Vietnam Veterans Since the War: The Politics of Ptsd, Agent Orange, and the National Memorial

318 Pages·2004·14.91 MB·English

by  Wilbur J. Scott

VIETNAM VETERANS SINCE THE WAR
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p- P
VIETNAM VETERANS SINCE THE WAR:
The Politics of PTSD, Agent Orange, and
the National Memorial
WILBUR J. SCOTT
University of Oklahoma Press : Norman
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Scott, Wilbur J., 1946-
Vietnam veterans since the war: the politics of PTSD, agent orange, and the
national memorial / Wilbur J. Scott.
p. cm.
Originally published as: The politics of readjustment. New York: Aldine de
Gruyter, 1993.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 0-8061-3597-2 (pb.: alk. paper)
1. Vietnamese Conflict, 1961-1975-Veterans-United States. 2. Vietnamese
Conflict, 1961-1975-Psychological aspects. 3. Veterans-United States-
Mental health. I. Title.
The paper in this book meets the guidelines for permanence and durability of the
Committee on Production Guidelines for Book Longevity of the Council on
Library Resources, Inc.
Originally published as The Politics of Readjustment: Vietnam Veterans since the War,
copyright O 1993 by Aldine de Gruyter, Inc. Copyright transferred to the University
of Oklahoma Press, 2003. Paperback edition published by the University of
Oklahoma Press, Norman, Publishing Division of the University, copyright O 2004.
Afterword by Wilbur J. Scott to the Oklahoma edition copyright O 2004 by the
University of Oklahoma Press. All rights reserved. Manufactured in the U.S.A.
For
Cynthia Kay
and
All my brothers who served in
Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 14th Infantry,
4th Infantry Division
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CONTENTS
FOREWORD BY JOHN SIBLEY BUTLER
INTRODUCTION
1. EXPENDED BRASS
Early Organizing Efforts
Emerging Ties with the Psychiatric Community
The Iron Triangle
The VA under Fire
Operation RAW
The New York City Rap Groups
The Winter Soldier Investigation
Operation Dewey Canyon I11
Notes
2. POST-VIETNAM SYNDROME
The Early History of War Neurosis
War Neurosis in DSM-I and DSM-I1
DSM-11 and the Practice of Psychiatry
Flanking Maneuvers
Turmoil within the APA
Shatan: The Grief of Soldiers
The St. Louis Watershed
Growing Pains
Notes
3. HORSE-TRADING
Counseling As a Political Issue
Parallel Developments
DSM-III in Progress: "No Change Is Planned"
Vietnam Veterans Working Group
Committee on Reactive Disorders
The Balance of Power Shifts
vii
viii Contents
Defeated Again
The Committees Strike a Deal
Vet Centers
Notes
4. "ONLY WE CAN PREVENT FORESTS"
Temporary Duty
A Permanent Organization
A Troubling Finale
Two Guys and a Mimeograph Machine
Agent Orange Gets White-Hot
The Issue Broadens
New Initiatives
An Unconventional Proclamation
"It Can Be Done"
Notes
5. POLITICS 101
A Brand New Lawsuit
Mixed Signals
Enter the Atomic Vets
Congressional Action
Disrupting the Applecart
Internal Strife
Mau-Mauing the VA
The Question of Presumption
The Politics of Commemoration
Notes
6. OPENING UP THE EARTH
The Politics of Design, Round One
The Hostages Come Home
The Awakening
The Politics of Design, Round Two
Round Three
A Trip to Hanoi
Round Four
Discovery Continues
Round Five
Notes
Contents
7. BETTER SETTLED THAN TRIED
Still No Protocol
A Pretrial Setback
Times Beach
Presumption Denied
A New Judge, A "New" Lawsuit
Preliminary Ranch Hand Reports
An End to the Lawsuit
Notes
8. BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT
Research Wars
Calm before the Storm
An End to the Agent Orange Study
The American Legion Study
A Landmark Court Decision
Agent Orange and an American Family
A Congressional Inquiry
A Presumption of Service Connection
Epilogue
Notes
9. TOWARD A SOCIOLOGY OF VETERANS' ISSUES
The Social Construction of Science
A Constructivist Approach to Social Problems
Theoretical Interpretations of Social Movements
Veterans as Social Movement Constituencies
Vietnam Veterans as Social Movement Constituencies
Theoretical Implications from Readjustment
after Vietnam
Concluding Thoughts
Notes
AFTERWORD
BIBLIOGRAPHY
INDEX