Vietnam War: 44% of Americans say conflict was unjustified, Emerson College poll finds
(NEXSTAR) — As America approaches the 50th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War, an exclusive nationwide survey is revealing the lessons learned and the impact of the two-decade conflict.
Nexstar recently partnered with Emerson College to find out Americans' feelings on the war all these years later. About a quarter of those polled were actual Vietnam War veterans.
Here are some of the highlights.
- 44% of adults polled said the Vietnam War was not justified
- Based on polling, the Vietnam War is considered the most unjustified conflict of the last century. For comparison, only 38% said they considered the U.S. invasion of Iraq (another unpopular war) unjustified
- 46% of Vietnam veterans polled said the conflict was not justified
"We asked [veterans] about six different wars: WWI all the way up to Afghanistan and Iraq. And they found every war to be justified — except for the Vietnam war they participated in," said Emerson Polling Director Spencer Kimball. "Across the board, Americans told us the U.S. should not have gotten involved in a conflict that claimed the lives of more than 58,000 service members and many, many more Vietnamese soldiers and civilians."
Moreover, 50% of Americans polled said they still had no clear idea what the U.S. was even fighting for in Vietnam. The poll also found that only 17% of Americans polled said they believed students in school were even being taught about the war accurately.
A few other findings:
- 70% of Americans polled say they felt Vietnam veterans were not treated well when they returned home
- 79% of Vietnam vets says PTSD is a "major problem" though only 25% say they seek mental health treatment
"Not only is there stigma for the general population to get help but it's even lower amidst veterans — who are reporting they see the mental health needs but are not actually receiving help themselves," Spencer said.
Finally, for as divided as America was during the Vietnam War, most people polled said the current era is even more divisive. Forty-three percent of Americans polled say the U.S. has not learned its lesson and has not become more cautious of getting involved in foreign conflicts.