When I was a kid, my Vietnam vet 'uncle' (husband of much older cousin) taught me to thank soldiers in airports -- even if they were strangers.
Plenty of people, and doubtless some vets, now claim that Vietnam vets were spat on. I've always wanted to see some contemporaneous evidence -- a news article, or better yet, photo, to back it up. The war was HOTLY debated then, much as Iraq is today, and surely the 'patriots' would have leapt on such evidence.
It may indeed have happened once or twice, but why no contemporaneous evidence? Zero. None.
Now the blog Riehl World View confirms that there is likely no contemporaneous evidence.
The blog links to a Slate article which states: "In researching the book, Lembcke found no news accounts or even claims from the late 1960s or early 1970s of vets getting spat at."
The blog then cites accounts and first-person claims from 2004, 1988 (subsequent to the release of "Rambo: First Blood" in October 1982, wherein Rambo claims to have been spit on), 2005, 2001, and 2003.
having thus supported the view that there is no contemporaneous evidence, the blogger then does a victory dance, asking if we can question their patriotism now.
UPDATE:
Silke at Hooah Wife blog found a contemporaneous news story:
"This is a brief description of a segment from a news broadcast held by the Vanderbilt Television news Archive. It is from 1971…"
(Studio) January, 1971, report on medics in Vietnam recalled; retd. medic featured. REPORTER: Charles Collingwood
(Manhattan, Kansas) Delmar Pickett, Junior, hero, returns from Vietnam, finds US indifferent to war; vets’ unemployment high; returns to school at Kansas State University as better student than before Vietnam experience. [Student Gwyn STEERE - speaks of Pickett’s modesty.] [Vietnam film from earlier feature shown.] Pickett home is in Olsburg, Kansas. [PICKETT - tells of being spit on in Seattle, WA.] Disillusioned but not downed by Vietnam experience. [PICKETT - tells of experience as medic in Vietnam.] [Father Delmar PICKETT, Senior - says son more settled.] [MOTHER - says son a much better student than formerly.] Drugs no problem for Pickett. 2 1/2 million Vietnam vets. REPORTER: Morton Dean
http://openweb.tvnews.vanderbilt.edu/1971-12/1971-12-27-CBS-17.html
When I measured my SPO2 (blood oxygen) today, it was 99 percent. It's typically 98 or 99.
Plenty of people, and doubtless some vets, now claim that Vietnam vets were spat on. I've always wanted to see some contemporaneous evidence -- a news article, or better yet, photo, to back it up. The war was HOTLY debated then, much as Iraq is today, and surely the 'patriots' would have leapt on such evidence.
It may indeed have happened once or twice, but why no contemporaneous evidence? Zero. None.
Now the blog Riehl World View confirms that there is likely no contemporaneous evidence.
The blog links to a Slate article which states: "In researching the book, Lembcke found no news accounts or even claims from the late 1960s or early 1970s of vets getting spat at."
The blog then cites accounts and first-person claims from 2004, 1988 (subsequent to the release of "Rambo: First Blood" in October 1982, wherein Rambo claims to have been spit on), 2005, 2001, and 2003.
having thus supported the view that there is no contemporaneous evidence, the blogger then does a victory dance, asking if we can question their patriotism now.
UPDATE:
Silke at Hooah Wife blog found a contemporaneous news story:
"This is a brief description of a segment from a news broadcast held by the Vanderbilt Television news Archive. It is from 1971…"
(Studio) January, 1971, report on medics in Vietnam recalled; retd. medic featured. REPORTER: Charles Collingwood
(Manhattan, Kansas) Delmar Pickett, Junior, hero, returns from Vietnam, finds US indifferent to war; vets’ unemployment high; returns to school at Kansas State University as better student than before Vietnam experience. [Student Gwyn STEERE - speaks of Pickett’s modesty.] [Vietnam film from earlier feature shown.] Pickett home is in Olsburg, Kansas. [PICKETT - tells of being spit on in Seattle, WA.] Disillusioned but not downed by Vietnam experience. [PICKETT - tells of experience as medic in Vietnam.] [Father Delmar PICKETT, Senior - says son more settled.] [MOTHER - says son a much better student than formerly.] Drugs no problem for Pickett. 2 1/2 million Vietnam vets. REPORTER: Morton Dean
http://openweb.tvnews.vanderbilt.edu/1971-12/1971-12-27-CBS-17.html
When I measured my SPO2 (blood oxygen) today, it was 99 percent. It's typically 98 or 99.
posted by brainhell at 8:01 AM
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