For many Vietnam veterans, the fight did not end when they left the battlefield. Returning home after serving in one of the most controversial wars in U.S. history, they faced a harsh reality and betrayal. The government and the public, deeply divided over the war, turned their backs on those who had fought in it. These veterans, who had given everything for their country, now found themselves fighting for something they never expected: recognition.
One of the most significant struggles for Vietnam veterans was the battle for compensation and healthcare for the injuries they sustained, both physical and mental. Many had been exposed to Agent Orange, a toxic herbicide used by the U.S. military during the war. The chemical caused a range of health problems, including cancer, birth defects, and long-term disabilities. Yet, for years, the government failed to acknowledge the connection between Agent Orange exposure and these illnesses. Veterans who sought help were often met with indifference or outright denial.
Honor B. Cole, a Vietnam veteran, provides a powerful personal account of the struggles he faced when he returned home. In his upcoming book, My Floating Coffin: Mekong Delta, Vietnam, Cole recalls the challenges of adjusting to life after war, both physically and mentally. He writes about how he relied on alcohol to cope with the trauma and the anxiety that haunted him, saying, “I relied on hard-liquor to reduce my anxiety level, and to promote sleep from my denial phase of my anxieties, of coming back to the oppression of the Jim Crow Laws.”
As the years went on, veterans like Cole began to fight for their rights, demanding compensation for their injuries and recognition for their service. But the road to victory was not an easy one. Many veterans faced discrimination and hostility from the public and their own government. The struggle for benefits and acknowledgment became a long and painful journey, marked by frustration and a constant fight for justice.
Cole, like many others, found himself rejected not just by the government, but also by society. He recalls the racist attitudes and hostility he faced from both antiwar protestors and even his own community. He writes, “They can take my freedom, money; aggravate my life as living hell under their Jim Crow's mentality. I have been tormented by American whites' anti-Vietnam protestors as a ‘pig' for this 'Capitalist-regime,' ‘baby killer and a follower with War-mongers.'” These protestors saw Vietnam veterans as the enemy, blaming them for the war and its aftermath, even though they had no control over the decisions that led to the conflict.
Even more disturbing were the attacks from other African Americans, who, instead of offering support, condemned Cole and others like him. “On the other hand, many Afro-Americans defame me as a ‘fool' for going to Vietnam the first time and a ‘double fool' going back to Vietnam, second times or more,” Cole writes. “They call me ‘shell-shocked,' ‘slow and stupid.” These personal attacks were as painful as any physical injury, leaving many veterans feeling utterly alone and rejected.
To learn more about Honor B. Cole's journey and the struggles of Vietnam veterans, read My Floating Coffin: Mekong Delta, Vietnam. It's a powerful and eye-opening account of one man's experience during and after the war, and it sheds light on the broader fight for recognition and equality that many veterans continue to face. Coming soon on Amazon.
Contact: honorcole@sbcglobal.net
