The ongoing and escalating Vietnam War was the longest, most unpopular and controversial war America has ever fought. Thousands of men who either could not, or did not want to attend college were drafted or signed up voluntarily soon after they were eligible at age 18. Most knew next to nothing about Vietnam. That was mainly due to the fact that everything was going on as usual at home. The nation wasn't exactly on a total war footing. Millions of men were exempt from serving in this war for one reason or another. Their normal adult life went on as usual - getting married, having a family, getting a job or going to school. Only in those families having a realtive in Vietnam was daily life affected by that far-off war in that far-off country.

The Vietnam war became the pivotal point in many young peoples lives. Media reports from overseas became increasingly gruesome. Television reporting showed the death and destruction caused by the relentless bombing campaigns of the U.S. forces. Nightly news reports counted the dead. Vietnam became the focus of many major protests during this time. Major literary and political figures began to speak out against keeping the U.S. troops in Vietnam. Promised results were not achieved with escalation. Saigan was overran by the North Vietnam army on January 30, 1968 making a predawn attack on the U.S. Emabassy. On November 30, 1969, newspapers reported that U.S. troops had massacred up to six hundred men, women and children in the remote village of My Lai. Opposition grew. The nation began to take a hard look at the United States' involvement in Vietnam.

The Vietnam war divided the country into hawks and doves. Thousands of young men fled to Canada rather than allow themselves to be drafted and sent to Vietnam. Back home, those remaining took to the streets to protest. Using non-violent tactics to get their message across, teach-ins helped explain that was going on in Vietnam. Marches - drawing as many as 500,000 people at one time - were held. Draft card burning indicated non-cooperation with the war machine. Protests at induction centers attempted to stop people from signing up for the war. A massive protest once surrounded the Pentagon. The bloodshed continued.

The South Vietnamese leaders believed that America would never let them go down to a defeat. That belief died.The long war ended with South Vietnam's surrender when the North Vietnamese tanks smashed into Saigon on April 30, 1975.

Leaving Vietnam was the happiest day of many soldiers lives. That happiness changed returning home. Soldiers were jeered at. Some were called baby killers. Friends, family and even strangers to these soldiers made the message clear: Vietnam was a taboo subject. Those soldiers who took part in this dirty little war were considered embarrassments to America. Most Vietnam vets just kept quiet and went about their own business. Twenty years later the American public has changed their mind about the men who served in Vietnam. A memorial to all Vietnam veterans was erected in Washinton, D.C., in 1982. A wealth of information has been written about the war and its veterans in recent years. It's a bit shallow thinking though. The Vietnam vets were never the villians they were once made out to be. Nor the superheroes some want them to be today. They deserve recognition for serving their country - whether it be at a large or small capacity. It was a big part of their lives. A part they should be allowed to acknowledge and talk about...allowing them to get on with their lives.