Who Is Different By Erika H. Marchesini Vietnam Veterans Are Different

2287 Words10 Pages

During the Vietnam times, the Mexican American community rallied a cry in the 1960s for the people who didn’t agree with the Vietnam War. They believed the real war was in the United States where they were losing money that was being spent on the war. The money that was being made was being spent on bombs instead of useful things such as a library and medical care. Around this time, the Chicanos, Blacks, and Puerto Ricans were known as the unemployed and the poor. These people paid the price of this war by volunteering to fight in this war. They felt honored in becoming heros and serving their country, but were they treated like heroes when they got back? For those who opposed of the war, they thought the war was being fought out of proportion. …show more content…

Marchesini describes how Vietnam veterans are different from veterans who served in different wars. She claims that the veterans from Vietnam had it worse than any other veterans. Most of these men were traumatized leading them to have schizophrenia while other veterans adjusted well to their treatments. “Vietnam veterans were unlike the veterans of other conflicts because they had to deal with guilt over war experiences as well as rejection by their parents and society for having fought in an unpopular war ( pg 74).” Vietnam veterans were not welcomed back when they were sent back home. “They did not feel nor were they treated like heroes for having served their country ( pg 74).” For some reason Vietnam was not the war to serve in. These veterans were still mistreated when they got home. Vietnam was the worst war ever. It was so bad that the majority of the veterans who survived came back home to nothing or they were diagnosed with a mental illness. Erika states, “They seemed overtly hostile toward the establishment and mistrusted everyone ( pg 74).” These men wanted to do their own thing and not worry about the others. They weren’t use to being a citizen anymore. In Vietnam you were on your own and that’s what the veterans were use

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