Interesting. Someone once told me that every time these terrible wars finish, historically nations and people begin to act more humanitarian towards each other for a brief period. It's almost like wars are needed to remind ourselves how to be human. Maybe that's got something to do with the "6 years without a murder" line. (not supporting war, I'm just curious about how are psyche's work).
But it's also reflective of the difference between the two conflicts. World War II was a total war that ended in a clear Allied victory. Despite the trauma, returning soldiers had a sense of purpose and achievement and were greeted as heroes upon their return. Even today we still use the term "The Greatest Generation" to refer to them. Vietnam was a war fought while everyone got on with their lives. It dragged on and the purpose was less clear. The American participation ended with withdrawal and ultimately defeat. The protests had brought the war to its end but also resulted in soldiers being jeered and derided upon their return. They could not experience what the previous generation experienced upon their return. I don't know if this happened in the US, but here in Australia some veterans were even denied membership of the Returned Services League (the association for veterans) and told to "fight a real war." I can only imagine that coping with trauma in the face of public indifference or outright hostility and with no satisfaction that their sacrifices were worthwhile was much more difficult.
