The spitting image
Subtitle: myth, memory, and the legacy of Vietnam
By: Jerry Lembcke ; consulting editor: Harvey J. Kaye.
Publisher: New York University Press
Published: 1998
Place of publication: New York
Language: eng
Number of pages: 217
Subjects: Vietnamese Conflict, 1961-1975 -- Veterans -- United States; Vietnamese Conflict, 1961-1975 -- Public opinion; Public opinion -- United States
Description: One of the most resilient images of the Vietnam era is that of the anti-war protester - often a woman - spitting on the uniformed veteran just off the plane. The lingering potency of this icon was evident during the Gulf War, when war supporters invoked it to discredit their opposition.

In this startling book, Jerry Lembcke demonstrates that not a single incident of this sort has been convincingly documented. Rather, the anti-war Left saw in veterans a natural ally, and the relationship between anti-war forces and most veterans was defined by mutual support. While veterans were sometimes made to feel uncomfortable about their service, this sense of unease was, Lembcke argues, more often rooted in the political practices of the Right.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (p. 199-210) and index.
Table of contents: title: Introduction: the spitting image; title: Yellow ribbons and spat-upon veterans: making soldiers the means and ends of war; title: Dear Spiro Agnew: about soldiers, veterans and the anti-war movement; title: The Nixon-Agnew counter-offensive: "good veterans" vs. "bad veterans"; title: Spat-upon veterans: the evidence (or lack thereof); title: From Odysseus to Rambo: coming home stories; title: From badness to madness: the mental labeling of Vietnam veterans; title: Women, wetness, and warrior dreams; title: Myth, spit, and the flicks: coming home to Hollywood; title: We are what we remember.