historical examples such as the Weather Underground and the Black Panthers.
Any readers remember the Symbionese Liberation Army and Patty Hearst?
The "left extremist" report is passive and borders on unimportant passing remarks.
The "right extremist" report is quite detailed about violence and itemizes select associations. This report is broad brush severe condemnation of conservatives and is especially condemning of our military vets.
Homeland Security is politicized and is performing a dire disservice for our law enforcement agencies and for our nation. Homeland Security is downplaying left extremists and overplaying right extremists.
This type of politicized selective thinking will, inherently, leave gaping holes in our national security, holes large enough for a person to drive a truck through carrying a weapon of mass destruction, probably across our southern border.
Homeland Security is charged with protecting Americans, not playing Americans for fools.
I am sincerely concerned about Obama playing politics with our national security and Homeland Security playing politics with our national security. No way of knowing what is going on with our other law enforcement agencies.
Obama and Homeland Security have dropped the ball and this ball might be a nuclear weapon or a biological weapon.
I am very concerned, almost fearful.
Okpulot Taha
Choctaw Nation
Tried to post just now but it didn't take, I think because I used the word "g**k" (in context)!
Anyway, check out Philip Roth's "The Human Stain", book 2000, film 2003, for a particularly egregious example of this stereotype.
Actually, give 'em both a miss, read Portnoy's Complaint instead.
Mr. Majestyk, now that was a damn good movie, one of ole Charlie Bronson's best, along with Hard Times, and The Mechanic.
Ms. Shadle: Thanks for writing that! I was once an infantryman. Came home in '70, J.D. in '74 and been earning a living in the law ever since. Earlier in my career it was interesting to see people's reactions when they saw my CIB certificate on the wall. Nobody much cares anymore. Some things have changed for the better.
Excellent article. My neighbor is a Wild Weasel whose motto was, 'First In, Last Out'. He's a hero. He's successful and sane. He's also got the best looking lawn in the neighborhood. Each blade of grass stands at attention all day. He's nearly perfect in my book.
Are you seriously trying to say that PTSS is make-believe? Or are you just passing comment on the fear that people have of Vets?
In either case, this article has some strange arguments. For instance, this paragraph:
Another myth he dispelled was the incarceration rate of Vietnam veterans.
“I went to the bureau of prisons and got the statistics, the demographics,” Burkett told one reporter. “At the time there were 1 million men in prison. 55% of those in prison are black, only 10.5% Vietnam Veterans are black. 80% of the incarcerated do not have a high school degree. As I mentioned 90% of Vietnam Veterans do have a high school degree. You can't get in the military with a felony conviction and 80% of the incarcerated have a felony conviction as a youth offender. About 75% came from broken homes, but about 80% of Vietnam Veterans came from a 2-parent home.”
... doesn't actually disprove anything about the rate of Veterans in prison. In actuality, if you add up the numbers and do the math, it comes out to about 10-20%, which is exactly what the statistics of those years showed.
So I'm just not sure what this article is about.
J Stark: "I'm not sure what this article is about".
A. It's about the media purveying an incorrect stereotype of Vietnam vets.
Interesting that you complain about a paragraph which you suppose (incorrectly) is meant to be a statistical proof of vet internment, and then go on to present your own 'statistical calculation' which consists of "if you add up the numbers and do the math". Brilliant.
J Stark:
For anyone with minimal reading comprehension skills it is abundantly clear what this article is about.
For anyone with minimal reading comprehension skills it is also abundantly clear what your response is about -- another liberal shutting his eyes, sticking his fingers in his ears and going "la, la, la, la, I can't hear you, la, la, la, la, I can't hear you . . . "
<i>So I'm just not sure what this article is about. </i>
What the article is about, you poor ninny, is that you've been lied to year after year. Is that too difficult to understand?
This article is about wanting to be sure that the true history of the 20th century is not buried forever.
Robert Moon is spamming The Activity Pit again: twi.cc/lAlq
Mrs. old waman or granny Taha, stop peeing on your underwear. We are and will be safe with president Obama ever.
Vietnam Veterans are crazy, if they were exposed to a significant amount of combat, sorry. Take it from someone who was raised by one of them, Rambo is real. The sad thing is whoever wrote Rambo knew it was real, and let thousands of "Rambos" all over the country raise children. Do you think Rambo would be a fit father? How would you like to have been raised by him?
Whoever wrote this article needs slapped. You deserved to have been raised by my father instead of me. I also knew of several others with seriously "nutty" and quite abusive Vietnam vet fathers, we were like a club. You shouldn't be writing crap about something you know nothing about.
You're all a bunch of retards, my father's problems WERE all from Vietnam. Sinse I had to listen to him rant and rave and have nightmares about them, sinse I was a small child, I THINK I SHOULD KNOW!!! VIETNAM VETERANS LIE, they try to pretend to be OK, so not so smart people such as yourself, will still speak to them. You're a nutball, and so is they guy who wrote that stupid quote. Guys who were tortured are NOT OK. If they say they are, it's bececuase you don't see they're "other" side.
“Everybody knew” they were mostly violent drug addicts, losers and criminals. After all, you heard about them going on killing sprees on the nightly news. And when you went to the movies, you saw award-winning, critically acclaimed films that reinforced the stereotype:
No, they were not losers. They were plucked from their homes as teens and forced to go to war. They minds an health were destroyed and they were not helped by their country the way they should have been. Anyone who calls them a loser is a loser. After all you avoided the "lotter" of getting sacrificed for war purposes and sat around reeping the benefits of a peaceful societly void of war, and did nothing to help them. You're th loser.
www.theync.com/media.php?name=13556-full-video
IF it is a hollywood invention then explain to me this video were a cop is executed by a Vietnam war vet. After a simple traffic stop the vet steps out of the car and starts to act irrational right off the bat, then starts to dance in the middle of the street, then charges the cop saying shoot me, then runs back to the truck and those work with his rifle on the cop. He shoots his arm and legs, areas of the body not covered with body armor, then he shots him in his right eye and makes off. The vet when he charged the officer was testing him, the dancing, a image of his mental state and the reminisce of vietnam, the extremely well usage of a rifle, his training in vietnam. Considering all this and also the fact that he had never committed a crime makes you wonder what war will do to us all, especially when you are trained to kill. By the way the man in on deathrow in Georgia, boy i'm proud to be an american.
O and by the way i'm sure that vietnam war vet has killed people in vietnam and has heard all the screams of death. in this case it just so happen to be a cop who got in the way of the vet and his delusional moment.
Kathy Shaidle I'm sure you never had to be away from home for years while watching people get their heads blown off or just killing people. Killing a man isn't like killing ants it stays with you in your head and it eats at you, in your sleep, in your life. Its always with you, as you can see in the video, that man probably use to dance like that in vietnam, a reality you will never know because you and like every other low life conservative idiot are out of tune with reality, get a life check please.
FYI Taha your husband and John mcain have two things in common, they never killed people up close in personal.
by the way for all you dummies on here look at this ladies bio, she writes on fivefeetoffury.com, so all you idiots giving stark crap about his response will soon be surprised that fivefeetoffury is a racist web site, o wait no you won't.
Amy;
I was also raised by Rambo. I feel your pain. This article is no good, we should be acknowledging PTSD and it's affects, not passing them off as a rare thing that only happens to weaker soliders or people with poor coping skills. My dad was forced by his commander to stand and state at a 16 year old pregnant girl who had been gutted and hung upside down from a tree, with the fetas and all her inside dangling across her face. Him and his battalion were not allowed to take her down because the commander wanted everyone to see what the Viet kong were capable of... Tell me that if you were forced to witness that when you were merely 19 years old, woud you not be severely traumatised for life?! I've only heard the story, i didn't actually see it, and it still haunts me at night! Now my father has to relieve that and every other trauma that he experienced in his year in service, over and over and over again. Even when he sleeps it get him. We don't need to dispel these myths, we need to acknowledge the reality of them. If you bothered to look up the symptoms of PTSD you would see avoidance is key, that is avoiding people, places, smells and even emotions that could remind them of the trauma. Vietnam veteran, will only discuss there trauma and current hardships with other vet or there family (if they have managed to keep them) who experience these symptoms directly.
Vets use drugs and alcohol to escape these nightmares. Treatment was only available or acknowledged in the 1980's, so these vets suffering from PTSD had no idea what was happening to them and the stigma surrounding mental illness at the time prevented them from seeking help. Drugs and alcohol were socially acceptable, so they used these to help escape from the nightmare that there reality had become. What would you have done if the image i described kept popping into your mind? There was no medicine they could take...
To the lady that speaks of the perfect lawn Anna/Charlotte History Examiner;
So he is nice to you and manages to maintain his lawn well... wow he must be sane, and he could well be, but my dad has an immaculate garden, as gardening is a form of escapism for him. You have no idea of the nightmares that could be lurking in your neighbours bedroom late at night, if he even sleeps. Vets are great at putting on "the mask," they just can't maintain it for very long... ever been with your neighbour for more than a few hours?? ever spent the night? I be that would paint you a very different picture! Especially if he had a flashback and you found him trying to strange you in your sleep. (Something my dad accidentally did to my mum when they were sleeping and he was having a flashback nightmare [they now have separate room])
I would suggest that before writing an article on such a sensitive subject you should properly research. Opinions and statements based on ignorance have a tendency to upset people. I can see that you thought you would be doing veterans a favour by trying to dispel "socially harmful" myths, but awareness is what we need here.
Kate, 23 years old, Australia
Your choice of movies quoted in the article don't actually support your article itself. Clearly you haven't seen them/weren't paying attention when they were on/googled them as you wrote.
-Rambo wasn't crazy - he was pushed too far by a bullying sheriff.
-Apocalypse Now, Platoon and Jacobs Ladder are set DURING the war. How can they be about crazy 'veterans'.
-The Deer Hunter featured one crazy guy out of how ever many went to Vietnam in their group of friends.
-Born On The Fourth of July - I submit to you that most people would be 'crazy; if they suffered such traumatic injures, not specifically Vietnam vets.
A better example would have been Lethal Weapon - Riggs is a seriously unhinged Vietnam vet (but mainly because he lost his wife and not from Vietnam). Or maybe Universal Soldier ("It's emptayyy!!")
The real myth is that you actually know what you are talking about here.
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