ABSTRACT
The civilian status of a person is meant to guarantee that that person will be kept out of hostilities and safe from attack. This chapter examines the current status of civilians in wartime. It explores the feelings of the Vietnam Generation toward the Vietnamese people as well as their perception of Vietnamese feelings toward the United States military presence. The chapter looks into their views of how the war affected the Vietnamese. A substantial number of Vietnam veterans expressed negative feelings toward Vietnamese people. Activists pointed out that they felt sorry for the Vietnamese people because they had been involved in warfare for a very long time, in conflicts that were devastating their lives and their country. The transcript material helps us understand the various ways American soldiers perceived Vietnamese feelings about their presence. Perceptions of the effects of the war on the Vietnamese among Vietnam veterans differ substantially as a consequence of race, combat, and participation in abusive violence.
