National Vietnam War Veterans Day

As a psychologist, I had the privilege of working with Vietnam veterans. I listened to many of their stories. This was a war unlike other wars. Many brave men and women were not treated as heroes upon their return. Some I spoke to told me that facing combat was difficult, but facing enemies at home was equally challenging.

This is a quote from the Department of Defense website:

"In one of the war's most profound tragedies, many of these men and women came home to be shunned or neglected — to face treatment unbefitting their courage and a welcome unworthy of their example.”

I chose a picture of a cap with the words “Vietnam Veteran” embroidered on it. Several veterans I worked with told me that for years after their return, they kept their service in Vietnam a secret. Their poor treatment not only came from friends, neighbors, and employers, but also from many employees at the Veterans Administration. PTSD was not a diagnosis yet, but those symptoms existed in both men and women. However, if vets tried to get help from the VA, they were often told to pull themselves up by their bootstraps. As for the women, it took them a long time to fight for their rights. The VA withheld equal access to their benefits, claiming they were not in combat zones, so they couldn’t have the same symptoms as their male counterparts.

Given their treatment, many veterans, upon their return home, tucked away their uniforms and memorabilia and didn’t speak about Vietnam. It took our society many years to acknowledge, appreciate, and honor the service of these men and women. The Veterans Administration started conducting research on returning veterans that led to the development and treatment of a new diagnosis—PTSD. And as veterans told me, as they grew more comfortable, they began wearing clothing, including caps, that acknowledged their service in Vietnam.

There is much more to say about the experiences of the brave individuals who served in Vietnam. Thanks to the veterans I’ve had the privilege to meet, I was able to adapt their stories and share them in my novel, All the Broken Angels, co-written with Steve Hardiman. Also in this novel, I shared another story, that of my cousin, Albie. He never returned from Vietnam. Hopefully, though, I did his story justice. And Albie, I never got to say this to you, but thank you for your service.