Let me try to summarize the facts and separate the myths for you. You think we have “fake news” now? The so called “statistics” from that period range all over the place. Many propagated to fit an agenda – The war on drugs, prop up the anti-war crowd, and convince the naive that our warriors were drug-crazed leading to atrocities in free-fire zones.
First some background for perspective: Only one out of five soldiers were engaged in actual combat. The others served in important military support roles. At the height of the war, the 1968 TET, we had 550,000 troops in Vietnam. By 1971, when Nixon was winding down our troop commitment, 156,000 served tours of duty. At this time, more draftees were involved in the military, but only 37% actually served tours in Vietnam.
This dispels another myth. Draftees represented only a third of our troops in Vietnam overall, and many did not see action. Also, draftees may have been less disciplined in general compared to those who volunteered for service. Also, they were more often involved in drug use and fragging instances late in the war.
The drug trend- It was estimated that as many as 50% smoked marijuana on occasion, but stats on habitual use vary since precise numbers are difficult to come by. Most accounts attribute more recreational usage among non-combatants. Pot was the drug of choice, grown locally, readily available, and inexpensive at $1.50. But, as in other wars, alcohol remained the universal choice by far to cool out. And, it was acceptable and cheap at 25 cents a drink.
Some reports point to fact that pot usage in Vietnam was not as prevalent as in the U.S. at that time. Considering the hippie revolution that seems plausible, but difficult to document.
While combat troops often relied on amphetamines to battle fatigue, pot essentially became relegated to wind downs to relax after an operation and withdrawal from the fire zone. In other words, there is no documentation of widespread drug use compromising combat effectiveness.
Under political pressure and under the assumption that marijuana could become a problem, the military command started to crack down in the late 1960’s. That policy had unintended consequences. Heroin had no detectable odor and high grade opium was available at $2.50 a pack. Naturally, the troops made a switch to a potentially dangerous drug rather than being disciplined for marijuana.
Imported from Cambodia and Laos, Burma Gold had high potency and was highly addictive. The threat to combat readiness became obvious. Hence, Nixon’s war “war on drugs” push in 1971. Troops could not return home if they were addicted and had not gone through detox. Everyone got screened with a urinalysis.
The stats :
- Of those tested in 1971, only 5.5 % required detoxification.
- Upon returning to the States, only 3.6% relapsed into heroin use. (The cohort involved follow-up of 156,000 troops)
These are solid Pentagon statistics showing that the media reports regarding heroin drug abuse among Vietnam vets were largely overblown. While opium was a serious problem, it involved only a little over 4,000 military personnel.
In my historical narrative, RECALL, I address many of these issues and the background of “Burma Gold” in detail, including Air America’s implication in drug transport. RECALL that CIA episode?
I welcome you to read RECALL and learn more facts about the Vietnam War and aftermath in the States..
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