Significance to New Zealanders
Significance to Lives of New Zealand Soliders
The decision to send troops had huge significance directly to the lives of the soldiers and their families. Thirty-seven soldiers died and one-hundred and eighty-seven were wounded and on top of this at least 600 of the returning soldiers returned to die of suffer from effects of Agent Orange. Due to the anti-war protests many families of soldiers suffered from abuse from protester and when the soldiers returned from home many were abused and ofelt a resentment towards the communities which greeted them with disgust. The country the soldiers returned to was divided toward their actions, many protesters called them “baby-killers” and “war mongers” and some even went as far as to throw fake blood at returning soldiers. This would have had a very heavy mental effect on the soldiers who were already returning from a brutal war through which they suffered from several different terribly situations. The soldiers weren’t acknowledged by the Returned Services Association (RSA) and didn’t get and official welcome home ceremony until 2008 by which time many of the soldiers had passed away. One of the strongest sufferings of the soldiers when they returned was the government's refusal to acknowledge soldiers suffering from Agent Orange, which meant they got no help or medical aid. There was also resentment towards the government as during the war they had supplied the US with chemicals to make Agent Orange.
The anti-war protests were the largest war protests to ever occur in New Zealand, with 35,000 people protesting by 1971. The anti-war protests were largely significant to New Zealand as it polarised a country over differing opinions. It also helped lead to the rise of Labour Party and country leaders such as Helen Clark and Phil Goff.
The anti-war movement sparked the growth in the counterculture movement which went on to be greatly significant in several ways to New Zealand society included through the groups who chose to go out at be part of alternative lifestyles in the commune movement in which ecovillages still have roots in today.
Overall the choice to send troops to Vietnam and the consequential protests had huge significance to New Zealanders with the introduction of culture, changing of foreign policies and strength of future protests which rooted in the counterculture movement. The protests led to changes in the foreign policy without which New Zealand may still have been tied to the actions of other countries far more. Without the initial protests and changes in policy it would also have been harder for New Zealanders to take such a strong anti-nuclear stand.
The anti-war movement sparked the growth in the counterculture movement which went on to be greatly significant in several ways to New Zealand society included through the groups who chose to go out at be part of alternative lifestyles in the commune movement in which ecovillages still have roots in today.
Overall the choice to send troops to Vietnam and the consequential protests had huge significance to New Zealanders with the introduction of culture, changing of foreign policies and strength of future protests which rooted in the counterculture movement. The protests led to changes in the foreign policy without which New Zealand may still have been tied to the actions of other countries far more. Without the initial protests and changes in policy it would also have been harder for New Zealanders to take such a strong anti-nuclear stand.
Key Ideas
The lives of New Zealand Vietnam war Veterans were changed forever due to the war with both mental and physical illnesses affecting the rest of their lives due to their experiences in Vietnam.
The protests that came about due to the Vietnam war was the greatest war protest in New Zealand history and it went on to change and shape the counterculture movement.
New Zealand’s involvement in the Vietnam war had impacts on lives across New Zealand from soldiers and families to radicals to the everyday citizen exposed to new options and new cultures.
The lives of New Zealand Vietnam war Veterans were changed forever due to the war with both mental and physical illnesses affecting the rest of their lives due to their experiences in Vietnam.
The protests that came about due to the Vietnam war was the greatest war protest in New Zealand history and it went on to change and shape the counterculture movement.
New Zealand’s involvement in the Vietnam war had impacts on lives across New Zealand from soldiers and families to radicals to the everyday citizen exposed to new options and new cultures.