Christian Appy argues that Vietnam was a “working-class war” because the war was fought disproportionately by men from working-class and poor families. Appy argues that “roughly 80% came from working-class and poor backgrounds,” unreflective of the general United States population (251). Additionally, of those that fought in the war, soldiers from lower class backgrounds died at higher rates than those from upper class families. The demographics of enlistees were not only primarily from working-class and poor rural families, but also historically young. Furthermore, while the exact figures for minority enlistment is unknown or inadequately recorded, the start of the war indicated that “blacks comprised more than 20% of American combat deaths, about twice their proportion of the U.S population” (257). Throughout the war, however, the proportion of black enlistment and deaths decreased.
According to DeGroot, U.S troops became demoralized by the late 1960s because the “sense of purpose which the American soldier took to Vietnam had evaporated” (267). The attrition strategy, guerrilla warfare, domestic riots and protests, along with numerous other factors, created an environment in which soldiers increasingly lost their sense of purpose in fighting. Low morale strained the social dynamics among soldiers, intensifying tensions between different groups. DeGroos speaks of the resentment that combat soldiers felt towards other soldiers not in combat—REMFs—as they felt they were being “punished” with combat while the REMFs were being rewarded with luxuries. Furthermore, low morale eroded the bond between soldiers and their commanding officers, with many soldiers losing respect for their leaders to the point of resorting to violent acts, including fragging, to assert their frustration.
While I am confident that it exists, I honestly can not say with much certainty to what extent a class divide exists in the U.S. military today. I grew up very removed from the military—a part of the suburban class who assumes they will go to college—and can not remember how military enlistment was advertised to us as students. From what I do remember, the ROTC kids who ended up in service came from middle-class families and had many family members in the service already. After doing a quick Google search, I discovered that my experience aligns with broader trends, showing that middle-class individuals are the most represented in the military while both the poor and upper classes have significantly lower representation. I would be curious to know if higher ranks within the military—or other military occupations like engineers and medics—show similar trends, or would reflect more of a class divide.
Will Wright 
I would also be interested to learn how professions within the military impact class divide. I do wonder if people in medic and engineering fields are of middle class standard or if it is a way for lower income folks to achieve a desired degree with having free or reduced price college. I find it interesting how officer classes are typically middle income where lower income enlisted folks have difficulty obtaining and knowing about the connections needed to become an officer. These officer positions are not typically advertised in military recruitment, so one already has to be knowledgeable in order to understand how to move up the ranks. Furthermore, there are educational requirements to being an officer. All in all, I think, that like with other professions, social capital is passed down through generations such that generational wealth is inherited because one’s family connections can impact life outcomes and professions. This has historical implications because lower income folks were mostly enlisted whereas higher income folks were officers, so this mentality and knowledge can be passed down to kids and such.
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