6 Ways the Vietnam War Affected Baby Boomers

Much of the discussion surrounding the Vietnam War centers around what took place during the combat itself. But for millions of Baby Boomers, the war’s most lasting effects were felt at home. 

Most Baby Boomers grew up believing in the American Dream of the 1950s, only to have that upended as they entered adulthood in the 1960s. The Vietnam War changed an entire generation’s relationship to power, patriotism, and possibility. It led to split ideologies and hordes of veterans returning home to a country that no longer made sense—or, perhaps, never had in the first place.

Here are six ways the Vietnam War shaped the minds, bodies, and legacy of the Baby Boomer generation.

1. Many Baby Boomers changed their life trajectories to avoid the draft.
2. Conflicting government messages about the Vietnam War fostered major distrust.
3. A lot of Baby Boomers participated in the widespread counterculture movements that emerged during the Vietnam War ...
4. … And some Baby Boomers embraced patriotic propaganda and were pro-war.
5. Veterans’ post-war reintegration was financially stressful.
6. Veterans suffered lifelong mental and physical health conditions. 

Many Baby Boomers changed their life trajectories to avoid the draft.

It’s difficult to blame Baby Boomers for their attempts to avoid the lottery draft of 1969. Early in the war, those who were married or had young children were eligible to defer their enlistment, so some men simply got hitched or grew their families. But as the war progressed, marriage or having a baby wasn’t enough to keep men home, and by 1970, fathers were no longer automatically deferred from the draft.

Some Boomers turned to other qualifying means to avoid being shipped overseas. One of the most popular—particularly for high and middle-class individuals who could afford it—was attending college [PDF]. Those who were in school full-time were ineligible to be deployed. Even some who couldn’t afford it intentionally took out debt to circumvent enlistment. Men who wouldn’t (or couldn’t) go the college route would seek medical deferment to avoid getting drafted, and some up and fled the country. 

Conflicting government messages about the Vietnam War fostered major distrust.

In January 1968, during the Vietnamese New Year holiday known as Tet, North Vietnamese forces and the Viet Cong launched a massive surprise attack across over 100 cities and military targets in South Vietnam. It was one of the biggest coordinated assaults of the entire war.

Propaganda surrounding the war efforts had previously been positive. President Lyndon B. Johnson repeatedly reassured the public that the United States was winning—and that the war was near its end. But then the Tet Offensive happened, and Americans turned on their TVs to watch footage of Saigon under attack. Even though the U.S. and South Vietnamese forces eventually repelled the offensive and inflicted heavy casualties, the psychological damage was done.

A lot of Baby Boomers participated in the widespread counterculture movements that emerged during the Vietnam War ...

The Vietnam War ignited a full-blown counterculture revolution, especially among Baby Boomers who were coming of age at the time. At the center of it all, as you may know, were the hippies.

Hippies were more than just groovy, drug-loving youngsters with flowers in their hair.  They were often middle-class Baby Boomers who rejected the values of their parents’ generation (though some hippies were members of the Silent Generation). Vietnam was the catalyst for their activism, as they believed the war was imperialistic and a waste of human life.

The hippies weren’t the only movement that emerged during this era. The Black Power Movement called out systemic racism and opposed the war for drafting disproportionately high numbers of Black men, and the Gay Rights Movement began gaining traction, especially after the Stonewall Riots in 1969.

… And some Baby Boomers embraced patriotic propaganda and were pro-war.

The 1960s are often painted with one broad, counter culture-loving brush, but Boomers were divided when it came to patriotism, war, and the American Dream. There’s no denying that the general public’s perception of the Vietnam War soured as the conflict dragged on. But there were Boomers who believed in the war effort and saw protestors as un-American. This is, after all, a generation that grew up amid the fear of the Cold War, and a fair number were raised by World War II veterans. Those who supported the Vietnam War, especially in its early years, saw the U.S. government as a moral authority and continued to support the war (and overall fight against Communism) and vote for conservative politicians.

Veterans’ post-war reintegration was financially stressful.

Post-war reintegration was financially brutal, and when Vietnam vets returned, they weren’t welcomed with parades—or even job offers. Many came back with no job prospects, no professional networks, and no idea how to transition from combat to civilian work. The unemployment rate for Vietnam War veterans was higher than that of the national average, which put many of them under immense financial strain. “Most employers just don’t give a damn how many Purple Hearts you’ve won or how well you can lead men,” one Vietnam War veteran told The New York Times in 1971.

The GI Bill helped some World War II veterans build wealth through homeownership. But this safety net did not have a similar impact for those returning from Vietnam. By the 1980s and ’90s, Vietnam vets were overrepresented among the unhoused. 

Veterans suffered lifelong mental and physical health conditions. 

Unfortunately, financial struggles were only one of many hardships Vietnam War veterans experienced. For many veterans, the war left deep scars, both mental and physical.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) wasn’t officially recognized by the American Psychiatric Association until 1980, but veterans were experiencing it long before that. Without a name, there was no real treatment, and many turned to drugs or alcohol to attempt to cope. 

Physical health problems were also emerging in vets. Agent Orange was a toxic herbicide U.S. forces sprayed to destroy enemy crops and jungle cover—and though it did indeed help wreck the environment, it also exposed soldiers to extremely harmful chemicals that had long-lasting physical effects. For years, the U.S. government denied or delayed responsibility, and veterans were left to fight to get their conditions recognized as service-related.

Boomers who served in combat weren’t the only ones impacted by the war. Families were fractured by the emotional damage vets brought home, and the war—particularly horrors like the My Lai massacre—broke the illusion that America always fought “the good fight.”

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