Why did and do they wave and cheer people off when they are going to war?

[donnashuggy]

Does anyone know?

[kilroy_is_here]

becauce they were proud of those giong off to war , they believed in what they were fighting for, they believed what this country & the mother country stood for, they belived inwhat was good for the country was good for the people , so cheering those that went off to fight & protect those values went without saying.

 by the time the vietnam war came about australia had been at war since the late eighteen hundreds first with the boar war  a short break then the first world war another short break & the world war 2  followed by the malaysion war, korean war & then vietnamthe country was war weary & the advent of socialism & comunisim had crept into our society & support the nation was no long something to be proud of rather it was popular to fight against it.

as well as the fact that men no long went by sea to war they flew in by jumbo, it was one of the big factors to the battle fatigue in vietnam due to the fact that they did not have weeks or months to aclimitse to war, 1 day they were sitting hving coffee with family the next they were sitting behind a gun being shot at

[kilroy_is_here]

oh that and the government had control over the media so the news was very pro the war effort as was the propergander where asby the vietnam war the government had lost a lot of the control over what the media reproted so the anti war propergander was able to discourage support & parades for those leaving to go to war

[monman12]

DY: "Something like 58,000 Americans were killed in Vietnam, most of them were blacks, poor whites etc."

Arghhhhhhh, the official U.S. MILITARY CASUALTIES show  the above statement to be totally inconsistent with the FACTS.

When making a definitive statement it is  a good idea to make it reflect the truth rather than display what might be considered a  bias.

 U.S. MILITARY CASUALTIES IN SOUTHEAST ASIA -
- DEATHS BY CASUALTY TYPE AND SERVICE -

                            WHITE     BLACK     ASIAN     AMERICAN
                                                                          INDIAN       OTHER     TOTAL
TOTAL DEATHS     50,112     7,264        115          226             467           58,178


Facts, the opium of research!

[donnashuggy]

something like is not definitive John 

So how many of the whites were conscripted?

[monman12]

DY: "something like is not definitive John "

Perhaps not DY, but this  statement is:  "most of them were blacks, poor whites". I wonder why you chose to post it without a few moments research? considering it is so far from the truth.

"So how many of the whites were conscripted?"
I suggest this would be a good time to do some research yourself DY, however, here are some clues:-

Myth: Common belief is that most Vietnam veterans were drafted.
Myth: Common belief is that the war was fought largely by the poor and uneducated.
Myth: Common belief is that a disproportionate number of blacks were killed in the Vietnam War.

[darksideofthemoon]

DY: "Something like 58,000 Americans were killed in Vietnam, most of them were blacks, poor whites etc."

Arghhhhhhh, the official U.S. MILITARY CASUALTIES show  the above statement to be totally inconsistent with the FACTS.

When making a definitive statement it is  a good idea to make it reflect the truth rather than display what might be considered a  bias.

 U.S. MILITARY CASUALTIES IN SOUTHEAST ASIA -
- DEATHS BY CASUALTY TYPE AND SERVICE -

                            WHITE     BLACK     ASIAN     AMERICAN
                                                                          INDIAN       OTHER     TOTAL
TOTAL DEATHS     50,112     7,264        115          226             467           58,178


Facts, the opium of research!

HUH????

DY: "Something like 58,000 Americans were killed in Vietnam, most of them were blacks, poor whites etc."

Quite apart from monman's answer which will be correct, what on earth gave DY the idea that 'blacks and poor whites' were the mainstay of fighters in Vietnam and why would they (blacks and poor whites) be the only people killed?

Have you no idea at all of the trained forces that America has?  They didn't just lift people off the streets and throw them holus bolus into Vietnam....

I cannot for one moment believe that any American reading this would not find it offensive...

Or did you mean something totally different? 

[lyndal1838]

Whether it was meant as a joke or not, I found it tasteless and offensive.

Donna, have you ever farewelled a family member on their way to way?  I have and it is not a joking matter.

[2106greencat]

I have a pretty good sense of humour - this one - 😞  didn't even bring a smile to my face, sorry OP, not your joke but whoever came up with it should be ashamed of themselves.

[donnashuggy]

It was my grandfather actually who did fight in the second world war, born in London and jumped ship in the navy when he was 15 in Australia and never went back, he was a great joke teller and never recovered after the war, many of his friends died.

The facts are pretty clear that thousands of poor whites and blacks were killed in vietnam while others had the luxury of university. Next time when I make an off the cuff comment I will get the number right if that makes you happy Monman?

[happyroo_bunji]

If the OP is a joke, I don't get it