M14 Forum

Old Geezer · October 19th, 2011, 09:51 AM

I was in Vietnam in 1967-68 and we did have a drug problem. I was an officer in charge of a company size unit. The problem we had wasn't out of control, but it was definitely present. You have to remember that unlike now just about everyone in the enlisted ranks was a draftee. I don't offer that as an excuse but as a partial explanation. In those days also, the courts would give a drug offender a choice of going to jail or going in the service. I had guys in my outfit that were druggies before going in and just continued in that life style while serving.

I knew a doctor after I got out that made a living running clinics for drug dependent ex-GIs who were returning from Nam. The government paid him, and he had no lack of customers.

I believe the all volunteer armed forces of today has made for a different breed of service personnel. People serve because they want to or see an opportunity for training. In my day they were there because they had to be. Many came from the ranks of the unwashed drug riddled hippie movement and had very little or no regard for the military.

CAVman · October 19th, 2011, 11:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Old Geezer

I was in Vietnam in 1967-68 and we did have a drug problem. I was an officer in charge of a company size unit. The problem we had wasn't out of control, but it was definitely present. You have to remember that unlike now just about everyone in the enlisted ranks was a draftee. I don't offer that as an excuse but as a partial explanation. In those days also, the courts would give a drug offender a choice of going to jail or going in the service. I had guys in my outfit that were druggies before going in and just continued in that life style while serving.

I knew a doctor after I got out that made a living running clinics for drug dependent ex-GIs who were returning from Nam. The government paid him, and he had no lack of customers.

I believe the all volunteer armed forces of today has made for a different breed of service personnel. People serve because they want to or see an opportunity for training. In my day they were there because they had to be. Many came from the ranks of the unwashed drug riddled hippie movement and had very little or no regard for the military.

Not wanting to 'quibble', but while I can't vouch for the complete authenticity of the attached link, it states that only 25% of total forces in country were draftees...
I tend to think that certain 'images' come to mind, and then the perception become 'reality'...

Lots of other interesting facts and numbers also...

http://www.vvof.org/factsvnv.htm

CAVman in WYoming

sac troop · October 19th, 2011, 12:21 PM

I don't know the context of the guys response in the original post. But he qualified himself as not having been there in the first place. That being said my USAF service was in the middle 70's and yes there was a lot of alcohol and drug use present during that time. There was a lot of the same in the general population of the country as a hole.
I think most people under the age of 40 would be amazed at the amount of alcohol consumption and the cavalier attitude towards it that was present at the average company party up until the later 80's and 90's when companies started experiencing legal repercussions.

"The past is another country. They do things differently there."