Physical And Psychological Effects Of The Vietnam War

Aaron Meyer
Vietnam War
Ms. Price
12 December 2016 Boys of War
The Vietnam War was a dark and depressing time in United States history. As the American’s involvement in the Vietnam War increased, the fewer people wanted the war to continue. Americans began to dislike the effects the war was having on America. One of the unfavorable attributes of the war, as explained in the story “The Things They Carried” and the films Letters Home, Platoon and “Back to My Lai”, was the harmful effects it placed on the young men on and off the battlefield. Although we need to fight in wars to keep our country free and for the common good of the world, war has lasting effects on the brave “boys” that serve in them.
Some men left the war feeling forty years older than their actual age, while others left the war with missing limbs and extremely wounded bodies. “2,709,918 men and women served in uniform during the Vietnam war, 58,148 were killed, 75,000 were lifted severely disabled, 23,214 were 100% disabled and 5,283 lost limbs. Of those killed, 61% were younger than 21” (Military Factory) From the men who luckily made it through alive still paid a price with their body. Vietnam consists of dense forest and mountain terrain, this means walking for miles with on average 50 pounds of gear, food, and personal items. In the story, the things they carried really brought this to life, Tim O’Brien states that, “The things they carried were largely determined by necessity. Among the necessities or near-necessities were P-38 can openers, pocket knives, heat tabs, wristwatches, dog tags, mosquito repellent, chewing gum, candy, cigarettes, salt tablets, packets of Kool-Aid, lighters, matches, sewing kits, Military Payment Certificates, C rations, and two or three canteens of water. Together, these items weighed between 15 and 20 pounds.” Along with these things, the soldiers had to carry guns and ammunition with could add up to close to 20 pounds. In the film “Vietnam in HD”, Joe Galloway was surveying the aftermath at landing zone X-ray he states, “A young specialist Arthur
It is hard for a person to try to talk to someone about war if that person hasn't experienced the hardships of war. Tim O'Brien paints a perfect picture of this when he uses First Lieutenant Jimmy Cross’ letters to this girl Martha from back home in New Jersey. Jimmy Cross states “She never mentioned the war, except to say, Jimmy, take care of yourself.” Many soldiers had a tough time communicating and were uneducated since most of them had to skip higher education for the war. This meant these boys of war lacked proper education and job skills, which lead to them feeling isolated, unappreciated and exploited for serving their country. The war created a brotherhood among the men, as Joe Galloway states in the “Vietnam in HD” movie, after the battle in the valley, “One Soldier pulls a small american flag from his backpack, and hangs it on a tree stump and looks at his buddies and grins, another battle won for the United States”. This battle created a unique bond between the young men because soldiers were the only people who understood each other. The Vietnam War was such a dark time, causing many soldiers to not even speak about the war to friends and family: simply because it involved memories they didn't want to think