More than 26 million Americans took part...

More than 26 million Americans took part in the Vietnam (越南)War. More than 58,000 of them  21 ; over 300,000 were  22 , and nearly 2300 were missing and thought dead. Improved  23 services saved many soldiers with serious  24  that in earlier wars would have been fatal(致命的). More than 600 Americans were prisoners of war (POWs).Some POWs spent six years or even  25   in North Vietnamese prisons.

One of the  26  things of the war has been the fate of its veterans(退伍军人).The  27  of soldiers from the Vietnam War was not   28  celebrated. Americans 29  them with stony silence.

The public's 30 reaction made many veterans angry and 31 them. They had  32  a life-and-death struggle, obeying orders for their country's national  33 .In the book Born on the Fourth of July (1976).Vietnam veteran Ron Kovic expressed his 34  over their not being supported.

"I didn’t want to  35   it at first---people went against us when we were putting our  36  on the frontline for our country……How could they do this to us? Many of us wouldn't be coming back……"

Thousands of Vietnam veterans turned to drugs or 37 to kick the drug habits they had developed  38   the war. Many others had trouble in finding jobs or  39 down and starting families. Between 250,000 and 350,000 homeless Americans--nearly one third of the total  40   Vietnam veterans.