I used to work at a gas station when I was younger and I had a customer who was this older black man who would tell me stories about his time in Vietnam. One day during one of his stories I shook his hand and said thank you for your service because I know you guys got treated horribly when you came back so I want to show gratitude for what you guys went through. He started crying in middle of the store very quietly and said “thank you young man that means so much to me, no one has ever said that to me before”.

We shouldn’t have been in Vietnam but the way veterans were treated was absolutely deplorable.

There's a guy in my town we call "mean Gene". He's now 99 years old and is a WWII vet. He watched his son commit suicide by gun in his driveway, lost his wife of 70 years to cancer and had a major stroke that has since paralyzed his left arm and nearly all of his left leg but he can still get around with a cane. He served in the Pacific theatre. Anyhow, Gene was on a transport ship and the Japanese pilots would come down real low almost to the water line and use our transport ships as shields from the gunships because they sat higher in the water and would come up over the tops of our lighter less important ships to attack the more important ones. Gene would stand on the open deck of his transport ship and throw potatoes at the Japanese Zero pilots. I don't think the reaper will take this man for fear of him.

My uncle had a shit ton of medals from Vietnam, he was a green beret that was highly decorated and had a thousand yard stare anytime I ever saw him. My cousin and I one time asked him what it was like and he looked both of us directly in the eyes and said we’d never hear about it from him. Definitely got the vibe he’d seen some shit. RIP Uncle wayne…

my neighbor, Sam Hunt, was at Pearl Harbor. He told his story when I was in my late 20s. Sam was on a minesweeper and heard the chaos above decks. He ran up to the top deck to see Japanese planes bombing and strafing. He told me he jumped back into the stairwell and knocked his front 2 teeth out. His CO came up the stairwell and threw up when he saw Sam's bloody face. He told me they were able to get underway and made it out of the Harbor. After that, I cleaned his pool, did yard work etc and wanted nothing. He wouldn't accept something for nothing and would always press 10 bucks in my hand. it was literally less than 2 bucks an hour but I knew his pride was involved so I thanked him. when he passed away, I did the same work around the house for his wife for cookies, brownies, etc. I'll never forget it and glad for it.

My grandfather went into Normandy on a glider behind the lines with the 82nd Airborne. He was a SSgt. and he only ever said that he did his job just like everyone else. I hope they all know just how special what they did was. RIP grandpa 1921-1999.

Both my Grandfather's were WW2 Veterans and my father was a Vietnam Veteran. They all had horrific stories and never really bounced back from the traumas they experienced. No therapy, or support from the government at all. I now know my dad had undiagnosed PTSD, would wake up screaming, and kept a gun under his bed. The sacrifice these men make is for LIFE, not just the duration of their tour.

The initial question at the beginning of the clip was inadvertantly answered I feel. You can describe all of these heroic events and battles in WW2, the difference between it and conflicts like Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan, Korea, Syria, etc. is those conflicts are long, drawn out, and fought for unclear reasons to the public and without any definable end goal in mind.

I love what he said in the beginning about language. It reminds me of something that George Carlin said. "They want to control your language because that's how you control thought. Because we do think in language. So the quality of our thoughts, actions and ideas can only be as good as the quality of our language." I just felt like I had to point that out.

I worked in a VA hospital in the late 80’s, my patients were the remaining WW2 vets. It was one of the best experiences of a 37 year nursing career! They were phenomenal men!

My grandpa was a battle vet from ww2 he was born 11-11-1919 he had bad PTSD he slept with a loaded 357 under his pillow he would tell us crazy stories about how after they took the beach his tank driver had lost his mind and would drive over the bloated bodies to hear them pop and all the men had to tie him up. He went into the war a racist and by the time he came out he realized how foolish his beliefs really were. Made him question God and everything he was taught his whole life. Rest easy pop.

Whenever I see a Vietnam vet I always shake their hand and say welcome home. It honestly is the best feeling seeing their faces afterwards

He’s right, somehow we stopped holding our politicians accountable. I never liked Nixon but he had the decency of resigning, and that’s respectable.

My dad took me to Normandy and Ohama Beach when I was around 10 (22 now). I remember it so well, the mass burials with crosses and bunkers. At that time it didn’t really hit me because I was too young, but looking back at it man… Wow. So grateful for those unimaginably brave men who fought for OUR freedom, something we take for granted so much nowadays. Taking yourself through the experience of imagining what that was like really changes your view of the world. I’m so grateful my dad took me there to do just that when I was younger.

My respect for past soldiers shot threw the roof after my history class in college. Reading world history, war, and what those young men at the time went through really put things into perspective for me. I hope I’m able to teach my kids the same as he did with his little girl, what that generation did for us I will forever be appreciative and thankful for.

My great grandpa was part of the chosen few he’s told me super sad stories of how they came close to death, and how most of them lost their toes hands etc.. my grandpa even showed me his toes and there were only 3 on each… but the forgotten war isn’t talked much enough sad for what they all went through being from being ambushed to making it though the cold.. Rip all fallen soldiers

my grandfather was in ww2, the korean conflict, and vietnam. he was a proud american. even though he said he didnt think everything the government did was right, and that they needed to take better care of the men and women who serve, he was proud to be an american mostly because of the bonds he formed with men and women in the service. he was raised by racist people, in a racist area, but he military completely changed him. he said you didnt care what color the men were next to you, only whether or not they had your back. and they did. they had eachothers backs. brothers in arms, truly. rest in peace grandpa, i wish i had been more mature while you were around, to ask you more about your life experiences.

The real difference: we were the liberating force in WW2, and the occupying force in Vietnam

I think that as soon as war became profitable, conflicts became easy to justify

I am 26 and already medically retired from the Army after serving in Iraq & Syria. I miss the brotherhood but I also miss the ones we lost. I really don’t know what to do with my life now since it feels like I have no purpose but I just try to live on for the ones who didn’t make it

My father and his brothers from Kansas decided that it was their duty to fight for our country and join the Navy right after Peral Harbor.. Dad was sank twice the last he was the sole survivor. He got out in 1945 then went to being a sheriff. 1948 dad reenlisted into into the Army and served during the Korean war. Dad stayed in the Army and saw 3 tours of Vietnam 1st Cav active combat. Purple, bronze, etc... While stationed in Seoul I was born. My mother and her family were refugees from the Korean war. Dad was a big man at 6'4 300+. Dad was a gentle man that loved his country. When I was little I asked about how come the Vietnam war was so bad and horrible (Vietnam flashbacks) and the others wars were not? He told me this a few times that during WW2 we had nothing but the dirt under us. When WW2 broke out it was duty to our country. And said that he had 3 meals a day, fresh clothes and $44 dollars in his pocket. We fought an enemy and we won with the world celebrated. Then the soldiers came home, got the GI bill got homes and started the families. The children of those families grew up with so many new and modern things, High School, automobiles, Prom, drive in's, surfing, ColorTV, etc.. The American dream. Then throw an 19 year old kid with a M16 into the jungles of southeast Asia. I miss my father.

One difference in particular that stands out between WW2 and Vietnam was _who_ fought. In WW2, all social classes served, but for Vietnam, it was largely working-class Americans who couldn't get those college deferments or cushy Air National Guard assignments Stateside.

Got nothing but love for the vets. Its ashame how our government treats them. My granda fought in the korean war, he passed away this year and he was all about honoring vets. He would always make sure we honored them and even at his funeral made sure we honored the vets. When he passed away all the grand sons in our family, which is well over 25 of us got together and had a flag retirement ceremony and we all took turns burning his flag for the final time. He would always do it alone in his backyard on veterans day to honor the vets. He left an amazing legacy and now all his grandchildren, great grandchildren and great great grandchildren get to carry his legacy further.

This guy seems really passionate for someone who didn’t live through those events.

I think the difference was that in ww2 there was a clear cut villain with Hitler that needed to be stopped. I’m Vietnam a lot of the soldiers didn’t even know why they were there and what they were killing for. The soldiers were used and essentially thrown away for the interests of people who didn’t care about them at all

Honestly I don't understand why he couldn't put his finger on it. It feels insincere, considering he should know better. We entered WWII after we were attacked; prior to that the country was mixed on whether or not Axis aggression should be confronted directly. Vietnam was a twisted side-step into a gruesome conflict with motivations that were questionable at best, and confusing to citizens.

Vietnam vets were treated the worst when they came home which really was something sad to learn

My father and my friend's father were both in WW2. My friend's father won the silver star for rescuing a wounded soldier during a fire fight. He said he didn't do anything more than many others did. The mindset of those soldiers fascinates me. To overcome the terror in their mind and function like that. We have lost the greatest generation.

The way we treated our Veterans from Vietnam compared to the Veterans coming from World War 2 was absolutely atrocious. This was the distinct factor in my opinion. Being a History teacher, I find extreme valuable in teaching students in the classroom this difference when discussing the Vietnam War. It was a shifting of cultures among society and the military. No Veteran should be treated in such a way.

I've been privileged to be good friends with two Vietnam combat veterans over the decades. They are gone now. We sometimes would get drunk/fucked up and the stories they would tell were beyond anything I could ever endure. Being the pussy I am. I loved these guys. They didn't serve together, but were Marine Force Recon, one tall and muscular and the other short and built like a bull. Both were generous and outgoing, but you could see the inner pain they carried. Both had crazy experiences as well as painful struggles in that war with the scars to prove it. I'm talking last man alive stuff. Our government shit on these brave men and still has a long way to go to make it right for everyone who serves in combat for America.

The gliders Joe asks about at 7:00 were used to transport troops behind enemy lines to fight alongside the paratroopers that jumped in. It was a way to bring in troops without having to have that many more planes to transport them. The gliders were much easier and quicker to build. The C-47’s carried a load of paratroopers and (some of them) towed in gliders full of troops behind them, cut them loose and the glider pilot took over control and landed them. There were lots of casualties due to glider crashes, mishaps etc. but it was still a success.

My father-in-law was in Normandy. He was in the 7th wave. He told me that the first and second wave was destroyed, no one survived. By third wave a few made it to the beach. And little by little they made progress. Crazy……

WWII was the last war that people generally feel was justified

My grandpa was in WW2 Navy on the Mona Island. My dad was drafted in the Army in Vietnam (MP K-9 Sentryman). Even the feel of the stories were so different. My dad suffered a lot after coming home.

My dad is an army vet from Vietnam.. He's recently been able to get into a vet's retirement home. Everyone is shocked he went to Vietnam. Sadly he's to old to visit Vietnam before he passes but I hope to go just to reconnect with the country. He comes from my grandfather who is one of the pilots who dropped the bombs on Japan. I definitely appreciate any military veterans in my daily life and try to help them when I can

As a kid, I got to know a guy who was a belly gunner in the Pacific during WWII. He always noted that he shot down plans with a Mitsubishi symbol on them and we now have cars in the US with that symbol. I wish I knew him when I'm older so I could appreciate his stories more but he passed away years ago.

My grandpa was part of a group of 200 US marine tunnel rats along with 700 combined arms. He was spit on he was called names when he returned & while Howard stern gloats of wearing body parts as a trophy my grandfather is rotting away in his room from PTSD & dementia he gathers all the kitchen knives and hides them under his bed sheets on his bed and sleeps In a chair. He was a POW for 1 year and is only 78. I hate what Vietnam took from my papa

My Grandfather was a Cannoneer during the Second World War. He hit the Normandy beach 1.5 days after the first wave. He, and his brethren, fought from France to Belgium and finally Germany. He was at the Battle of the Bulge and was part of the liberation of Dachau. The stories he told will stay with me until I die. I cannot imagine how it would be to live through it in person. But, I'm so very proud of him and his Generation. God Bless each and every Veteran. Thank you for your service.

So this gentleman's answer to the question is " i don't know " . If you don't know without uncertainty who the enemy is , how can you fight him with vigor ? Things changed when uniforms were no longer worn by your combatant . They are nowhere , they are everywhere .

I was in Singapore twice and I had visited some of the battlefield sites where the British troops had fought against the Japanese in 1941/42. I have yet to visit Europe but I can understand that powerful feeling of being there like that.

I met a few Tuskegee airman when I was younger and it was an incredibly impactful moment in my youth. I still remember them years later and I have so much respect for the generation that took on hell and won.

My teenage kid said this to me and it's something that sticks in my head and makes so much sense to me. "Intelligent animals in zoos look so sad and depressed, and I see that today in society. It's like we've all been tricked into building our own little zoos, our own little pen. I don't think we are built/designed to live like this."

My dad was a marine in Vietnam and my grandfather was a world war 2 vet. The difference is my dad was in killer mode every second and my grandfather was more laid back.Both killers but my dad was a bit more aggressive. They weee both superhuman though. They could fight through anything it was wild

Joe didn't do his research 6:52. They did bomb, shell, and drop paratroopers behind the lines. They largely missed their targets or fortifications were extremely strong.

Both my grandfather's flew in ww2 and both were shot down. I'm glad I was alive to know them and respect for what they did. I have always been a ww2 buff. It's crazy to think that we were the last generations of people who can say we knew them. My children and their children will never know anyone who was in ww2, but almost everyone I grew up with, born in 1986 or earlier, had a grandfather they knew and was still alive who served in that war.

My grandfather was too young to be in ww2 but his father (my great grandfather) was in WW1 and he served in the Meuse-Argonn offensive which was one of the last (if not the last) big offensive in WW1. That battle lasted 47 days. I also think it is the deadliest battle in American history. Over 340,000 casualties. I can’t remember if that was just Americans though… might be a total count in the 47 days. And my dad told me he asked the man what it was like being young and naive at the time. The 96 year old man burst into tears. My dad later found out his grandfathers best friend was in the trenches with him got shot and he had to watch his friend suffer, die…. Then rot on the battlefield for days.. used his corpse as shelter..….….I couldn’t even imagine. (he was very old when he had my grandfather)

My great grandfather fought in Africa, Italy, Normandy, and then went on to the Pacific. The amount of respect and interest i have in these men and history is immense. God Bless America.

My grandfather was in the marines and his time was up and then got home and joined the navy to go back and fight WW II , I was only 10 when he passed away but that man was one of a kind and fearless

I work in retail and I see a Vietnam vet almost everyday and I make sure to always shake their hand, thank them for their service and welcome them home because they didn’t get that when they came back.

He’s absolutely right, it’s all a big business, everything is about money now

I used to work with a Vietnam vet who was drafted into the war and he said that when he came back after serving he applied for a job as a butcher and they told him that they could not hire him because he was a vet from Vietnam He said he didn't get a heroes welcome like the men did after WW2

My grandad John Riley Walker was at Omaha Beach on D-Day. Wounded by gunshot to the arm in Carentan. He would receive two purple hearts after the war. He also visited Normandy again in the early 2010s. I wish I could talk to him being 29 now. I interviewed him for a high school project and I think he told me things he never told anybody else. The only thing he said about Saving Private Ryan was that his company didn't have bags to keep their guns dry. That was all he ever said about that day besides that he was there.

What the guy says as to why respect for the military is lessened, it's becuase WWII is now further and further away and also Korea, Vietnam, War on Terrorism had/has such dubious motives and unclear goals which makes people question why are they there in the first place.

I'm so happy someone is doing this, just to bad this is only happening now most of the WW2 vets are gone

"The Longest Day" is a legendary CLASSIC. Must watch, no excuses.

Normandy actually went incredibly well. The paratrooper deployment and artillery bombardment could have been much more effective and well timed out. That would have limited the death toll much more. But many of the invading forces faced much less resistance than the main attack on Ohmaha that people remember. The plan was really well designed and executed considering the size and logistics involved with the largest amphibious assault in history.

Your thumbnail photo was a photo I chose as one of the best historic photos for my photography assignment! Very symbolic 👍

My grandfather was in the marines in the Vietnam war and was very open about telling his stories. Among the hell they went through there and here after I just cannot imagine. That is why it is absolutely crucial to thank a Vietnam veteran for their service. They never got that thank you.

The use of gliders was to reduce cost... alleviating shortages in materials... and improving efficiency (ie more boots on ground using fewer resources) One powered plane could tow and launch many gliders (one at a time... not all at once) and return to base to do the same thing the next day or the next week.

My great grandpa and great grandma lived in Pearl Harbor when the attack happened because my great grandpa was stationed there. My great grandma was walking over to a friends house with a dish in hand because they were having a cookout breakfast, and a Japanese pilot came right at her. And she just froze. She said that her and the pilot made eye contact and he nodded and pulled up and flew over her. This was a year before they had my grandma. Which is crazy because he easily could have just fired and I wouldn’t even be here today. My mom has the pan on a shelf at her house. soldiers do indeed have some humanity.

To see what is happening in America today is an absolute slap in the face to all who have fought and died for the country.

The germam v2 vengeance weapon had gyroscopes, it was the first precision guided rocket. The v1 was a pulse jet bomb lanched in mass

thinking on war and soldiers always helps me push through my pain and struggle

As a kid who has been to both of those places, I agree it gives u a good prospective and deeper connection with that generation and patriotism as a whole

The difference is that I don't have WW2 flashbacks

Also recommend checking out some of the WW1 memorials. Incredible, jaw dropping experience. The crosses that lie row on row will humble you more than anything.

The gliders had extra supplies weapons and ammunition on board. You could stuff a few more troops in the back of them as well. They were also pulled behind the c47s that most of the the parachute infantry were on. So in theory you have x2 the amount of troops. There was a bomber sortie that went out before the landings. But their bombs didn’t do as much damage to the German fortifications as the planners thought was going to happen.

At D-Day the artillery to soften up the defense missed by a mile in land. That's why so many people died that day.

My mom married my step dad when I was 7 years old. He was a Huey door gunner in Vietnam. They didn’t call it PTSD back then and the VA treated it with large amounts of drugs to just make zombies out of a lot of guys. There were times he was the nicest gentlest human being I ever knew and there were times I thought he was going to kill my Mom and I. 40 years later I get it.

My grandmother had a boyfriend at the time who died in battle as a paratrooper. She hardly ever talked about it, but my mom told me the story and also what my grandfather did during the war, such as fighting in Germany. Both my grandfathers fought in WWII, and some of the documents and letters we found after their passing are incredible to read. Seeing some of the German soldier memorabilia they brought back to America with them still haunt me to this day.

A lot of veterans don't look back at their fondly, because they remember the horrors to not only experienced, but the horrors they inflicted.

WW2 made the US and really anyone on that side EXTREMELY RICH and boomed our economy and tech. Our government (life long politicians) realized that. They forced the next wars, Korea, ‘Nam, Iraq, Afghan, Africa, the Middle East again…. Think about it. WW2 brought us out of the Depression and things were glorious after. Up until the 50s. We had all this military built up, thanks WW2, nothing to do with it. We seen the Russians were moving around in that region and we forced the hand. Jumped into war, the vets from WW2 thought it was their chance again along with a DRAFT. Our leaders thought that it was going to be a great turn out for $ and power flexing. It was not. Vietnam was supposed to clean up the thoughts very few had about the Korean War. Instead those people and the soldiers realized that it was a lie and were thrown into the fire because your government told you too. Every war after WW2 was for profit. Not a battle between good and evil. Those battles are long gone. It is all for profit now. That’s the DIFFERENCE between WW2 and Vietnam. The only difference that matters.

My uncles, great uncle fought on Omaha, my uncle one day sat him down and showed him SPR the Dday scene, It was to much for him they had to turn it off. Pid Kennedy, was his name he fought threw the whole war and even killed a high ranking german officer took his gun a double barrel shotgun with ivy, swastikas all that on it (awesome gun to see in person) sent it home to his cousin stationed at fort brag in different pieces so he didn't get caught . It's one of the coolest things I've ever seen or touched. Ww2 vets and what they did can't ever be forgotten.

I find it interesting that ww2 is so romantized ive heard vets say that patrolling the streets of baghdad was equal to storming normandy. Not even the same ball park

He’s so right! We need to understand and appreciate what was done for us so much more, god bless those men that have everything for us

In WW2, they were fighting for good... In Vietnam, they were fighting for politicians.

At D-Day, there was a massive bombing raid that was supposed to soften up the landing beaches, but the bombers missed their target area and ended up dropping the bombs further inland. Therefore there were no craters for cover, no elimination of mines and obstacles, and no initial degradation of German forces at the beaches. That’s why the casualties were so high. It was a very costly clusterf*ck

The bravery and willingness that those soldiers had to keep advancing while watching their good friends dying horrifically right beside is TRULY remarkable and unbelievable. In my opinion, the heroes that died so that the men behind them (who lived) could take over Normandy and return home to their wives and families are the true heroes. Our society today would immediately fold at the sight of Normandy that day. Our society today would not win that war. We are too fragile and too easily offended. The men at that time were strong and had thick skin

My Uncle Roy Gleason played for the La Dodgers, then got drafted into Vietnam in '67. Lost his Championship Ring over there, and they awarded him another one in 2003.

I thought it was pretty common knowledge how the US and allied forces failed logistically at Normandy by dropping the munitions meant for the enemy entirely too far from the intended lines for them to be at all effective.

My grandfather served in the Canadian Navy during WW2. He was a Morse code operator so to my knowledge he never killed anyone himself, but I could always sense the guilt he felt. He told me once that he wasn't proud of anything he did in the war. As much as dehumanization helps you do what war asks of you, my grandfather never forgot that the men on the other side had families too. He may not have liked talking about his service, but he did help me understand the importance of remembering what happened in the war so we can prevent another one from happening. He didn't see anything glorious about what he did. He understood war for the ugly thing that it is. I think when he started losing his memory to Alzheimer's he mentioned that he hoped it would take his memories of the war away. A part of me hopes it did.

The softening up missed the target. The Naval bombardment often went over the beach fortifications, and they definitely needed more air support

Dad was a Pacific WWII veteran. He was 19 in 1944, and survived 3 Island landings. In 1981, when I enlisted, all he said to me was, "I've played that song, and you're not going to dig it; trust me." Did I listen? Of COURSE not; 18yo-s never do. I got out with an RE1-A discharge code, after 4 years to the day. It wasn't until Pop was 75, in the hospital, looking at open-heart surgery, that he ever spoke of his time in the Pacific; and then he couldn't stop. All the things I didn't understand growing up, now made perfect sense to me. We can't even imagine what they lived through, and carried the rest of their days. Having said that, the biggest difference between WWII and Vietnam, is that in WWII we were committed to winning, and in Vietnam, we were not. Certainly, the ground forces fought to survive and prevail, but those at the top echelons, who MADE the big decisions, from either DC, Langley, or downtown Saigon, were NOT committed to win; and since NOBODY wanted to lose, EITHER, it was a "push-me-pull-you", status-quo, goat-f**k. Had we fought WWII the same way we fought Vietnam, we'd have LOST; without debate. If you doubt me, consider the following. The "flags" [generals/stars] were all "field-grades" in Korea, and "Co-grades" in WWII. They KNEW what worked, and what didn't, and had fought in jungle environments, and against "asian cultures and mindsets" before [Japs, Norks, and ChiComs]; there was a DMZ [38th-17th Parallels], and there were North and South [Korea/Vietnam]. What most don't realize, is that Vietnam, like Korea, was a UN-war; our commitment there was based on the SEATO treaty [patterned after NATO]; which is why the Aussies were there. The SEATO treaty got its authority from the UN Charter. Therefore, it was a UN-sanctioned/controlled conflict; with much of the same kind of problems that Korea had. As Korea wound down, the foundation for Vietnam was being laid; and the sides were being lined up, by the CIA, and State Dept. Vietnam was manipulated into a CIVIL War, and because the French had to be placated to remain in NATO, we "had" to help THEM, maintain control of "THEIR" Colonies in Indo-China. When JFK realized that Vietnam was going to be a CIA-managed goatscrew, just like the Bay of Pigs in Cuba, he was intent on withdrawing from Vietnam, and dismembering the CIA; go find NSAM 263, and READ it. JFK even made a presentation at the National Press Club [July/Aug63...+/-?] where he stated that, "...by this time next year, there will be no more personnel in SoVnm...". To his eternal credit, the ONLY time that video clip has ever been seen on film, is in Oliver Stone's "JFK". The Gulf of Ton-Kin was RIGGED; the RESOLUTION was written BEFORE the incident happened! Ask yourself this: How was it we could prevail on a TWO-FRONT World War, with LESSER TECHNOLOGY, and apparently were UNABLE to prevail, against a SINGLE, divided, COASTAL country [and/or Laos and Cambodia], having transitioned from B-17s/24s/25s/26s/29s, to B-52s; from P-47s/51s/Corsairs, to F-4s/A-6s/105s, and from gravity rockets to sophisticated guided missiles, LAAWs rockets, and helicopter gunships; and YET, we couldn't win?? WHY?!! Because the objective was NOT to "KILL the goose that lays the golden eggs (win OR lose); rather, the objective was to FEED the goose, so it laid MORE eggs, and to keep it going for as long as possible; just like Iraq and Afghanistan. How long did THAT last...15+ years? If you want to see what happens when the Pentagon is SERIOUS about winning, look at Desert Storm! So, WHAT HAPPENED 10+ years LATER??? Did they just forget everything they learned in Desert Storm?? Hardly...! Don't take MY word for it; go find a small book written by Smedley D. Butler [MGen, USMCR (ret)], a 2X MoH recipient, entitled "War is a Racket"; he wrote it in the mid-1930s, AFTER Hitler became Chancellor, and BEFORE the war in Europe started [01Sep39]. Given Butler's book, Eisenhower's Farwell Address, the Pentagon Papers, and the advantage of historical hindsight, it should be plainly, blatantly, and painfully obvious.... No wonder DoD can't meet its recruiting/retention goals; go figure, huh?

WWII felt like we were actually defending ourselves, and our allies from an evil enemy. While the Viet Cong were no saints, fighting "the spread of communism" by ruthlessly killing them, along with their women and children just felt completely different. Despite this, like others here have said, our veteran deserved better, it's pretty depressing to see so many veterans drugged out and homeless.

I served in Iraq at age 18. Made me grow up fast but also respect those who faught and died before me wearing the uniform. I wasn't for the war but I sure was for my country.

We lost Vietnam, that's the difference. As an army veteran from the sweet spot era between Grenada and Desert Storm I can say that my experience was good, but I got out just in time. War is hell and I'm glad I didn't have to go through it.

The greatest stories have come from men I’ve met who have served. Guys who continue to get up and go to work well into their 70s and 80s. These are men I look up too and absorb every bit of information they want to bless me with. They know what it truly means to live!

An older friend of mine served two combat tours in the Vietnam War in the Marine Corps. He told me he was doing his patriotic duty by serving and having faith about why we were fighting. He says if he knew then what he knows now about why our country was fighting that war, he would not have enlisted.

There was leaders who attempted to warn America on a grand scale of the mechanisms that were taking place. Smedley Butler and Dwight Eisenhower namely at the top of that list.

Gliders could land troops and ancillaries in greater concentrations precisely at the target landing area and once released at some distance from the actual target, was effectively silent and difficult for the enemy to identify.

Ultimate respect and love for that generation of ordinary but amazing men and women who put it all on the line for future generations. My Grandfather and my uncles all served and saw action with the British army in WW2. As a kid I was so fortunate to have them around.

what this man does for his daughter is the best a father can do he shows what the generations before have done wrong and how they fixed it

My grandfather served in the 8th Air Core in WW2. He enlisted right after Pearl Harbor and the shit that man went through, the men he lost during the bobmings of Dresden and the Invasion of the Rhineland gave him some serious PTSD that scared him for decades. The Governorment wanted him to serve in Korea and he politly told them to fuck themselves, he had lost so many frineds from the war that he couldn't fathom making more just to watch them die. He would never even talk to my dad about the war until after my father got back from his tours in the Middle East. I never got to meet my grandpa because he died before I could remember him but he was a strong man who fought for everything he had and I respect him for his sacrifice. Men like him are the reason that we call it the Greatest Generation. It was them who sacrificed everything so that we could live in a brighter future than they had been born into.

My grandfather was born in germany and was there during ww2 as a kid. Him and his parents moved to america, not sure if it was during the war or after but he told me he remembers seeing the bombs dropping when germany was getting hit. He joined the military in america and was going to fight in vietnam but was injured in basic training i believe. I think he said he got hit with shrapnel.

If anyone has not seen The Pacific, and Band of Brothers. Higggghly highly recommend watching both of them. Most incredible depiction of what our troops went through during ww2.

He is missing so much with what went into D-Day, every one of Hitler's intelligence officers was turned. They was in his ear and had him prepared to take on a mass invasion at a completely different spot on the direct opposite side of the island. We had created an entire force that was just inflatable tanks and stuff like that. We also flooded the sky with parachute jumpers that was just dummies, we had different kinds of technology built, like all these weird tanks that could drive up on to the blockaid areas and turn into a bridge and tanks that had these huge slapping chains to blow up the mines etc. I mean he is just missing so so much this was one of the most tactical extravaganza events in military history.

I believe it has more to do with the type of threat. WWII could be viewed as an existential threat to the free world. It was the allies against the despotic dictators. This analysis glosses over the details in order to explain the differences. It was between a conflict in a country where what was at stake was their experience and choices, vs ours as well as other nations around the globe. South Korea had a good outcome, while North Korea continues under the dictates of a despot. I haven't been back to Vietnam, but from what appears to be shown to us, is a unified nation living with peace, and enjoying some prosperity. Rationing, bond drives, and a vast call up of people to serve in the armed forces, was prevalent during WWII. During Vietnam, much of the youth was involved in creating a counter culture, a rebellion against authority. I was an anomaly because I volunteered during an unpopular trend against serving in the military. Draft dodging became the thing to do. I've written quite a bit about my own experiences (1971-75 USMC) which doesn't necessarily make me qualified but knowing many WWII vets, I could compare their experience to ours.

1:02 hits home

I walked on Omaha beach in the summer of 1997 and it is scary. It is wide, and flat, and it is surrounded by hills. No cover anywhere. At one end is a concrete bunker with gun ports that is sited to fire to length of the beach, not out to sea. So any troops crossing the beach would be exposed to its fire. In the hills there are still many concrete emplacements for machine guns and mortars all sited for the beach. Yes, it was hell.

While i am grateful for my family have migrated over to the U.S. I still have mixed feelings hearing about the war. The veterans who served and came back were just never the same.