> At least one thing is certain. The only confirmed case of
> someone spitting on another because of their stance
> regarding the Vietnam war is now positively confirmed as
> a vet spitting on a peace protester, not the other way
> around. Let the history books record *that*.
Actually, this has happened before, and if you read Lembcke's book, he surmises that it may have been the origin of the myth itself. The only contemporaneous accounts of spit and Vietnam veterans that Lembcke was able to find were reports of veterans from previous wars spitting on ANTI-WAR Vietnam vets. Lembcke further maintains that the image of returning Vietnam vets at that time was that of the vet disillusioned with the war, and that many veterans from previous wars thought of Vietnam vets as sissies and wimps who couldn't tought it all out, etc.
Later, when the "stab in the back" myth was invented, the myth of the veteran spat-upon by anti-war protestors was also invented -- and Lembcke believes that the (true) contemporaneous stories of anti-war vets being spat upon formed the basis of the legend.
- - - - - - - - - - John Lacny http://www.johnlacny.com
Tell no lies, claim no easy victories