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"I Ain't No Fortunate Son"

The War Through the Soldier's Eyes

Soldiers in Vietnam served in an unfamiliar place, fighting a war they oftentimes didn’t believe in, going in between moments of crushing boredom to unbelievable terror throughout their tour. The whole experience was one that could mentally and emotionally wear on a soldier, making them unrecognizable from who they were before being drafted. Between the culture, race relations within the armed forces, and drug use, Vietnam distinguished itself from any war ever seen by Americans in its complexity.
Writing letters to loved ones back home is a tried and true tradition in war, as it provided an escape from the constant fear and death that surrounded the troops. Soldiers could be honest with their loved ones back home about the nature of war. “But most people generate their enthusiasm for two reasons: one is self-preservation-if I don’t shoot him, he’ll eventually shoot me-and the other is revenge. It’s apparently quite something to see a good friend blown apart by a VC booby trap, and you want to retaliate in kind” [1]. While war could be draining, sometimes soldiers would send a lighthearted letter back home. “I guess we’re in a pretty bad situation over here. The gooks are hell bent on trying to take over this area-and it isn’t over by a long “shot” (pun!) yet. Sometimes it gets pretty hairy in this motherfucker-and I’ve come close a few times. Not close enough, though” [2]. Yet and still, Vietnam was an inescapable world of its own as survival required immersion in the war.

The culture of Vietnam is something that hasn’t been restricted by time or place as slang words used during the conflict have seeped into American culture. Words like “Nam”, “Chopper”, “Get some”, “Charlie”, and “Waste” are all words that are seen as quintessential words of the era [3]. American soldiers in Vietnam served together across racial lines in a time when racial issues divided the country back home. Blacks in Vietnam were a tenth of the American forces, however a fourth of soldiers in combat were black [4]. Racial tension between white and black soldiers was also present, as was another issue from home, drugs. In only 1969 and 1970, over 16,000 soldiers were dishonorably discharged due to drug possession [5]. As moral plummeted and the war dragged on, drug use became more widespread.

[1] Edelman, Bernard. Dear America: letters home from Vietnam. New York: Norton, 2002. 39

[2] Ibid, 81

[3] Page, Tim, and John Pimlott. Nam: The Vietnam Experience, 1965-75. New York, NY: Barnes & Noble Books, 1995. 90-91

[4] Ibid, 310

[5] Ibid, 463

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1. The War Through the Soldier's Eyes Soldiers in Vietnam served in an unfamiliar place, fighting a war they oftentimes didn’t believe in, going in between moments of crushing boredom to unbelievable terror throughout their tour. The whole experience was one that could mentally and emotionally wear on a soldier, making them unrecognizable from who they were before being drafted. Between the culture, race relations within the armed forces, and drug use, Vietnam distinguished itself from any war ever seen by Americans in its complexity.
  Writing letters to loved ones back home is a tried and true tradition in war, as it provided an escape from the constant fear and death that surrounded the troops. Soldiers could be honest with their loved ones back home about the nature of war. “But most people generate their enthusiasm for two reasons: one is self-preservation-if I don’t shoot him, he’ll eventually shoot me-and the other is revenge. It’s apparently quite something to see a good friend blown apart by a VC booby trap, and you want to retaliate in kind” [1]. While war could be draining, sometimes soldiers would send a lighthearted letter back home. “I guess we’re in a pretty bad situation over here. The gooks are hell bent on trying to take over this area-and it isn’t over by a long “shot” (pun!) yet. Sometimes it gets pretty hairy in this motherfucker-and I’ve come close a few times. Not close enough, though” [2]. Yet and still, Vietnam was an inescapable world of its own as survival required immersion in the war.
  
  The culture of Vietnam is something that hasn’t been restricted by time or place as slang words used during the conflict have seeped into American culture. Words like “Nam”, “Chopper”, “Get some”, “Charlie”, and “Waste” are all words that are seen as quintessential words of the era [3]. American soldiers in Vietnam served together across racial lines in a time when racial issues divided the country back home. Blacks in Vietnam were a tenth of the American forces, however a fourth of soldiers in combat were black [4]. Racial tension between white and black soldiers was also present, as was another issue from home, drugs. In only 1969 and 1970, over 16,000 soldiers were dishonorably discharged due to drug possession [5]. As moral plummeted and the war dragged on, drug use became more widespread.
  
  [1] Edelman, Bernard. Dear America: letters home from Vietnam. New York: Norton, 2002. 39
  [2] Ibid, 81
  [3] Page, Tim, and John Pimlott. Nam: The Vietnam Experience, 1965-75. New York, NY: Barnes & Noble Books, 1995. 90-91
  [4] Ibid, 310
  [5] Ibid, 463
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Contents of this reply:
1. The War Through the Soldier's Eyes Soldiers in Vietnam served in an unfamiliar place, fighting a war they oftentimes didn’t believe in, going in between moments of crushing boredom to unbelievable terror throughout their tour. The whole experience was one that could mentally and emotionally wear on a soldier, making them unrecognizable from who they were before being drafted. Between the culture, race relations within the armed forces, and drug use, Vietnam distinguished itself from any war ever seen by Americans in its complexity.
  Writing letters to loved ones back home is a tried and true tradition in war, as it provided an escape from the constant fear and death that surrounded the troops. Soldiers could be honest with their loved ones back home about the nature of war. “But most people generate their enthusiasm for two reasons: one is self-preservation-if I don’t shoot him, he’ll eventually shoot me-and the other is revenge. It’s apparently quite something to see a good friend blown apart by a VC booby trap, and you want to retaliate in kind” [1]. While war could be draining, sometimes soldiers would send a lighthearted letter back home. “I guess we’re in a pretty bad situation over here. The gooks are hell bent on trying to take over this area-and it isn’t over by a long “shot” (pun!) yet. Sometimes it gets pretty hairy in this motherfucker-and I’ve come close a few times. Not close enough, though” [2]. Yet and still, Vietnam was an inescapable world of its own as survival required immersion in the war.
  
  The culture of Vietnam is something that hasn’t been restricted by time or place as slang words used during the conflict have seeped into American culture. Words like “Nam”, “Chopper”, “Get some”, “Charlie”, and “Waste” are all words that are seen as quintessential words of the era [3]. American soldiers in Vietnam served together across racial lines in a time when racial issues divided the country back home. Blacks in Vietnam were a tenth of the American forces, however a fourth of soldiers in combat were black [4]. Racial tension between white and black soldiers was also present, as was another issue from home, drugs. In only 1969 and 1970, over 16,000 soldiers were dishonorably discharged due to drug possession [5]. As moral plummeted and the war dragged on, drug use became more widespread.
  
  [1] Edelman, Bernard. Dear America: letters home from Vietnam. New York: Norton, 2002. 39
  [2] Ibid, 81
  [3] Page, Tim, and John Pimlott. Nam: The Vietnam Experience, 1965-75. New York, NY: Barnes & Noble Books, 1995. 90-91
  [4] Ibid, 310
  [5] Ibid, 463

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