Military Perception: Vietnam to Persian Gulf War

During the Vietnam War, the perception to the war effort was very negative. Anti-war movements began on college campuses, the first known one coming from the organization Students for a Democratic Society. People hated the military presence in Vietnam. By November of 1967, 15,000+ Americans were killed and 100,000+ wounded. It also was costly, as the US spent $25 billion per year despite the end of the war being nowhere in sight.  On October 21, 1967 over 100,000 protesters gathered at the Lincoln Memorial, and nearly 30,000 marched to the Pentagon. Once there, the demonstrators were violently halted by soldiers and US Marshals, and hundreds of demonstrators were imprisoned. Morale around the country was low, as the once seemingly invincible US had suffered greatly from a country like North Vietnam. This was a huge difference from the Persian Gulf War in the 90's, which was broadcasted publicly by American media to the people. The war was presented almost as if it were a video game, displaying complete American military domination. It restored faith around the country in the American military, as polling revealed a major support for the war.