Myth 19: Most U.S. troops were poor soldiers: they lacked discipline, were poorly led, were usually stoned (and older ones/lifers were usually drunk).

Myth: Most U.S. troops were poor soldiers: they lacked discipline, were poorly led, were usually stoned (and older ones/lifers were usually drunk).

Fact: US troops in Vietnam performed with valor and honor. Very few were stoned or drunk although more were in the latter years.

Drug use in the early years of the war was lower in Vietnam than the rest of the Army.
The peak of drug use was in 1971, when 7,026 cases were brought for hard drug use (mostly heroin).
There were 281,400 troops in Vietnam, so the percent of hard drug users tried at courts martial was 2.5% of the total personnel in country.
Urine testing of troops departing from Vietnam in September 1972 revealed that 10% tested positive for drug use.
A later study (the Robins Study) found that 45% admitted to having tried drugs at least once in Vietnam, but that was based on interviews, not drug testing.
The study found that about 5% relapsed after their return. That brings into question the methodology used in the interviews.
Some researchers argue that the men in the study were dependent, not addicted.
Some studies found that between 15-20% of enlisted men in 1972 were "addicted" to heroin.
No matter what numbers you use, the majority of personnel in Vietnam did not use drugs.