Vietnam War and the Vietnam Veteran

For almost a decade since the start of the Vietnam war, television coverage allowed Americans witness
immense destruction of villages and deadly impacts of the war. Increasing death of the Vietnamese
children and American citizens was evident through television coverage. Initially, television coverage
mainly supported involvement of the U.S. government in the Vietnamese war. This perception later
changed following the Tet Offensive in 1968 which negatively affected the image of American involvment
in the war. Most of the atrocities committed by the U.S dominated the television leading to significant
change of the war frame and negative perceptions of the American public. Also, the television coverage
of the war impacted public opinion regarding the role of Vietnam veterans. Negative and uncensored
television coverage resulted to increased U.S media attention that lead Americans turn against the war
and Vietnamese veterans. Coverage of the Vietnam war also led to American soldiers being forgotten in
the war since the media increased attention on the U.S led atrocities in North Vietnam. The intepretation
of the war was also influenced by television power and the return of American soldiers who knew the
truth and impacts of the war. Also, the increase in television coverage within the U.S in 1966 helped
influence the public mass against the war and change in the Vietnam Veteran image. The use of intense
visual images helped Americans understand the complex realities and nature of the war. The increase of
television coverage across the U.S significantly changed how most Americans initially thought regarding
the war and American roles of the Vietnam war. However, the rise and influence of the television
coverage was mainly supported by trust of media personalities or anchors and tactics used in news
coverage of the war. In addition, the early coverage of the television industry was prevelant in the U.S
during the 1960s. News reporters and producers attempted to make real stories more entertaining and
appealing to the public. The television business gained more public trust since the media aired stories
that only involved human impact, conflict, and morality. However, by the end of the 1960s, the American
television industry mainly devoted to the ongoing war where a significant number of viewers across the
U.S watched news frequently. During this time, the American military reported continuous progress and
the media observed decreasing war. The introduction of journalists in the military combat led to the
media presenting the public with strong graphic images and war realities. Also, interviews with the U.S
soldiers highlighted more frastrations as a result of the war and increasing casulaties. This led most
Americans to change their perceptions on the U.S winning the war. This was mainly evident after
television coverage of the Tet since there was a decline in the initially portrayal of the U.S troops
progress in the war. There were conflicting stories on the U.S troops negative and positive morale with
reference of increasing drug abuse, disobedience, and racial conflicts. Airing of the U.S led massacre at
the My Lai had significant impact on the image of American soldiers. This led to the introduction of
American war crimes in the public television and development of negative war prospects. Despite the
amounting pressure from the public, there was a conflicting view regarding the role of television
coverage and the negative impacts among Vietnamese Veterans. Most of the Veterans indicated extreme
negative media and U.S government in the manipulation of true information regarding the war.
According to the Vietnamese war veterans, the involvement of the U.S in the war led to massacre and
other significant war crimes. Attempts to cover the actual number of soldiers killed in the Vietnam war
was exposed by television coverage and the role of Americans in the war.