Veterans' Issues


Returning Veteran Attitudes

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Source: Minority Veterans. In Source Material on the Vietnam Era Veteran. Congress. Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs, 173-236.  Washington, D. C.: GPO, 1974. Committee Print 26. "Minority Veterans." In Source Material on the Vietnam Era Veteran. Congress. Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs, 173-236. Washington, D.C.: GPO, 1974. Committee Print 26.

Part 3: Minority Veterans.

[Overview]

SuDoc No.: Y4.V64/4:V67/6


Vance Hartke, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs, stated in the introduction of this Committee Print that, "What is intended...is to present in this single volume of source material a collection of diverse viewpoints which will stimulate those who read it to learn more about our newest generation of veterans and perhaps to arrive at their own judgments."

Each article has been previously published, and is presented chronologically. The chronological approach gives a good feel for the change in attitudes of African-Americans who returned to American society after serving in Vietnam. Most of the authors saw the veterans as the primary moving force behind the next phase of the civil rights struggle. However they differed over whether veterans would return to lead the African-American community through peaceful activism or whether they would take the combat skills they learned in Vietnam and join the militant faction of the movement.




FULL TEXT


Preface


Veterans' law defines the "Vietnam Era" as that period "beginning August 5, 1964 and ending on such date as shall thereafter be determined by Presidential Proclamation or concurrent resolution of Congress." Almost 7 million men and women have re-entered civilian life as Vietnam Era veterans and in large measure we know little about them or their attitudes. In response to a growing interest in the Vietnam Era veteran, the Committee staff has assembled the following collection of selected articles in order to disseminate information on this large portion of our young adult population.

The Vietnam Era veterans has often been the center of a storm of controversy and many of the articles herein reflect this. The source material in this volume is intended to present a representative spectrum of views concerning these veterans which have appeared in print since the Vietnam Conflict began. Naturally, no reader will or could be expected to agree with all the views expressed in these articles. What is intended, however, is to present in this single volume of source material a collection of diverse viewpoints which will stimulate those who read it to learn more about our newest generation of veterans and perhaps to arrive at their own judgments.

In my capacity as Chairman of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee, I am concerned that the Vietnam Era veteran is too often misunderstood or ignored by our society. Hopefully through continued Congressional action, and to a lesser extent through source material such as this document, the Vietnam Era veteran will be more clearly perceived and thereby aided in his readjustment to developing his full potential as an active and productive member of our nation's civilian population.

Vance Hartke,
Chairman.


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