Date Posted:Thu, April 19 2007, 13:11:37 Author:Jeff Northridge Author Host/IP: adsl-75-45-103-148.dsl.scrm01.sbcglobal.net / 75.45.103.148 Subject: Re: Vietnam Vets and drug use In reply to:
tiffany
's message, "Re: Vietnam Vets and drug use" on Thu, April 19 2007, 7:28:54
Howdy Tiffany;
I don't where you can get reliable statistics on that. Most of the drug use was alcohol and marijuana although there was some amphetimine (in the form of diet medication) and opium (in the form of a black liquid which was smeared on the outside of a cigarette or joint and smoked). Alcohol was available from the PX, but most GI's just drank beer. I didn't see much hard liquor in Vietnam, but you could drink all the beer that you wanted. The other drugs were available from the local Vietnamese population for a price.
Without admitting to anything myself, I would estimate that one third of the enlisted men in my battalion smoked marijuana on a regular basis. The officers would bust the rear-echelon troops if they could catch them, but what are they going to do with the infantry? If they busted us, then they wouldn't have anybody left to fight their Goddamned war. The infantry can get away with murder--literally.
