“Stolen Valor: How the Vietnam Generation was Robbed of its Heroes and its History”
I am attending a MOWW meeting tomorrow where B.G. Burkett is speaking. The invite had the following Myths and Facts which I found worth passing on.:
Extracts from the History Channel’s interview with B.G. Burkett, author of “Stolen Valor: How the Vietnam Generation was Robbed of its Heroes and its History”
Myth: Most American soldiers were addicted to drugs, guilt-ridden about their role in the war, and deliberately used cruel and inhumane tactics.
The facts are:
91% of Vietnam Veterans say they are glad they served [Westmoreland]
Jug Burkett,
Vietnam 1969
97% were discharged under honorable conditions; the same percentage of honorable discharges as ten years prior to Vietnam [Westmoreland]
Vietnam veterans’ personal income exceeds that of our non-veteran age group by more than 18 percent. [McCaffrey]
Myth: Most Vietnam veterans were drafted.
The facts are: 2/3 of the men who served in Vietnam were volunteers. 2/3 of the men who served in World War II were drafted. [Westmoreland]
Myth: The media have reported that suicides among Vietnam veterans range from 50,000 to 100,000.
The facts are: Mortality studies show that 9,000 is a better estimate. [Houk]
Myth: A disproportionate number of blacks were killed in the Vietnam War.
The facts are: 86% of the men who died in Vietnam were Caucasians, 12.5% were black, 1.2% were other races. (CACF and Westmoreland)
Myth: The war was fought largely by the poor and uneducated.
The facts are: Vietnam Veterans were the best educated forces our nation had ever sent into combat. 79% had a high school education or better. [McCaffrey]
FYI almost all of the 125 men who were in my divisions on the USS Biddle DLG 34 had college degrees.
March 22nd, 2010 at 10:16 am
I stumbled upon your website. As a first generation Vietnamese-American, thanks for clearing up the facts. I’ve always felt that I’ve been learning a very one-sided mythical depiction of the war given to me by the media and textbooks. Great post!
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March 22nd, 2010 at 2:26 pm
Joseph:
Thanks for your comments. I did not spend much time in country Vietnam, however after the war I had the opportunity to work along side several ex S. Vietnamese officers who were really great outstanding individuals.