NARRATOR: Veterans of both World War II and the Vietnam War
risked their lives for their country,
but the way they were treated by both the US
government and their fellow citizens
could not have been more different.
A lot of that had to do with why they were
fighting in the first place.
On December 7, 1941, Japan waged a surprise attack
on Pearl Harbor.
The US declared war on Japan, and it
didn't take much to convince the nation
to rally around the cause.
The sudden criminal attacks perpetrated by the Japanese
in the Pacific have treacherously
violated the long-standing peace between us.
NARRATOR: And when Japan's ally, Nazi Germany,
declared war on the US days later,
World War II took on the larger goal of fighting fascism.
Though there was a draft, thousands voluntarily
enlisted to fight, some even lying about their age
or illnesses to get in.
The reasons for US involvement in Vietnam were a bit murkier.
At the height of the Cold War, America's leaders
were determined to stop the spread of communism,
so they threw their support behind the South Vietnamese
to prevent a takeover by the Communist north.
But unlike World War II, there wasn't even
a formal declaration of war, and the majority of Americans
weren't concerned with the affairs of the Vietnamese.
But President Lyndon B Jonson and the powers that
be wanted a win against communism,
so the US escalated involvement, sending over
2 million troops to Vietnam throughout the course
of nearly a decade.
In contrast to World War II, many potential Vietnam recruits
actively avoided the draft--
Muhammad Ali one of the most famous examples.
Hell no, we won't go.
NARRATOR: Support for the troops at home
also reflected the nation's attitudes toward the two wars.
World War II propaganda urged Americans to aid the troops
abroad in any way they could.
Civilians donated scrap metal and rubber for equipment,
rationed food and gasoline, and even grew fruits and vegetables
in so-called victory gardens.
During the Vietnam War, the mood at home was downright hostile.
Vietnam was the first televised conflict.
Footage and photos beamed every ugly detail
directly into American homes.
Atrocities against women and children,
drug use, and chemical warfare.
The images sparked a massive anti-war movement that demanded
American troops come home.
[shouting]
NARRATOR: And here's where the experience
of World War II and Vietnam veterans diverged the most--
the homecomings.
When Japan surrendered in 1945 and World War II ended,
victorious soldiers arrived home to ticker
tape parades and emotional reunions with loved ones.
After nearly 10 years of fighting in Vietnam,
the cost and casualties proved too much for America to bear.
The US finally withdrew in 1973, and South Vietnam
fell to the Communist North two years later.
It was America's first major defeat,
and the troops bore the brunt of this loss
when they returned home.
Many recalled being spat upon, or called baby killers.
Others felt ostracized as scapegoats
for an unwinnable war rife with dishonorable conduct.
And this led to another stark difference--
the way veterans were treated by the system
after returning home.
When World War II soldiers came home,
the Veterans Administration offered them
generous education benefits, and a monthly living
stipend under the GI Bill.
In contrast, Vietnam veterans often
had trouble receiving enough compensation
to cover their living and educational expenses.
Bureaucracy, red tape, and cutbacks
led many to avoid the VA altogether.
It wasn't until the 1980s that America began to make things
right with Vietnam veterans.
A crucial step was the 1982 dedication
of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, DC.
The late '70s and '80s also saw a rise
in movies portraying the horror and heroism of the Vietnam War.
While many films about World War II
served as propaganda to reinforce its necessity,
movies about Vietnam were more ambivalent
and reflective, and often from the perspective
of surviving veterans.
The box office successes of films such as "Platoon"
and "Born On The 4th of July" signaled that Americans were
finally coming to understand and appreciate the men and women
who served in Vietnam.