Age

The Vietnam war could be called our first war fought by adolescents. The average age of World War II soldiers was 26 years. In contrast, the boys who left for Southeast Asia averaged 19.2 years of age. They were still in their formative years and most susceptible to the imprinting of the terrors of combat. The morals and values the boy learned at home were soon stripped and the ego structure so carefully built through his childhood often became impaired. Amid the insanity of combat, he experienced a psychological "snap", perhaps as the result of a first kill, or seeing a buddy killed. (B. Goderez, 1985) In essence, he was robbed of the opportunity to finish his teenage years as his maturing process came to an abrupt halt. Many veterans still today appear to be scrambling to complete that process in an attempt to "make up for lost time".

In addition, the example of their parent role model was replaced by the role models of superior officers. The admonition to "go out and kill" was in sharp contrast to "Thou shalt not kill" and the result was a mind ripe for psychiatric disturbances.

Political/Social Climate

The unpopularity of the conflict in Southeast Asia created an atmosphere of national unrest and divisiveness. Campus demonstrations, draft card burnings, riots, and draft evaders was the tenor of the times.

The negative reactions to the war were not confined to the United States. American troops arriving in Southeast Asia were not welcomed enthusiastically, and U.S. soldiers soon began to wonder why they were laying down their lives for a seemingly ungrateful populace. (S. Huppenbauer, 1982)

For possibly the first time, there were no defined battlefields or "front lines". There was confusion as to whether land was to be taken and/or held. "Search and destroy" became a familiar phrase as soldiers searched for an enemy who was often unseen. Frequently the enemy included women and children, creating a situation in which there was no certainty as to who was the enemy. Boundaries for battle inevitably became unclear. The dense jungle also became the enemy with its searing heat and monsoon rains. Moral confusion reigned as atrocities were either performed or witnessed by GI's.

In previous wars, soldiers traveled to the war zone and 'home again in groups. This allowed a socialization to develop which did not occur in the Vietnam war. The group journeys home allowed for a debriefing, a chance to process the experience, and reassimilate into civilian life.

In an effort to reduce psychiatric and readjustment difficulties, a new system known as DEROS (Date of Expected Return From Overseas) was introduced. DEROS allowed for each GI to know when he was scheduled to return home. The average tour of duty was 12 months, except for Marines who had a 13 month tour. Because in previous wars, those combatants with the greatest duration of combat had the highest incidences of breakdowns, it was felt that the Vietnam soldier could hang on for his 12 or 13 month tour, he would be less exposed to psychological problems; thus the DEROS system.

What the system created however, was an individualized experience. The soldier arrived in Vietnam alone, and because of the continuing rotations in and out of the country, he was denied the opportunity to participate in unit cohesiveness. Subsequently, unit morale was lacking along with the support systems necessary for a soldier in combat. Upon completion of his tour, he frequently endured a solitary plane ride home and no one with whom to share the mass of mixed emotions he was experiencing. What should have been a return trip filled with joy and anticipation was instead one filled with a barrage of anxiety and confusion.

If we were to choose one overriding contributing factor to PTSD, it might well be the homecoming. Never before has this country so effectively turned its back on her returning soldiers. An angry and frustrated American populace left no welcome mat on its floors for the returning Vietnam veteran. As opposed to his World War II father who received cheers, tumultuous welcomes and ticker tape parades, the Vietnam veteran arrived home alone amid continuing antiwar protests. He was frequently spat upon or was the recipient of such epithets as "baby killer". There was little or no debriefing by the Veterans Administration. When he went to the VA for help, he was often misdiagnosed and chemically restrained. In the face of such adversity, the veteran was left on his own to try to retrieve what was left of his shattered life. He was not the same boy who had left home to fight for his country. He was confused and soon became enraged. He had done his duty, lost buddies, lost his own sense of self in the insanity of the war and was rejected at home. Many veterans still express a desire to be back in Vietnam; "At least there I know I was good at my job, did my duty, and knew who I was. I was accepted. I may have come back, but I never came home."