I was warned in July 1966 when I stopped by friends of my father at Stanford on my way to Vietnam for the 1st tour. not to go into San Francisco with a uniform. I didn't. On my first return in late July 1967, I flew from San Francisco to Atlanta in Class A's..the airline upgraded me to 1st class. I was so tired I slept the whole way. On return from second tour Nov 1968 I mustered out at Fort Lewis and flew in full class A's..jump boots, Green Beret to Atlanta and on to Tuscaloosa. No problems. But the South was different from the rest of the country.
Incudentally, I arrived in Vietnam for a second tour in early April 1968. I ETS'd in May but was on a MACVSOG operation with my team RT DELAWARE west of Ben Het near the Laotian border. I came out of the field technically a civilian. I had forgotten to extend enlistment. I had to fly down to Nha Trang, still a civilian, to do so. The recruitment office was closed. A Knife was stuck in the door with a message, "I cum hyar to re-up...you aim't hyar...nex time ah c u I gonna kik you." I managed to extend later that day and got back up to FOB-2 Kontum the next morning.
