--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The transition after the Vietnam War to…" description: "\"The transition after the Vietnam War to an all-volunteer force created the world's finest professional military. But it also reinforced geographic and ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d38/j-d-vance-2-3852_vietnam_the-transition-after-the-vietnam-war-to_2589166.jpg" --- # The transition after the Vietnam War to an all-volunteer… ![“The transition after the Vietnam War to an all-volunteer force created the world's finest professional military. But it also reinforced geographic and cultural divisions that reveal themselves in our voting.” quote by J. D. Vance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d38/j-d-vance-2-3852_vietnam_the-transition-after-the-vietnam-war-to_2589166.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d38/j-d-vance-2-3852_vietnam_the-transition-after-the-vietnam-war-to_2589166.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d38/j-d-vance-2-3852_vietnam_the-transition-after-the-vietnam-war-to_2589166.jpg) > “The transition after the Vietnam War to an all-volunteer force created the world's finest professional military. But it also reinforced geographic and cultural divisions that reveal themselves in our voting.” [J. D. Vance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-vance-2/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The shift to an all‑volunteer military after Vietnam created a professional force but also deepened geographic and cultural divides that influence voting patterns. **In simple terms:** All‑volunteer force improved professionalism but heightened divisions. Key Takeaway Address cultural divides to reduce political polarization. Themes military society politics culture division Mood analytical concerned Type political social When to use this quote - election analysis - policy making - community outreach - military recruitment Key Concepts civic identity political behavior Questions to Reflect On - How do military demographics affect elections? - What policies can mitigate cultural polarization? A Different Perspective Professionalism may not bridge societal gaps. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Vietnam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vietnam/) [Vietnam war](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vietnam-war/) [Voting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/voting/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [“Culture cannot be a monolithically universal phenomenon without some kind of demonic imposition of one culture over the rest of cultures. Nor is it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-d-zizioulas/culture-cannot-be-a-monolithically-universal-phenomenon-without-some/) [John D. Zizioulas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-d-zizioulas/) > [What I know is it is a disservice to those who continue to serve to think that there's going to be a civil-military breakdown…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-t-flynn/what-i-know-is-it-is-a-disservice-to-those-who-continue-to-serve-to/) [Michael T. Flynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-t-flynn/) > [“The idea...that our professional military men and women train for years without knowing whether they will ever have to actually carry out their missions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-luttrell/the-idea-that-our-professional-military-men-and-women-train-for-years/) [Marcus Luttrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-luttrell/) > [I'm against the draft. I believe we should have a professional military; it might be smaller, but it would be more effective.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-ventura/i-m-against-the-draft-i-believe-we-should-have-a-professional/) [Jesse Ventura](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-ventura/) > [The professional military mind is by necessity an inferior and unimaginative mind; no man of high intellectual quality would willingly imprison his gifts in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-g-wells/the-professional-military-mind-is-by-necessity-an-inferior-and/) [H. G. 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But like all important works of nonfiction, it goes further… This book is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/le-ly-hayslip/a-great-read-an-exciting-frightening-account-of-organized-crime-today/) [Le Ly Hayslip](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/le-ly-hayslip/) ## More by J. D. Vance > [Undoubtedly, church fish fries and picnics help build social cohesion. It was at my dad's medium-size evangelical church - my first real exposure to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-vance-2/undoubtedly-church-fish-fries-and-picnics-help-build-social-cohesion/) [J. D. Vance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-vance-2/) > [I almost failed out of high school. I nearly gave in to the deep anger and resentment harbored by everyone around me... Whatever talents…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-vance-2/i-almost-failed-out-of-high-school-i-nearly-gave-in-to-the-deep-anger/) [J. D. Vance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-vance-2/) > [Airing the family's laundry can make people upset.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-vance-2/airing-the-family-s-laundry-can-make-people-upset/) [J. D. Vance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-vance-2/) > [Liberals have to get more comfortable with dealing with the poor as they actually are. I admire their refusal to look down on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-vance-2/liberals-have-to-get-more-comfortable-with-dealing-with-the-poor-as/) [J. D. Vance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-vance-2/) > [I happen to be a conservative, but one need not accept the Right's theories wholesale to acknowledge the sometimes negative effects of government action…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-vance-2/i-happen-to-be-a-conservative-but-one-need-not-accept-the-right-s/) [J. D. Vance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-vance-2/) > [Trump's voters loathe Jeb Bush because their lives are falling apart, and they blame people like him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-vance-2/trump-s-voters-loathe-jeb-bush-because-their-lives-are-falling-apart/) [J. D. Vance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-vance-2/) > [What unites Trump's voters is a sense of alienation from America's wealthy and powerful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-vance-2/what-unites-trump-s-voters-is-a-sense-of-alienation-from-america-s/) [J. D. Vance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-vance-2/) > [The subsidy for employer-sponsored coverage has tethered health care to employment in a way that virtually no economist endorses.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-vance-2/the-subsidy-for-employer-sponsored-coverage-has-tethered-health-care/) [J. D. Vance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-vance-2/) > [I don't think that 60-70 percent of working-class white voters would have supported a Muslim ban before Donald Trump said something about a Muslim…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-vance-2/i-don-t-think-that-60-70-percent-of-working-class-white-voters-would/) [J. D. Vance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-vance-2/) > [It would be great if people returned to areas of the country that need talented people with good economic prospects. Our country would really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-vance-2/it-would-be-great-if-people-returned-to-areas-of-the-country-that/) [J. D. Vance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-vance-2/) > [My military service is the thing I'm most proud of, but when I think of everything happening in the Middle East, I can't help…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-vance-2/my-military-service-is-the-thing-i-m-most-proud-of-but-when-i-think/) [J. D. Vance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-vance-2/) > [I could never understand why our lives felt like a struggle while those living off government largesse enjoyed trinkets that I only dreamed about.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-vance-2/i-could-never-understand-why-our-lives-felt-like-a-struggle-while/) [J. D. Vance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-vance-2/) > [I think running a small nonprofit to work on the opioid crisis and bring interesting new businesses to the so-called Rust Belt - all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-vance-2/i-think-running-a-small-nonprofit-to-work-on-the-opioid-crisis-and/) [J. D. Vance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-vance-2/) > [People listen to what their political leaders are telling them, and my view is both that Trump is tapping into some racially ugly attitudes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-vance-2/people-listen-to-what-their-political-leaders-are-telling-them-and-my/) [J. D. Vance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-vance-2/) > [The most depressing part of the 2016 election is that the candidates often failed to show any cultural leadership: any recognition that the world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-vance-2/the-most-depressing-part-of-the-2016-election-is-that-the-candidates/) [J. D. Vance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-vance-2/) [Explore all 121 J. D. Vance quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-vance-2/) ## More Vietnam quotes > [A great read; an exciting, frightening account of organized crime today. But like all important works of nonfiction, it goes further… This book is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/le-ly-hayslip/a-great-read-an-exciting-frightening-account-of-organized-crime-today/) [Le Ly Hayslip](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/le-ly-hayslip/) > [Many people in the United States happen to believe that United States policy is wrong in Vietnam and the Vietcong are correct in wanting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/many-people-in-the-united-states-happen-to-believe-that-united-states/) [Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/) > [It might interest you that just as the U.S. was ramping up its involvement in Vietnam, LBJ launched an illegal invasion of the Dominican…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/it-might-interest-you-that-just-as-the-u-s-was-ramping-up-its/) [Junot Diaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) > [ We went to America a few times and \[Brian\] Epstein always tried to waffle on at us about saying nothing about Vietnam. So there… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lennon/we-went-to-america-a-few-times-and-brian-epstein-always-tried-to/) [John Lennon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lennon/) > [Sometimes a party must sail against the wind. We cannot heed the call of those who say it is time to furl the sail.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-kennedy/sometimes-a-party-must-sail-against-the-wind-we-cannot-heed-the-call/) [Edward Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-kennedy/) > [I was in Vietnam, and I was exposed to Agent Orange. And there's a high relationship between people that were exposed to Agent Orange…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hamilton-jordan/i-was-in-vietnam-and-i-was-exposed-to-agent-orange-and-there-s-a-high/) [Hamilton Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hamilton-jordan/) > [The United States can certainly defeat North Vietnam, but the United States cannot defeat a guerrilla war which is being raged from a sanctuary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zbigniew-brzezinski/the-united-states-can-certainly-defeat-north-vietnam-but-the-united/) [Zbigniew Brzezinski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zbigniew-brzezinski/) > [The 50,000 Korean mercenaries we had in Vietnam were professional killers and just massacred people outright. And the American army did plenty of that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-50-000-korean-mercenaries-we-had-in-vietnam-were-professional/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [I'm not going to say I was opposed to the Vietnam War. I'm going to say I'm opposed to war. But I'm also opposed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wooden/i-m-not-going-to-say-i-was-opposed-to-the-vietnam-war-i-m-going-to/) [John Wooden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wooden/) > [But despite their heroic acts, the Vietnam Veterans of America continued to struggle to establish a combat badge in honor of these brave pilots…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-holden/but-despite-their-heroic-acts-the-vietnam-veterans-of-america/) [Tim Holden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-holden/) > [Suppose Vietnam could separate itself from the American dominated global system and carry out a successful social and economic development. Then that is very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/suppose-vietnam-could-separate-itself-from-the-american-dominated/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [A first novel of astonishing force, craft and beauty, The Headmaster's Wager conjures up a dizzyingly evocative wartime Saigon in the story of Percival…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janice-y-k-lee-2/a-first-novel-of-astonishing-force-craft-and-beauty-the-headmaster-s/) Janice Y. K. Lee > [I have a band that I started with a buddy of mine, a Vietnam veteran pal named Kimo Williams from Chicago.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-sinise/i-have-a-band-that-i-started-with-a-buddy-of-mine-a-vietnam-veteran/) [Gary Sinise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-sinise/) > [With respect to where we are now, we have a voluntary army. And if we ever go back to conscription I hope that at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/with-respect-to-where-we-are-now-we-have-a-voluntary-army-and-if-we/) [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) > [The pictures that were coming from Vietnam were showing us what was really happening on the ground level. It was in contradiction to what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-nachtwey/the-pictures-that-were-coming-from-vietnam-were-showing-us-what-was/) [James Nachtwey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-nachtwey/) [Browse all 1,151 Vietnam quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vietnam/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The transition after the Vietnam War to an all-volunteer force created the world's finest professional military. But it also reinforced geographic and cultural divisions that reveal themselves in our voting.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "J. D. 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