Essay On Vietnam War Veterans

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Former president Richard M. Nixon once said “No event in American history is more misunderstood than the Vietnam War. It was misreported then, and it is misremembered now.” This is a sentiment reflected by many Vietnam war veterans today. One such veteran, Mike Clarke, served as an infantry medic in the Vietnam war. When he joined straight out of high school he was not sure how he wanted to serve, the coordinators choose to make him a medic. He was a very loyal man and even after getting shot he still wanted to return to the heart of the war with his buddies. It can be hard to comprehend the trauma the veterans of the Vietnam war suffered. In order to understand the Vietnam war veterans, it is important to consider the way veterans were treated after the war, the sacrifices they made and the after-effects of the war on the soldiers. After the war, many veterans felt a backlash from people at home. There were several protests against the war and numerous people thought the Vietnam war was not worth the fight. Veterans were returning from the frontlines, expecting a warm welcome home and many, like Clarke, were met with…show more content…
These psychological problems can cause nightmares that can go on years after a soldier returned from war. As Francis Edwards, a Vietnam veteran, said in an interview, “Taking other lives, even though another life is in enemy uniform, I think a part of you dies as well.” (“Back from the abyss”). Mike Clarke believed this as well, saying, “it was a rough time, and there was a rough road to be followed after that from the effects that the war had on me”(Niles). Clarke was less affected by the war than other vets but even he had struggles coping after the war. The Vietnam war left great waves of broken soldiers in its

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