Drug Use in the Vietnam War

1. Drug Use in the Vietnam War Julia Taft Chiumento Humanities English II 11 June 2012

2. Why Drugs? • The Vietnam War Era stirred up an interest ofdrug use between the soldiers. Most of the people’s opinions fall to the negative aspect of drug use—rather than considering the good. The use of drugs helped keep the soldiers content and calm when returning from battle. Drugs altered their mind when taken to help them relax from a frightening experience. A majority of the soldiers would use drugs to relax their minds and ease their terror. But; there is a downfall in the use of drugs.

3. As We Know… • Drugs do cause temporary or permanent effects on the body. In the moment the quiescence is endured by the men, but once the effect wears off it can cause a reverse effect. Soldiers have become jumpy, depressed, slow, and oblivious to surroundings—as well as a victim to overdosing.There have been sixty-nine drug reported deaths by the 1970’s; which is a big issue on behalf the soldiers (Wyant; William). With statistics, there are abut ten to fifteen percent of American Soldiers on hard drugs—which totals to be nearly 30,000 to 40,000 soldiers in danger (Hughes).

4. -General John J. Tolson • “We will never control the drug problem until we get at the source of the problem—the addiction itself. “ (Hughes).

5. In order to resolve the problem of drugs, rather than attacking the Abusers, attack the abuse. In other words: rather than fighting the soldiers who are on drugs, attack the actual drug. You can’t tell someone to “just stop”; you need to assist them out of their problem (Hughes).

6. On the Upper Hand: • Drugs do preform some perks. In the early 1960’s, soldiers started experimenting with Marijuana, which releases calming chemicals to the brain resulting in total alleviation (Zienburg). How do they do it? The soldiers would collect marijuana seeds and plant them in rows of dirt above the shower stalls. This way the plant receives enough sunlight from the gap between the stalls and outside, as well as get enough water from the men showering. After the plant grew large enough, a piece of glass was placed between the shower spray and plant, causing it to die and dry out. Then, the men would pick the plants, crush them, and roll them in toilet paper to create paper joints (Solis).

7. “When you get up there in those early hours, you want the klunk you're flying with to be able to snap to. He's a lot more likely to be fresh if he smoked grass the night before than if he was juiced.“ -Untitled Air Force Officer (Zienburg).

8. Smoking marijuana before bed is an advantage, because it makes one tired. After the effect wears off, one can have one of the best night sleeps possible. The more well rested, the better the effort out in combat once again because you are more alert and awake to respond more efficiently and quickly. (Zienburg).

9. Opium Use. • Critics and news reporters created an uproar about the soldiers smoking marijuana. So, to mask their critiques; the soldiers switched to opium and heroin (Zienburg). Opium was a lucrative source for many countries. The main contributors were the French and the ‘Golden Triangle’ (which was Laos, Thailand, and Burma). As expansion and experiments were made on the production of opium, heroin came into play. The Golden Triangle was able to refine opium process, allowing them to produce Heroin (McCoy). Soldiers would get high from opium laced marijuana that was smoked out of the barrels of their guns (Quarterly).

10. Heroin Comes into Play. • With heroin demand increasing, the Golden Triangle expanded into South Vietnam. The soldiers bought heroin from Vietnamese teenagers then handed it out to soldiers on streets, also, the house maids sold it to many soldiers who stopped by (McCoy). Heroin was typically injected or snorted/taken orally, rather than smoked. This helped to reduce the many physical side effects of heroin. Luckily, there were no reported deaths of overdose from heroin among the American soldiers. Many soldiers would rather chose heroin for the hallucination it produces because it keeps them distracted. Heroin was used to pass time; rather than for a distressing purpose. Heroin took their minds off the danger they were to encounter on the days to come but it also helped deal with the boredom on days off (Zienburg).

11. “Impossible to quantify just how debilitating drug use may have been....In general, poor performance attracts attention which leads to revelation of drug use. But this does not 'prove' that drug use caused the poor performance nor does it give any indication of how many 'good' performers use drugs."  -Marine Brigadier General Edwin H. Simmons (Cosmas, Murray).

12. Drug use in the military was a very popular topic debated among authorities and citizens of the United States. A vast majority believed drugs to be a disturbance in the military, causing the soldiers to be more focused on drugs rather than fighting for their country. But, can a civilian really relate to their situation? If civilians believed the Vietnam war was pointless for American Soldiers to partake, wouldn’t the soldiers believe the same? Many of them were traitorous towards the authorities for sending them to risk their lives for no reason. Drugs took their opinion on the war away; making them focused on what they had to do. Close to becoming numb—soldiers truly benefited from the usage of drugs (Cosmas, Murray) .

13. Alcoholism to Hard Drugs? • Many soldiers and generals believed alcoholism was a greater problem than drugs. Alcohol produced a much more threatening path: vomiting, stomachaches, etc. Not to mention the hangover—it puts your body in a stage of recovery where it signals them to relax; causing the soldiers to be weak and slower. Alcohol is legal, so the soldiers who wish to relieve their stress and terror in a safe, non troublemaking manner resort to alcohol. The soldiers then get themselves drunk to numb the pain. The after effect causes a handicap in their performance for the next days (Boyle).

14. (Quarterly). • “Nam junkie is largely a myth fostered by the news media and sensationalized by Hollywood.” -Jeremy Kuzmarov; historian visiting Vietnam

15. Many people misjudged the use of drugs in Vietnam, and made a big deal out of something that was practically harmless. Media would drag out the situation to keep a story going, when most of the time the reports are false or innocent. It could have assisted the idea of withdrawing the troops from Vietnam, because if they were ‘junkies’ why would we want our soldiers putting shame on our country from being drug users? (Quarterly).

16. Are Drugs actually a Disadvantage? • Citizens of the United States indubitably followed the media because it was their only source of information. The public sought the drug use between soldiers to be unruly, and practically embarrassing. They didn’t look at the good side of drug use—it helped keep the soldiers sane. Many soldiers encountered terrifying experiences during the interim of combat and rest, which can cause an ordinary person to wither down inside. Drugs play a reposing role of the soldiers, rather than a habitual and disadvantage point of view.

17. Works Cited • Boyle, Richard. The flower of the Dragon, (San Francisco: Ramparts Press, 1972), p. 190, 212. • Brush, Peter. "Higher and Higher: American Drug Use in Vietnam." 15.4 (2002): n.pag. Web. 1 Jun 2012. • Cosmas, Graham A. and Murray, Terrence P. U.S. Marines in Vietnam, 1970-1971, (Washington, D.C.: Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps), pp. 360-361. • Hughes, Harold E. "Hard Drugs in the Military." New Republic 164.24 (1971): p17-18. Points of View Reference Center. Web. 1 Jun 2012. • McCoy, Alfred W. The Politics of Heroin, (Chicago, IL: Lawrence Hill), 1991, pp. 109-111, 113, 115, 222-223; • Quarterly, Wilson. "Not So High in Vietnam." EBSCOhost 32.1 (2008): p.77. History Reference Center.. Web. 1 Jun 2012. • Solis, Gary D. Marines and Military Law in Vietnam: Trial by Fire, (Washington, D.C.: Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps), 1981, p. 74-75, 86, 104, 127 • Wyant, Jr., and K. William. "Coming Home With A Habit." Nation 213.1 (1971): p.7-10. Points of View Reference Center. Web. 1 Jun 2012. • Zinberg, Norman E. "G.I.'s and O.J.'s in Vietnam," New York Times Magazine, December 5, 1971, p. 37, 107, 114, 116, 118, 120, 122.