The Return of the Enlisted Man
Thompson's Return
The homecoming of enlisted personnel from Vietnam is quite commonly known as arduous. Anthony Thompson lived this quintessential narrative when he returned to Dartmouth in 1965. Tony moved off campus after one of his fraternity brothers called him a moral coward for his service in the war. The way Tony would articulate his experience in Vietnam became muted from his truth. Even amongst other veterans, especially those who did not serve in Vietnam, Tony wouldn’t try to portray the brutal honesty he witnessed in 1964. How veterans spoke about the war would become an important factor in their ability to move past it. One of Tony’s best friends was a patrol boat captain named John English. John and Tony had different perspectives on the war, however, the two were still close friends who ventured to Australia together. The holistic mindset, agreeing to disagree, gave Tony a connection important for his happiness in the civilian world. His subjective truth would however, remain. His negative perspective on the Vietnam War memorial resonates with many veterans that still hold stipulations against considering the war as a moral quandary.
"John and I went to Australia, But John had a different perspective on the war. Yeah, and we never talked about it."
Anthony Thompson
PTSD and Munson's Return
Many veterans have a difficult time returning to civilian life after military service. Vietnam veterans were not an exception to this. According to the VA, 10% of Vietnam War veterans have experienced PTSD at some point in their lives. Daniel Walden '65 is one of these veterans. He fought during the Tet Offensive and returned with severe PTSD, which led to a spell of alcoholism. The Vietnam experience was harrowing for many, in a way that was intractable from their lives decades after the war had ended.
However, despite the high rates of PTSD across Vietnam veterans, it does not represent the experiences of every Vietnam veteran. An example is Robert Munson. Munson did not have any difficulty whatsoever adjusting back to civilian life. In fact, from teaching cadets at West Point to going back to school, he thrived after coming back from the war. The ravages of the war touched every serviceman differently. Despite serving during the same time period, Walden and Munson had vastly different relationships with PTSD in their return.
Comparing the Returns of Munson and Thompson
The interactions that Munson and Thompson had with civilians and veterans upon their return greatly differed. One of the key differences between the two men were the reactions of civilians upon their return. Tony Thompson, with his interaction with his fraternity brother, had a negative experience coming back from the war. Contrasting this is Robert Munson's return. When Munson came back to the United States through the Seattle-Tacoma Airport, he describes the veteran status of himself and his fellow soldiers as "pretty obvious", due to their buzz cuts and tans. However, despite being obviously a soldier, Munson does not report any kind negative interactions with civilians. In fact, he was able to get a ride back to his house from Logan Airport with a random family of strangers, who were very polite to him with full knowledge of his service.
While their interactions with civilians in their returns were different, Munson and Thompson both interacted with other veterans extensively after the war. Thompson speaks about his friendship with John English, who had a positive impact on Thompson's ability to move on from the war. Munson joined groups of veterans to talk about his experiences, including one which included many War on Terror veterans, which helped him relate his experiences beyond just other Vietnam War veterans.