The Spitting Image: Myth, Memory, and the Legacy of Vietnam

[Mushroom]

Could you explain to us what happened? You were there and saw it

Where did it happen? What was said? How did the soldier react?

Why didn't you do anything about it?

And what should he have done?

Please let us know, what is the proper response for such a thing? Punch them out? Cry to the police? Start making a huge scene and act like drama queens?

Myself, I vote just as I have done whenever I meet those arseclowns. I simply move on with my life, ignoring the idiots as best as I can.

 

[rightwinger]

Could you explain to us what happened? You were there and saw it

Where did it happen? What was said? How did the soldier react?

Why didn't you do anything about it?

And what should he have done?

Please let us know, what is the proper response for such a thing? Punch them out? Cry to the police? Start making a huge scene and act like drama queens?

Myself, I vote just as I have done whenever I meet those arseclowns. I simply move on with my life, ignoring the idiots as best as I can.

I imagine each would handle it in their own way. But I still haven't seen anyone say what exactly happened and how they responded. In your experience would over a hundred soldiers accept a hippie spitting on them without a response?

 

[Mushroom]

I imagine each would handle it in their own way. But I still haven't seen anyone say what exactly happened and how they responded. In your experience would over a hundred soldiers accept a hippie spitting on them without a response?

I just went on my way. I had a plane to catch, and it was not like I was going to try and hold him and wait for the police to arrive.

And tell me, how should this have been responded to?



Would you have tried to place this person under "citizens arrest"? Surrounded by hundreds of others who apparently share the same beliefs?

Most of us just walk away, because we know that when the police show up, we are as likely (if not more likely) to be arrested then these "protestors" are.

 

[9thIDdoc]

The assertion that the spitting and other forms of disrespect and injury were somehow a myth is the attempt to revise history in this case. And it went much further than that. Jane Fonda's outright treason-as well as that others-is well documented. But we are supposed to believe that those hippie assholes would draw the line at spiting?
I was there. It happened. And it hurt. I was highly pissed at the government for many reasons not the least of which was the fact that it allowed such illegal and downright nasty activity by civilians.

Could you explain to us what happened? You were there and saw it

Where did it happen? What was said? How did the soldier react?

Why didn't you do anything about it?

You have had your idiotic questions answered many times but you continue to ignore the answers when they are given.
If you are determined to call me and my bros. liars you would be well advised to be able prove it. Or STFU.

I was stationed at the Presidio in San Francisco for training and OJT at Letterman USAH '68-'69. During my time there there were "protests" large and small some of which I saw and one of which I participated in. These were sometimes quite violent (odd for people who claimed to be demonstrating for peace). Spitting and name calling were common (yes, I was a target a time or two) even at the largely non-violent ones. I don't really know if the spit hit or not because I was much more interested in not being hit by possible thrown rocks bottles and bags of dog shit which were also not uncommon. I saw battery acid (H2SO4) thrown on MP's (they aimed for the eyes).

Whenever possible soldiers did not wear uniforms or travel in groups of less than 3 to minimize attacks.
There is a good reason why there were so many incidents at airports. If a soldier wanted to fly military standby he was required to be in uniform and have a copy of his orders. Airports were one place soldiers could be found in uniform by themselves. And things rarely got really nasty unless the protesters had at least a 10-1 advantage. The military forbade fighting civilians in or out of uniform and doing so carried serious consequences regardless of who started it. To top things off the ones spitting and throwing dog shit were very likely to be cute little hippy chicks who (judging from vocabulary) had spent far too much time around sailors. Real men don't hit women.
It should also be noted that the vast majority of soldiers abused were NOT Vietnam veterans. Most had never been in combat much less burned any babies.

 

[rightwinger]

The assertion that the spitting and other forms of disrespect and injury were somehow a myth is the attempt to revise history in this case. And it went much further than that. Jane Fonda's outright treason-as well as that others-is well documented. But we are supposed to believe that those hippie assholes would draw the line at spiting?
I was there. It happened. And it hurt. I was highly pissed at the government for many reasons not the least of which was the fact that it allowed such illegal and downright nasty activity by civilians.

Could you explain to us what happened? You were there and saw it

Where did it happen? What was said? How did the soldier react?

Why didn't you do anything about it?

You have had your idiotic questions answered many times but you continue to ignore the answers when they are given.
If you are determined to call me and my bros. liars you would be well advised to be able prove it. Or STFU.

I was stationed at the Presidio in San Francisco for training and OJT at Letterman USAH '68-'69. During my time there there were "protests" large and small some of which I saw and one of which I participated in. These were sometimes quite violent (odd for people who claimed to be demonstrating for peace). Spitting and name calling were common (yes, I was a target a time or two) even at the largely non-violent ones. I don't really know if the spit hit or not because I was much more interested in not being hit by possible thrown rocks bottles and bags of dog shit which were also not uncommon. I saw battery acid (H2SO4) thrown on MP's (they aimed for the eyes).

Whenever possible soldiers did not wear uniforms or travel in groups of less than 3 to minimize attacks.
There is a good reason why there were so many incidents at airports. If a soldier wanted to fly military standby he was required to be in uniform and have a copy of his orders. Airports were one place soldiers could be found in uniform by themselves. And things rarely got really nasty unless the protesters had at least a 10-1 advantage. The military forbade fighting civilians in or out of uniform and doing so carried serious consequences regardless of who started it. To top things off the ones spitting and throwing dog shit were very likely to be cute little hippy chicks who (judging from vocabulary) had spent far too much time around sailors. Real men don't hit women.
It should also be noted that the vast majority of soldiers abused were NOT Vietnam veterans. Most had never been in combat much less burned any babies.

Thank you

I just wanted your insight on just what was happening.