The Vietnam War had a lasting impact on Vietnam Veterans, who although they fought their hardest for their country, they returned to a country who saw them as less than heroes. They suffered both psychological and medical problems from open battles, sniper attacks and chemical warfare, and stress from war-life. Although the Vietnam War had some negative impacts, the Vietnam War was the turning point in Australian society, changing to a multicultural community we are proud of today.
Physical impacts:
What injuries’ did the solders suffer due to weapons and guerrilla warfare?
• Mines killed and injured many solders
• 521 Australian solders died and over 3,000 injured
• Guerrilla warfare meant Australian troops lived in constant fear and psychologically damaging as they could never be at ease
• During the average year Australian troops fought for 314 days – shows how full on their war was compared to the other wars Australia fought in this may be cause of the guerrilla warfare
• Chemical still effect generations being born
• The physical injuries impacted Australian veterans as it was much harder to get work and maintain the lifestyle they had before
• Australia’s government had to compensate and look after their veterans but did not show any sign of support for their troops until he late 1900’s when they Australian veterans had to demand compensation
• Vietnam veterans suffered horrific wounds from open battles and often losing an limb by accidentally walking on land mines
Physical impacts
What injuries did the solders suffer due to chemical warfare?
• Napalm was a 2 part weapon dropped from planes, they sprayed the sticky glue like substance and then set it on fire, it burns and does not cease until there is no napalm left
• Agent orange used to kill trees as Vietnamese used to hide in the jungle and surprise attack the Australian troops, by demolishing the vegetation the Vietnamese were unable to hid from the Australians