As communities across Connecticut mark 50 years since the end of the Vietnam War, many veterans say they are finally receiving the respect they were once denied.
A recent CT Insider story — including insights from History Professor C. Michele Thompson — highlights the long-overdue recognition of Vietnam veterans and the complex factors that contributed to their fraught return home.
Thompson, who holds an M.A. in East Asian History and a Ph.D. in Southeast Asian History, provided key historical context for the article, noting how public outrage over atrocities like the My Lai massacre contributed to a dramatic shift in how American soldiers were perceived during and after the conflict.
“The U.S. public in general had this idea that Americans were always the good guys,” Thompson explained. “So these revelations were a shock… in a way that they probably would not be today.”
Read the full article here: Hearst CT Media – “50 years later, Vietnam veterans in CT say they’re ‘starting to gain some respect’”
