This paper looks critically at the historical accounts of the effects of the Vietnam conflict on the American population. The paper addresses the anti-war movement, how it grew and matured throughout the years of the conflict, and whether it echoed the sentiment of the American population, both those that participated in organized opposition and those that opposed the war without joining an organized movement. Throughout the paper historical accounts are compared to the experiences of my father, Gary Fullam, my mother Claire Fullam and my uncle, Edward Kiffmeyer from Cincinnati, Ohio. All three were around the age of 18 at the time of the conflict.