Involvement In Vietnam
New Zealand’s Involvement in the Vietnam war
Introduction
The Vietnam War was also known as the Second Indochina War and referred to by the Vietnamese as the American War. It was a conflict that went from 1955 to 1975 between the Communist Democratic Republic of Vietnam (currently known as North of Vietnam) and the Republic of Vietnam (currently known as South of Vietnam). North Vietnam was supported by the Soviet Union, China and other communist allies. South Vietnam was supported by the United States of America and other anti communist allies including New Zealand. The war occurred mainly in Vietnam but also extended into Laos and Cambodia. The United States sent their first troops in 1965 soon to be followed by soldiers from New Zealand, …show more content…
However, the reality of what it was actually like was a lot different when they got there. A New Zealand veteran, Paddy Driver who was in Vietnam from 1968-69 said, "I can always remember seeing the odd civilian body wrapped up in newspaper in the gutters. It really came home to me then that this is a lot more serious than just an adventure. That was one of my first impressions." One NZ veteran described Vietnam upon the first day of arrival, saying there were so many shell holes that it looked like the moon covered in craters and the sky was aligned with aeroplanes and helicopters. For the NZ veterans, going to Vietnam was still an adventure, just not exactly the adventure they were looking …show more content…
Coming home, the veterans did not know about the anti war movement and this came as a big shock. On the plane ride home, everyone was cheering, relieved to be leaving, however when they got to New Zealand the commanding officer told them that they needed to take off their uniforms as soon as possible and not to tell anyone where they'd been. The veterans stayed hidden away and were told to deny their involvement in Vietnam. Even though Vietnam was one of the most intense experience of their lives, they had no counseling to help them adjust to their everyday life and to the various consequences of having fought in an unpopular war resulting in alcoholism, depression and at worst, suicide. These are all the result of post traumatic stress disorder. The veterans had horrific experiences, some came home without their friend and saw things they would never forget. Beside the protests, it was like nothing happened when they got
Introduction
The Vietnam War was also known as the Second Indochina War and referred to by the Vietnamese as the American War. It was a conflict that went from 1955 to 1975 between the Communist Democratic Republic of Vietnam (currently known as North of Vietnam) and the Republic of Vietnam (currently known as South of Vietnam). North Vietnam was supported by the Soviet Union, China and other communist allies. South Vietnam was supported by the United States of America and other anti communist allies including New Zealand. The war occurred mainly in Vietnam but also extended into Laos and Cambodia. The United States sent their first troops in 1965 soon to be followed by soldiers from New Zealand, …show more content…
However, the reality of what it was actually like was a lot different when they got there. A New Zealand veteran, Paddy Driver who was in Vietnam from 1968-69 said, "I can always remember seeing the odd civilian body wrapped up in newspaper in the gutters. It really came home to me then that this is a lot more serious than just an adventure. That was one of my first impressions." One NZ veteran described Vietnam upon the first day of arrival, saying there were so many shell holes that it looked like the moon covered in craters and the sky was aligned with aeroplanes and helicopters. For the NZ veterans, going to Vietnam was still an adventure, just not exactly the adventure they were looking …show more content…
Coming home, the veterans did not know about the anti war movement and this came as a big shock. On the plane ride home, everyone was cheering, relieved to be leaving, however when they got to New Zealand the commanding officer told them that they needed to take off their uniforms as soon as possible and not to tell anyone where they'd been. The veterans stayed hidden away and were told to deny their involvement in Vietnam. Even though Vietnam was one of the most intense experience of their lives, they had no counseling to help them adjust to their everyday life and to the various consequences of having fought in an unpopular war resulting in alcoholism, depression and at worst, suicide. These are all the result of post traumatic stress disorder. The veterans had horrific experiences, some came home without their friend and saw things they would never forget. Beside the protests, it was like nothing happened when they got