Drugs/Alcohol and the Vietnam Combat Soldier: Lost Years After 1968
1968 became one of the most eventful years the United States experienced since the shots rang out at Lexington and Concord. The irony of the two events was the Colonists won their fight for freedom and defeated the most powerful army in the world. The British lost the Revolutionary War. One hundred and ninety-two years later, the military forces of North Vietnam would achieve the same feat against the United States. Although victory was not entirely in hand, the Tet Offensive of 1968 became the beginning of the end for U.S. military involvement in Vietnam. In reality, the rhetoric by the military establishment and the presidency sugar-coated the 'great stalemate.' Many essays since the war have analyzed, criticized, mourned, and reflected on America's only military defeat in its proud history. Some have scrutinized and concluded as to the blame for the Vietnam lesson. Americans domestically were left to question the government and American credibility in the world. In the macrocosm of all these debates, those who fought the battle were almost forgotten. When the hostages returned from captivity in Iran they received a hero's welcome home. Vietnam veterans watched in dismay recalling hostile attitudes from many circles upon their return from Vietnam. For many veterans, the realities of war in Vietnam scarred their souls forever. The combat soldiers in Vietnam did what they had to in order to survive in "the bush." Many Vietnam soldiers escaped the horrors of combat by seeking refuge in alcohol and drugs.
This topic, most would agree, was not heavily discussed in the aftermath of the war. There are, however, discussions on this topic in many books about Vietnam, but they often become obscure. Most books, aside from primary sources, dealt with the Vietnam 'lesson' with respect to other significant events of the war. Many Vietnam veterans, understandably, have chosen not to discuss personal matters such as their drug use and other private matters. People in general tend to avoid topics which are deemed uncomfortable. In any event, the Vietnam War was different than any other war the United States had ever been involved in.
'War is hell' as the saying goes. Few experience war and its awful realities. It is ironic that war had been glorified by unsuspecting young men as they grew up attracted by the mysticism of John Wayne, Audie Murphy, and real life heroes from America's wars. Many young men who fought in America's wars lost their innocence as the first experiences of combat occurred. Vietnam was no different in this paradigm, yet, was indifferent in the larger, more complex realm of events. "As in all wars, soldiers turned to alcohol as a temporary escape from loneliness, boredom, and fear."(1) Like other wars, the American military personnel, namely the combat soldiers, sought refuge in alcohol. Alcohol was easily accessible and many young men who could not drink legally back in their hometowns, indulged in this limitless and accepted practice. One can hardly blame them as to their indulgence in alcohol. After all and for most part, each day in Vietnam meant the possibility of death.
Drunkenness was not exactly encouraged, but drinking was widely viewed as an acceptable outlet for the stress, fatigue, and tension of military life. So long as a man indulged himself while off duty and kept his behavior within certain broad bounds, heavy drinking was tolerated or ignored. Indeed, the tough, experienced soldier was almost expected to be a hard-drinking man as well.(2) Many who have served in the armed forces, or known people who have, more than likely have heard stories of heavy drinking and drug use. Many, however, choose not to admit to such activities. As for the Vietnam affair, one may ask why this issue is paramount in comparison to similar exploits of other wars. Furthermore, one may wonder why the French did not to engage in a level of drug and alcohol abuse such that it warranted attention. Whatever the case, Vietnam was unique and many escaped the horrors in alcohol and other mind-altering drugs.
In this opinion an observation, Grace Sevy writes, "Something new was tried in Vietnam - fighting the war in one-year hitches, creating 'short-timer's mentality.'"(3) Sevy's statement in combination with the declining morale in Vietnam invited the temptation to use drugs and alcohol, particularly, when both were easy to attain. To elaborate on this more, Sevy goes on to say,
This was the first war in which drugs were plentiful - especially in the later stages (after 1968 until American departure). Keegan writs that alcohol has been "an inseparable part both of preparation for battle and of combat itself. Alcohol . . . . depresses the self-protective reflexes and so induces the appearance and feeling courage. Other drugs reproduce this effect, notably, marijuana; the American Army's widespread addiction to it in Vietnam, deeply troubling though it was to the conscience of the nation, may therefore be seen, if not as a natural, certainly as a time-honored response to the uncertainties with which battle racks the
soldiers."(4)
Movies such as "Apocalypse Now," "Boys in Company C," and "Platoon" show scenes of front-line soldiers getting drunk or high on drugs to 'escape.' The fact of the matter was these movies reflected this aspect of American behavior in Vietnam.
Vietnam veteran Edward S. Michaelski stated his views by saying, "everybody did it" (drank alcohol, used drugs, or did both). Michaelski originally was part of an advisory group associated with the Special Forces in September of 1968. He was engaged with several intelligence and tactical operations that year. For reasons he claimed as 'top secret,' he did not go into detail as to his experiences. His tone suggested traumatic episodes an other disturbing matters. Michaelski was transferred to the 1st Cavalry, ninth division, where he was a gunner on a transport chopper. He claimed, as seen in "Platoon," there were 'heads' and 'juicers.' He said most soldiers drank a lot, but 'pot' was becoming widely accepted. He also admitted that drugs were widely available and that he and others engaged in heroin and 'speedbacks.' Both were potent forms of getting high quickly and to numb one's self out. He mentioned that most of his unit were young kids who were exposed to the war in a time when the war disillusioned many. Michaelski felt the American fighting units had no clear objectives, were directed by incompetent leaders, and battling an unseen enemy. Many young minds could not deal with this type of stress. Morale was down and they were, as Michaelski put it, "in a no-win situation." Most were just trying to survive until their time was up. However, there is another point of view to these experiences.
Some have argued about the 'myth' in which most American soldiers were addicted to drugs, guilt-ridden about their role in the war, and deliberately used cruel and inhumane tactics. Perhaps this myth could have been refuted. In an article from 1988, Laura Palmer interviewed General William Westmoreland. She asked Westmoreland what he thought about the movie "Platoon." Westmoreland replied,
I was aghast when they had soldiers killing other soldiers, smoking pot at night at their bunker. It didn't happen . . . . if it happened, it was very exceptional. The marijuana that was used in the main was used in the rear areas by the Stevedore types who were bored and had more access to drugs. A well-trained, well- disciplined combat unit would not tolerate marijuana because it would jeopardize their own safety.(5)
It would be hard to dispute this point, yet several veterans have contradicted Westmoreland's remarks and some have even asked if he was 'out of touch.' Michaelski did state that he an others of his gunship never flew missions while under the influence of drugs or alcohol. It would seem to be common sense for a combat soldier to maintain all their mental faculties in situations like the 'bush' of Vietnam. This issue could be debated and it is very unlikely that those who did get stoned or drunk before or during a firefight would actually admit to it. Some, however, have been very candid about their drug and alcohol experiences in Vietnam. Others agree or at least question the issue of the matter at hand and/or the myth introduced earlier. A former Marine had this to say. "In my honest opinion, there was very little drug use if any in grunt units. I cannot speak for other units (rear types). Also, there was not much talk about it either. When beer was available, it was consumed rapidly and completely as possible."(6) Perhaps there was some truth as do the 'rear types' using more drugs and alcohol as opposed to those in the front lines. If in fact Westmoreland's notions are true, it can be argued that there was too much boredom among the rear guard. Yet, others have had other experiences in contrast to Westmoreland's observations.
Former soldier Jerry Williamson had this to say regarding Westmoreland's comments,
Yes, in 1970, you could buy a vile of eighty-five to ninety percent pure heroin (more on this later) for five to ten dollars or a rack of pre-rolled Marlboro marijuana cigarettes for five dollars. You could buy a can of beer anywhere from a nickel to a quarter and a bottle of hard liquor for a couple of bucks . . . . the best comment I heard was from a NCO I talked to at Ft. Bragg one night. He had spent three tours in Vietnam, his first in 1966. He said that in 1966, no one got high in the bush. In his last tour in 1970, he said guys went into the bush to get high.(7)
From Williamson's comments, one could argue as to the credibility of some of the movies about Vietnam which depicted drug and alcohol use. Only the naive would argue against such a notion. During this time period, a major social revolution was in progress. Many young Americans, as well as others throughout the world, experimented with drugs while many drank and 'partied.' Furthermore, social discontentment about America's involvement in Vietnam had gained momentum. The appeal of the mysticism Rock and Roll groups and musicians possessed encouraged the drug culture. As a result, many American draftees came to Vietnam with these influences. It is remarkably ironic that a country founded on puritan ideals would become shocked by this social phenomenon, yet yield attention to domestic affairs such as civil rights, racism, corruption, and other social ills. One example occurred in Vietnam to exemplify this contradiction an complexity.
In the Karnow book, he mentions the existence of the -bordel militaire de campagne-, which were authorized brothels which traveled with the French troops. Yet, "the American establishment was too puritanical to sanction sex officially."(8)
He goes on to say that Saigon became filled with massage parlors and other forms of prostitution during American presence. Yet, it became evident that the drug issue was known by American officials but more often than not, faces were turned in the opposite direction. A great number of individuals would have had to have known based on numerous sources which arose out of Vietnam.
A lively narcotics traffic developed as well during the American war, the petty drug dealers often fronting for senior South Vietnamese government officials with access to heroin refined from opium grown in Laos . . . . By 1971, according to Pentagon estimates, nearly 30 percent of American troops in Vietnam had experimented with either opium or heroin, and quantities of drugs were also being exported to the United States. Periodic attempts by American agents were thwarted by their superiors in the U.S. mission, since the crackdown would have exposed nearly every prominent member of the Saigon regime.(9)
The excerpt by Karnow suggests that Americans have stood by puritan standards, but made concessions when it came to economics an political exposure of corruption. If this was the case in Vietnam, then it would have been a strong possibility that drugs in Vietnam were part of the economic principle of supply and demand during the later stages of the war. Therefore, it was evident as to the abundance of drugs and alcohol available at low prices as a result of a surplus in terms of economics. The South Vietnamese economy was prosperous at this time including enterprises as the drug market. American military personnel, including combat troops, had a variety of choices in Vietnam. Whatever the case, this issue was one of a psychological affair as well.
Emphasis has already been placed on the 'escapism' drugs and alcohol brought forth. Michael Herr addressed this in his widely acclaimed book Dispatches. Critics have called Herr's book one of the best books about the Vietnam War. As a journalist, he spent 11 months with combat troops and revealed more than the ordinary about the Vietnam lesson. By using images such as the interior and exterior landscapes in which the latter illustrated his perspectives outside his consciousness, and the interior, a private aspect of the psyche brought on by the sensation of solitary experiences. During the war, many came in as 'all-American boys" pumped with high ideals and John Wayne illusory heroism. Like Philip Caputo, many young men were transformed into a personality within themselves never before acknowledged or arrived at. Basically, this eye-opening experience occurred in the jungles of Vietnam which brought the soldier to a place in their psyche never before explored in depth. Suddenly, many discovered a frightening dark side to their existence brought out by the horrors of the Vietnam conflict. Seemingly very deep, this reality held the truth of one's existence compromised by a atrocious war challenging the soldier's pure an unshattered value systems. This paradigm has been depicted in many movies and has been revealed in many experiences of Vietnam veterans who came back considerably different than when they left for Southeast Asia.
One of the important themes Herr criticized, he noted the injustice between the grunts who fought the war and the noncombatant 'Dial Soapers' who held relatively safe positions in Saigon. " It seemed the least of the war's contradictions that to lose your worst sense of American shame you had to leave the Dial Soapers in Saigon and a hundred headquarters who spoke good works and killed nobody themselves, and go out to the grungy men in the jungle who talked bloody murder and killed people all the time."(10) Herr used drugs and experienced what the other grunts did and came to his own realizations. Herr subtly revealed his own Dial Soaper characteristics which evolved into a great awakening. Hence, he lambasted Dial Soapers after his experiences during Tet and the Hue siege.
Herr touched on a lot of facts soldiers experienced. His insights into the human psyche explained the factors many chose to numb with alcohol and drugs. In Michaelski's case, he came to Vietnam bored with suburban society to fight for his country in order to preserve the principles of 'the Great Society' and to battle communism. That is how many soldiers came into Vietnam but discovered an awful truth when they saw life in the Vietnam War. By 1969, disillusionment in the eyes of Americans did not help matters. Alcohol and drugs became the primary weapon to fight the truth.
At this point of the discussion, one can argue against Westmoreland and other partisans of drug-free combat troops. Tet was the turning point of the war signaling the immediate withdrawal of U.S. combat troops. "But the situation was one of demoralization in the phase-out period, 1969-1972."(11) Confusion affected morale in Vietnam after President Lyndon B. Johnson changed the course of the war and announced his resignation in March of 1968. Peace and withdrawal with honor sent the message to soldiers that there would be no military victory, rather, a political settlement. The decline of morale continued when President Richard M. Nixon continued the pursuit of peace but left the fate of Americans in Vietnam to an indefinite posture. Most became clock watchers and 'rotted' away as no end to the war appeared likely.
In his 1971 report Colonel Robert Heinl summarized the state of U.S. forces: 'By every conceivable indicator, our army that now remains in Vietnam is in a state approaching collapse with individual units avoiding or having refused combat, murdering their officers and non-commissioned officers, drug-ridden and dispirited where not near-mutinous . . . . drugs became the main expression of discontent - in effect, an inoculation against Nam.'(12) At this time, marijuana and the use of hallucinogenics rose considerably during the phase-out period. Furthermore and seen by some as an epidemic, the use of heroin increased as was the increase of soldiers becoming addicted to it.
During the course of the year 1969, marijuana was widespread throughout Vietnam, The army attempted to dissuade draftees coming into Vietnam from using drugs. In some areas, officers began searches in barracks to find marijuana. As a result to many, several soldiers began to use the 'less-detectable' drug heroin. Between ten to twenty percent of all American military personnel, at a conservative estimate, were listed as serious drug users. principally heroin. During 1969 and 1970 more than sixteen-thousand American servicemen were discharged for drug abuse.(13) Clearly, many soldiers whether combat troops or otherwise engaged not just in alcohol, but increasing drug abuse as well. The increasing decay among American soldiers was evident in the closing chapters of the war. As the talks stalled at the table by the politicians and the 'secret' bombs fell in Cambodia, American military personnel were facing their own 'truth' but used every available means to sweep it under the carpet hoping for some spectacular 'Deus Ex Machina' ending to the war.
In a 'cause and effect' book by Peter Goldman, Charlie Company, details the experiences of the fighting unit in Vietnam and the affects of drug and alcohol abuse. Although much of the book deals with the veteran's lives after the war, much is revealed about the war itself. This book reiterates the same topics already discussed earlier in the essay. Although the soldiers of Charlie Company were a good fighting unit of the army, they fell victim to substance abuse. The sixty-five veterans detailed in this book were nineteen and twenty year old boys (on average) when they were sent to Vietnam. Many were affected for life after their time in the war. As far as alcohol was concerned, many became alcoholics or returned home and experienced periods of alcohol abuse. The latter is a different discussion while some 'escaped' with drugs and alcohol while serving their tour. " Drugs were an alternative and readily accessible route to oblivion . . . . the drift toward harder drugs was welling up moreover, among the support troops at Charlie Company's rear."(14) Soldiers would buy 'pot' from local villagers as they patrolled the countryside despite the dangers of being attacked. Some may argue if the epidemic of pot usage caused any defeats of American platoons engaged in battle with the communists forces. One veteran (not from the book) had this to say, "in a lot of our line units, life was hard and dangerous enough without the use of drugs. I heard about the incident at LZ Mary Ann. But that was a fire support base and the unit there was doing perimeter guard when they were overran. Evidently, Uncle Ho's boys were monitoring sales of marijuana by the villagers in the area and felt it was a good time to strike."(15) No one can be sure if marijuana was solely responsible for this incident. Getting back to the book, the 'epidemic' of drug use was characterized by soldiers getting high on morphine and other hard drugs. In one instance, the supply of morphine had been stolen. As a result, soldiers who were wounded were given doses of Darvon or nothing at all. The pilfering of drugs occurred in other areas as well. In another instance which emphasized the plight of the combat soldier, a soldier recalled a party in which his platoon 'partied into the night.' He mentioned this became routine before the next day in which they were to go to engage the enemy. They drank to forget most of the night and had to shake off their hangovers in the morning. They remembered those buddies they had lost and drank not only to 'escape,' but to say good-bye to their fallen comrades.
Many said good bye to Vietnam. Over 58,000 Americans died there. Countless others still live with the war in their heads. Indeed, the latter stages of the war were the lost years for many. The United States to date has not engaged nor contemplated another Vietnam anywhere in the world. In 1991, America would put the 'Vietnam ghosts' to rest in a spectacular and decisive defeat of Iraq during the Gulf War. War is hell, but American involvement in Vietnam is one of history's greatest testimonies of history repeating itself and an exposure of American ethnocentricity. America lost its only war in a fight for independence in which actions to prevent her greatest fear hastened the fateful outcome. On a smaller scale, many young soldiers who survived Vietnam lost their innocence and opened a terrifying dimension they never knew existed within them. In order to survive 'Nam' during the latter years, many relied and used the greatest weapon there was. Drugs and alcohol provided that shield from the irrational and the atrocious that the war brought. Many combat soldiers numbed themselves hoping, like the politicians, that God would deliver them from the gates of insanity and death.
1. Richard H. Spector, After Tet, (New York: The Free Press, 1993), 272.
2. Spector, 273.
3. Grace Sevy, The American Experience in Vietnam: A Reader, (Norman, Oklahoma:University of Oklahoma Press, 1989), 62.
4. Sevy, 62.
5. Laura Palmer, "The General at Ease: An Interview with General Westmoreland," (Quarterly Journal of Military History: vol. 1 Num. 1, autumn, 1988), 30-35.
6. Hollis 6475, " My Experiences in Vietnam," Usenet Newsgroup: alt.war.Vietnam Posted 27 Mar., 1997.
7. Jim Williamson, "My Reply to Westmoreland," Usenet Newsgroup: alt.war.Vietnam Posted 26 Mar., 1997.
8. Stanley Karnow, Vietnam: A History, (New York: Penguin Books, 1991), 455.
9. Karnow, 455.
10. Michael Herr, Dispatches, (New York: Avon Books, 1977), 42.
11. Michael Maclear, The Ten Thousand Day War Vietnam: 1945-1975, (New York: Avon Books, 1981), 279.
12. Maclear, 279-80.
13. Alexander Kendrick, The Wound Within: America in the Vietnam Years, 1945-1974, (Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1974), 307.
14. Peter Goldman and Tony Fuller, Charlie Company: What Vietnam Did to Us, New York: William Morrow and Company Inc., 1983), 141.
15. Tom Brezendine, "Reply to Westy," Usenet Newsgroup: alt.war.Vietnam
