The document summarizes the experiences of Vietnam veteran students in college in the 1970s. It outlines that Vietnam veterans tended to be poorly educated, economically disadvantaged young men from minority backgrounds. On campus, they faced social isolation and insensitivity from other students and faculty due to the political climate surrounding the war. Interviews with two Vietnam veteran students revealed they struggled without academic preparation or campus support services. Both kept their military service private for safety and continued to feel pressure and guilt from their wartime experiences.

1. April 16, 2012
Shannon Cormier
Vietnam Veteran Students in
College

2. Outline
1. Sources
2. Historical Setting
3. The Vietnam Veteran
4. Vietnam Veteran Student Limitations
Vietnam Veteran Social Issues
Faculty/Administration
Interviews
5. Conclusions

3. SourcesPersonal Interviews
with Vietnam
Veterans
• Wayne
Burton, NSCC
President
• Ray Parker,
NSCC Veterans
Academic Advisor
Books
• No Victory Parades:
The Return of the
Vietnam
Veteran, Polner 1974
• The Wounded
Generation, Horne
1981
Online Articles
• EBSCO Articles
• University Websites
for Pictures
Image taken from www.northshore.edu/veterans/

4. Historical Context
 Between 1964 -1975
 College campuses were “…the hotbed of social
activism and resistance to the war….” (Horan, 1990b, p.21).
 Media portrayed Vietnam Vets to be “…drug-crazed
baby killers, violent and lawless persons, and alcoholics
and drug addicts” (Horan, 1990b, p. 18).
Photo taken at Dickinson College (Pennsylvania)
during 1969

5. WHO IS THE TYPICAL VIETNAM
VETERAN?
22-25
Poorly Educated
& Left Behind
Economically
Disadvantaged
2x as likely to
serve
Minorities
Lacked HS
activities
“Society’s Losers”
Statistics from the Department of Veterans
Benefits, Veterans Administration.
Harrell, D. (1972, FREE: Survival plans for our returning
veterans. Leatherneck (Pre-1998), 55, 46-51.
http://search.proquest.com/docview/206541492?accounti
d=1366

6. Vietnam Veterans Students Limitations
Lacked College
Preparation
1973-Less than 50%
were using benefits
Lacked Academic
Confidence
Financial
Pressures
(GI BILL + tuition
increase)
Responsibilities
38% Vets Married
1.2% Non-vets
Married

7. Vietnam Veterans Social Issues
“People just look down on you. They
treat you altogether different when
you’re in a uniform. …I got called
pig and murderer and all kinds of
things just because I was in
uniform”
Isolation
5% on
campus
“Different
Breed”
Never Wore
Uniform
Insensitive
Questions
9,408
Protests
197 ROTC
Attacks
PTSD
500,000 to
750,000
University of Kansas
http://www.armyrotc.ku.edu/history/history.shtml

8. Vietnam Veterans Issues with
Faculty & Higher Ed
Denison University: students & faculty
protesting
• Limited on campus
support
• Focused their attention on
controlling riots and
unrest instead of
providing service to
Veterans
• Posed insensitive
questions and interjected
their personal beliefs
concerning the military
during class lectures

9. Interviews
President Burton
• 25 yr old platoon captain
• 1,000 men & Combat
• Brought platoon home
• MBA program had Vietnam Vets in
his cohort
• No veteran services in college
• Joined Veterans against War
protests
• “The guilt never goes away”
• “I’m still not sure what I fought for.
To this day, I still I envy World War II
Veterans”
Ray Parker
• Undercover spy (reported drug
usage among our troops)
• Worked full-time during college
• No Social activities and had to
remain isolated about being a vet.
• “I never wore my uniform when
going to college because it was
dangerous. When I returned
home, I was considered a war
criminal to the public eye.”
• “The war never turned off and was
vigilant 24/7. In addition to being
tortured or shot, we had to worry
about land mines, poisonous
snakes and bugs, malaria, and
being bombed by our own people
by accident. There was a constant
pressure of the thousand things that
could kill you”

10. Conclusions
 Information varies according to research
 Afghanistan/Iraq vets entering campus
 The interviewers both had different experiences
coming home
 Vietnam veteran students had a number of
challenges
- Social-demographic traits
-Social acceptance amongst peers
-Insensitive Faculty + lack of on campus support