CONSEQUENCES OF THE WAR
By: Alexa Y.
The Vietnam War left a painful legacy. It produced a terrible death rate consisting of 58,000 American deaths and 303,000 were wounded. The North and South Vietnamese deaths were at about 2 million. The war left Southeast Asia highly unstable and led to further war in Cambodia. The conflict in Vietnam, in the end, left many Americans with a more cautious outlook on foreign encounters. When families arrived back home, the nation extended a cold hand to its returning veterans. There were no celebratory parades and no cheering because many veterans faced indifference or even hostility from bitter America. Many of the veterans eventually readjusted to the civilian life pretty well. However, many of the soldiers who served developed post-traumatic stress disorder. Some suffered from severe headaches and reoccurring nightmares. Other soldiers began abusing drugs and alcohol and unfortunately, several committed suicide. The U.S. government created the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., in 1982 in honor of the veterans.
Southeast Asia was under a new period of violence and chaos because of the Vietnam War. The Communists imprisoned more than 400,00 South Vietnamese in labor camps. Many of them fled to avoid the camps. However their goals were not reached because as they escaped, nearly 50,000 of the perished on the high seas due to drowning, illness, or piracy. The people of Cambodia suffered because the United States invaded Cambodia and a brutal civil war occurred. At least 1 million Cambodians were killed in this altercation.
The Vietnam War remained a subject of great controversy. Many insisted that the war could have been won if the U.S. had employed more military power. They also blamed the antiwar people because they destroyed American morale. The war resulted in many major U.S. policy changes. The government abolished the draft which had built up so much antiwar sentiment. The U.S. also took steps to curb the president's war-producing powers. Congress eventually passed the War Powers Act, which stipulated that a president must inform Congress within 48 hours of sending forces into a hostile area without a declaration of war. The troops may remain there no longer than 90 days unless the Congress approves of the president's actions. Lastly, the war altered the American view on foreign policy.
Southeast Asia was under a new period of violence and chaos because of the Vietnam War. The Communists imprisoned more than 400,00 South Vietnamese in labor camps. Many of them fled to avoid the camps. However their goals were not reached because as they escaped, nearly 50,000 of the perished on the high seas due to drowning, illness, or piracy. The people of Cambodia suffered because the United States invaded Cambodia and a brutal civil war occurred. At least 1 million Cambodians were killed in this altercation.
The Vietnam War remained a subject of great controversy. Many insisted that the war could have been won if the U.S. had employed more military power. They also blamed the antiwar people because they destroyed American morale. The war resulted in many major U.S. policy changes. The government abolished the draft which had built up so much antiwar sentiment. The U.S. also took steps to curb the president's war-producing powers. Congress eventually passed the War Powers Act, which stipulated that a president must inform Congress within 48 hours of sending forces into a hostile area without a declaration of war. The troops may remain there no longer than 90 days unless the Congress approves of the president's actions. Lastly, the war altered the American view on foreign policy.