Vietnam+War+Sally

The Vietnam War The Vietnam War happened between August 5, 1964 and May 7, 1975. Did you know that about 2,709,918 Americans served in the war. Many of these people were either killed or injured. Many people also faced problems after they returned home from the war. It drastically changd their everyday lives. Some of the soldiers will still not speak of the war to this day. Most of the veterans experienced physical or mental disabilites. Many were disabled and wounded. A lot of the soldiers suffered post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). PTSD is a sudden flashback of memories from the war. Anythng can cause this to happen such as a song, a certain smell, or a loud noise. It is very hard to over come because the people that experience this think that they are actually back in the war. It is somtimes hard for them to get jobs and adapt to their old lives. Some of the soilders became addicted to alcohol or drugs. Another big problem that soilders faced was the effects of the defoliant Agent Orange. It was used to strip leaves from trees so that we could spot our enemies eaiser. It contained the chemical called dioxin that caused many types of cancer, skin disorders, and birth defects. The group Vietnam Veterans of America are still trying to get our goverment to help the veterans affected by dioxin. The people of the United States didn't support the war, when the soldiers came home, they were treated badly and struggled in their every day lives. During the antiwar protests many soldiers were sometimes called bad names and were disrespected. Later the soldiers were given the respect that they deserved. They are still honored today. Many are greatful for their courage and sacrifice. Nice job. 95-CP