Witnessing War
"Yeah, we're excited. Because it's all an adventure. It was, you know, that Hemingway stuff. It was an adventure."
- Ernest Paul "Rusty" Sachs
Vietnam H-34s Land in Rice Fields
Marine Corps H-34 helicopter squadron HMM-362 lands in a rice field to unload troops.
Rusty is one of many Vietnam Veterans whose initial thoughts about Vietnam and war revolved around adventure, excitement, and patriotism. Like numerous young men, he went to Vietnam believing that he was fulfilling a duty and doing what was right, influenced by American culture and his military training.
These ideas and beliefs start to come into question the more Rusty witnesses and is impacted by the loss of life around him. In his interview, Rusty explains that one of the biggest struggles for him was rationalizing the loss of his friends and fellow Marines. He tells of how he starts to realize that the justifications to stop the spread of communism and protect American values don't make sense
"The way we distinguished between civilian and VC: VC had weapons and civilians didn't, and anybody dead was considered a VC."
- Scott Camil
Routine Medevac Conduced by Marine Corps Helicopter Squadron HMM-362
This photo was provided by Rusty, he described the scene as a routine medevac of Marine casualties. You can see a wounded Marine being assisted loading into the H-34 helicopter.
Interviews and testimonies from Vietnam Veterans often reveal accounts of witnessed atrocities and shed light on the unfortunate instances where some American troops dehumanized both the enemy and civilian populations. This dehumanization helped them cope with the demands of their tasks and survive in a challenging environment. However, upon their return home, many veterans reevaluated these thoughts and actions.
"It was all wrong, you know, I didn't start really thinking about these things until I came home."
- David Bishop