Learn about the legacies of the Vietnam War in the lives of Americans who experienced it first hand in Lesson Six of Vietnam War Oral History Lesson Plans.

Paul Wisovaty lived in Taylorville, Illinois and developed a skepticism about war and the motives of his government after his experience in Vietnam. Jerome Weise of Rantoul, Illinois (is this where he was living just before he served?) served as a medic in Vietnam and came to believe that his experience caused long-term health problems. Richard Hertel was married and living in Milladore, Wisconsin during the war and drew strength from his experience in Vietnam to cast off the life that was expected of him and embrace the his truth as a gay man. Steve Allen, who grew up on a small farm in Tuscola, Illinois, was forever scarred by the experience of watching friends die in Vietnam, yet his journey to the Vietnam Wall in Washington has helped him make some sense and peace about his experience. Terry Hairrell was living in Waukegan, Illinois during the Vietnam War. After serving in the Army in Vietnam, he struggled with a variety of issues after the war as he began to put his life back together with the help of his wife.