I'll ponder this.
Meanwhile, I thoughrt this was interesting:
http://www.deanza.edu/faculty/
sw...cominghome.html
I should say, as someone who was opposing the war at the time - but it was fairly late in the game (1969-1973) - I never saw spitting happen. In fact, there were any number of VVAW folks often involved with the protests, so they were our (very effective) allies.
But interesting.
I am a Vietnam Vet and spent my time with an infantry unit there. When it was time for me to rotate back to the states, I had to leave Vietnam at midnight with a layover in Guam so we could time our landing in Seattle at night.
We did not fly into California anymore according to what I was told by military personnel. The Army was moving us in and out of Seattle Washington. I understood this Seattle route was done because of the mess we (GI’s) had to put up with in the airports in California. A lot of my fellow solders were spit on and called baby killers. I was with some of these solders in Germany before I was sent to Vietnam. I heard all their stories about the airports in California and some of the other larger airports. Because of all this the Vietnam Vets ended up being treated as outcast. I didn’t tell a lot of people back then where I had been. America had a way of making us feel like animals on a chain as it was. I felt like I had to travel as a second class citizen at night to just get home. It was a shame we felt the need to travel in civilian clothing and hide our uniform. We didn’t want to be seen by our fellow citizens.
Thanks America, for our welcome home.
rj
Just a cursory glance on the internet will find more accounts that say this is true versus false. If you want to get a Vietnam veteran mad, just suggest that this is "urban myth".
"I AM NO MYTH sir! I experienced this disrespectful abuse, FIRST HAND! I witnessed many other Vietnam Veterans being treated the same ways. -Gary Kendall, USAF 1970-1975
Now, I cannot certify whether the above is accurate or not. However, one must ask the question: why would Vietnam veterans make up this sort of thing? What would be the motivation? Futhermore, if this was false, wouldn't the media (who was slanted against the conflict) have debunked it back then, rather than report on it?
Perhaps the questions should presume that Vietnam Veterans were spat upon and instead ask were the incidents few in number and inflated through reports and repeatings, or were there several incidents all of a similar nature? I have little doubt, having grown up around the military and hearing the stories of the vets that there were some who were indeed spat upon (I have heard at least two, that I can recall, who made such claims), but, much like global warming, God, and so many other things, there will be a segment of the population who will not believe it happened unless they actually see it firsthand.
btw, I have a new URL
Hey EP, so glad to see you back 
VV here in Australia were treated very badly on their return. I was a very young child at the time so i can't tell you too much, however it is very widely known here how adly they were treated. It is said it was a war that Australia should have never been involved in. Its only now, the stigma faced by VV's is beginning to lift.
http://www.metroland.net/features.html Thought you'd find it interesting, in that it talks about the alleged spitting incidents. as I said, it's possdioblee that someone somewhere was spat upon, but the Vietnam vets I knew were almost universally antiwar, and, as such, were our allies.
Of course, I'm not taking it as gospel. Even Jane Fonda, on 60 Minutes, admitted more regret (over photo ops in N. VietNam) here: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/
2...ain711479.shtml
Hi EP!
Sorry to have dropped off the radar!
I am 81 years old. Served in Korea. My son was in Vietnam. When he returned he was beaten, called every name you have heard. I also knew many young men who were...
There wasn't just spitting going on...
-Jack
All these beatings, and yet no police reports and very few contemporaneous news reports. I have a hard time believing that protesters were shot at Kent State, and beaten roundly at the Democratic National Convention, but were able to troll around the California airports, lining up with their rotten eggs and bags of feces to attack soldiers day after day. It just defies credulity.
I guess I would have also expected Governor Reagan to secure his airports at some point, or mention these spitters in some speeches to score political points.
Hi Amy, Happy New Year :o)
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