What effect did the Vietnam War have on the soldiers who fought there?

Although most veterans were not permanently damaged by the war, some 15 to 25 percent of Vietnam veterans (between 500,000 and 700,000) suffered from a stress-related impairment known as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a psychological disease brought on by acute combat experience.

Was there a draft during World war 1?

Some six weeks after the United States formally entered the First World War, the U.S Congress passes the Selective Service Act on May 18, 1917, giving the U.S. president the power to draft soldiers. The act required all men in the U.S. between the ages of 21 and 30 to register for military service.

Why was the Vietnam War hard for soldiers?

Explanation: Firstly most of the war was fought as a guerrilla war. This is a type of war which conventional forces such as the US army in Vietnam, find notoriously difficult to fight. The Americans, laden down with conventional weapons and uniform were not equipped to fight in the paddy fields and jungles.

What did American troops struggle with during the Vietnam War?

The Vietnam War was a long, costly and divisive conflict that pitted the communist government of North Vietnam against South Vietnam and its principal ally, the United States.

Why is the Vietnam War important today?

Unfortunately, the Vietnam War may offer important lessons for today which are worthy of serious contemplation. The policy of containment led the United States into a wide array of conflicts ranging from Korea to Vietnam, and whose legacy is still with us in the economic embargo of Cuba and a destabilized Afghanistan.

What was it like being a soldier in the Vietnam War?

Life was tough for combat soldiers in Vietnam But mostly what they did was walk. They walked for days and weeks at a time, patrolling the land for Viet Cong guerrilla fighters or members of the North Vietnamese Army. They walked without a bath, a hot meal, or a good night’s sleep.

Was there a draft in Vietnam?

The military draft brought the war to the American home front. During the Vietnam War era, between 1964 and 1973, the U.S. military drafted 2.2 million American men out of an eligible pool of 27 million. Ironically, as the draft continued to fuel the war effort, it also intensified the antiwar cause.

Who rejected Wilson’s 14 points?

The Germans rejected the Fourteen Points out of hand, for they still expected to win the war. The French ignored the Fourteen Points, for they were sure that they could gain more from their victory than Wilson’s plan allowed.

What made it difficult for the US to find the enemy during the Vietnam war select three options?

What made it difficult for the US to find the enemy during the Vietnam War? US troops struggled to find Viet Cong troops hiding among civilians. Many civilians did not trust American soldiers. Some civilians aided Viet Cong and Viet Minh forces.

What made the war difficult for US Army and troops fighting in the war?

The second major issue that made fighting the war difficult is that the US was afraid of fighting an offensive war against North Vietnam, fearing a nuclear world war due to the fact that North Vietnam was supported by the USSR and China.

How did the military draft affect the Vietnam War?

The military draft brought the war to the American home front. During the Vietnam War era, between 1964 and 1973, the U.S. military drafted 2.2 million American men out of an eligible pool of 27 million.

Why did some men choose to enlist in the Vietnam War?

Regardless of race, some men chose to enlist in the Vietnam War before their numbers came up, knowing they would be assigned better details if they went voluntarily. Instead of being stationed on the front lines, they might be assigned a support detail on one of the rear bases.

How did the Vietnam War affect American public opinion in 1960?

And after seeing the images of the Vietnam War on television, after seeing the pictures taken by war correspondents, and after hearing accounts of war atrocities, most of the American pubic in the 1960s was inclined to agree.

What were the effects of the Vietnam War on American soldiers?

The later years of the war saw increased physical and psychological deterioration among American soldiers—both volunteers and draftees—including drug use, post-traumatic stress disorder ( PTSD ), mutinies and attacks by soldiers against officers and noncommissioned officers.