Those who supported the war resented the veterans for losing the war, which left Vietnam veterans feeling like outsiders to veterans of other wars. The Vietnam War divided American society. Those who served were often treated as traitors instead of heroes, and found it difficult to adjust to life back home.

As time passed, the Vietnam veterans learned to identify each other. They started greeting themselves with “Welcome Home”. It is important that we embrace that greeting for our Vietnam veterans. It is a way of acknowledging their service and the poor treatment they received for doing their duty in an unpopular war.

What was the controversy over the Maya Lin Vietnam Memorial? Some people did not like the idea of creating a memorial at all, because they felt that that money would be better spent on services to help veterans with their needs, like healthcare and housing, rather than an artwork meant to symbolically thank them.