V'nam War Myth: Many Vietnam vets committed suicide

V'nam War Myth: Many Vietnam vets committed suicide

For various reasons there is no figure on the actual or near number of
Vietnam veterans who have committed suicide. There is, however, ample
justification for a conclusion that a visibly large number of Vietnam
veterans remain embittered and self-persecuted, a motivation for
suicide.

This "visibly large number" is evident in the public writings of
Vietnam veterans who profess never to alter/upgrade their views
regarding their post-Vietnam service treatment by the news media and
public despite the many postwar apologies and honors bestowed upon
them.

"Self-persecution" is a motive for suicide. But turned around,
self-persecution by Vietnam veterans becomes persecution against
fellow Vietnam veterans.

Confirmed suicides that have made the front pages of local community
newspapers usually involved domestic or VA problems. Regarding the VA,
some veterans have committed suicide in protest to Department of
Veterans Affairs policies at a time when the VA was headed by a
Vietnam veteran. These suicides were intended to relieve a sense of
powerful desperation, while at the same time blame the VA and fellow
veterans employed by the VA for what the veteran felt were
shortcomings, if not abandonment. Factually, these suicides rarely
produced positive changes for veterans. In fact, VA services since the
end of the war have either continued to decline or become more layered
in bureaucracy and entry filters.

Some Vietnam veterans turn their self-persecution against other
Vietnam veterans. For example, current efforts by some Vietnam vets to
root out so-called "wannabes" has caused pain and suffering among
legitimate Vietnam veterans who's military service is considered less
than stellar by the particular Vietnam veteran who is investigating
his comrade's service records. Although interservice and inter-unit
rivalry has always existed in and out of the military, only after the
Vietnam War did some veterans of that conflict openly advocate varying
degrees of respect or official/employment benefits for those who
served in-country.

Vietnam veterans are, in fact, dying at an abnormally high rate
compared to the death rate of World War II and Korean War veterans.
The causes of this high death rate has never been studied. However,
stress, identification and self-fulfillment appear to be factors in
decisions concerning health, dangerous substance acquisition and
social interaction decisions.

Despite a large number of Vietnam veterans who evolved toward
productive and rewarding careers after their military, a louder, more
visible and outspoken element among Vietnam vets contrasts sharply
with those who entered professional, law enforcement, government or
managerial/executive ranks in the private sector.

Generally angry, attacking and spiteful, a vociferous number of
Vietnam vets -- or individuals who claim to be Vietnam vets --
continues to occupy the public's image of the typical American
serviceperson who served in Vietnam, especially on the internet.

The exact number of Americans who served in Vietnam ranges between 2.7
million and 2.9 million. The number of Vietnam veterans believed to be
alive today is estimated at approximately 1.8 million... a war of
attrition fought internally. The number of post-war suicides is
generally accepted by scholars, medical practioners and veterans
organizations to exceed the number of Vietnam war deaths, combat and
otherwise. However, precise figures may never be available because
sympathetic protective measures taken by health management and family
persons have influenced official death documents.

Nevertheless, it may be correct in assessing that the greatest enemy
among Vietnam War survivors are themselves. Never in the post-war
history of America have so many of its wartime servicepersons
persecuted themselves... or each other.

It is said that people often become the people they competed with. As
there are no more anti-Vietnam war protesters it is a pity that some
Vietnam veterans have filled that void with their own
brother-against-brother antagonisms.

The Vietnam War Veteran Suicide Study Project
http://members.aol.com/ForVets/vvssp.htm

---------------------------
Otis Willie
Associate Librarian
The American War Library
http://www.americanwarlibrary.com

so why did you help perpetuate the myth a coupla years ago...oh yeah and
what was the story about Adm. Boorda?

phuckhead

"Otis Willie" wrote in message
news:j077mts0f0s0p59ato0rkue9v6jfqujqgl@4ax.com...
> V'nam War Myth: Many Vietnam vets committed suicide
>
> For various reasons there is no figure