How The Vietnam War Changed America

Regarded as one of the most controversial and polarizing military conflicts in U.S. history, the Vietnam War has left a deep and lasting impact on American culture, politics, and foreign policy. From 1964 to the present day, the Vietnam War redefined the scope of U.S. influence both at home and abroad, and caused a fundamental shift in American society that dramatically changed the way in which Americans viewed their government and the role of the United States as a world power. For an entire generation of Americans, who watched as the horrors of the war in Vietnam unfold before the spotlight of the national media, the Vietnam War directly challenged the superiority of the American way and the infallibility of U.S military dominance. In truth, the U.S government, U.S. military, and the American people as a whole struggled to accept the lessons of America’s greatest military failure and the sobering reality of the war’s consequences. To this day, the legacy of this so-called “American War” continues to resonate throughout the fabric of American society as a cautionary tale of U.S foreign intervention and blind acceptance of open-ended conflict.

The Vietnam War is one of the most controversial topics in American history, and even now it still continues to be debated. With over three million deaths from the war, was it really worth it? From the abominable outcome of this war, it is highly favorable that United States Troops should not have been deployed to Vietnam due segregation it caused within the American country and resulting over 58,000 American deaths. As complex as this war may seem, this disputable conflict started earlier in spite of what others might imagine.

The Vietnam War, unofficially beginning on November 1st, 1955 and ending April 30th, 1975, was a key part of US history due to the countless United States soldiers that served in the war over the 8 years and 37 days that the US was involved. For the United States, the Vietnam War had over 58,000 casualties and over 300,000 wounded soldiers. Starting on March 8, 1965, the United States was tied into the losing fight overseas. These numbers are only estimates. Far more people were affected by the war, even after it ended. Hundreds of thousands of veterans committed suicide after the war due to PTSD and other impacts that the war had on them.

Throughout America’s history, few things have left the nation in such controversial turmoil as the Vietnam War. With an American death toll of almost 60,000 troops, the Vietnam War has gone down in infamy as one of the most tremendous struggles Americans have faced both overseas and on the home front. Because of the tumultuous controversies caused by the war, Americans split into two social factions – those against the war and those who supported it. During the years of 1961-1975 - the era in which the war had its greatest effect on Americans - the population of citizens from 18-35 years old and the Presidency were both affected irreversibly.

The Vietnam war brought many changes to the United States in the 1960’s and the 1970’s. Some of the changes were for the better of the country, take the rediscovered Women’s Rights movements and the ever growing Free Speech movements inspired by New Left, while most of the other changes brought on tensions between government and their people. The Domino Theory pushed our leaders to the edge. In order to stop the Domino Theory in Vietnam, the U.S. invaded. The war was useless for the American government to get involved with. Even Robert Kennedy described our presence in Vietnam as ‘... sending a lion to halt an epidemic of jungle rot.’ (Doc E) From new groups forming to rebel, to inflation and loss of trust in the Government, from 1960’s to

The Vietnam War is the longest war fought in America’s history (1954-1973). The Vietnam War occurred because North Vietnam followed Communist ideas and the United States followed democratic ideas. The North wanted to interfere with the South into becoming Communist but the U.S did their best to reduce or eliminate the North interference in South Vietnam. The Vietnam War was the first ever war to be shown on television. Although the U.S won the battle, the T.V exposed the horrors and struggles of the war. It seemed like the U.S was just killing random people for no reason. It made a lot of people question whether the U.S was the good or bad side. During the war, there was a theory “Domino Effect/Theory, that basically meant that once one fell under communism than the others would fall too. This war was extremely difficult because they were fighting in a forest. There were trees and bushes and everything would block the sight of the soldiers. So there was Guerilla Warfare which meant unconventional fighting, surprise attacks and ambush. Helicopters were extensively used. It was a fast in and an easy out. After the Tet Offensive, people started to distrust the government and increased the number of protests. There were war-hawks and doves. They were two completely different groups. One was anti-war and the other was pro-war. The war made a drastic impact in American Culture. Especially with the American people. The Vietnam War created division. (History.com)

Secretary of State John Kerry once said “I saw courage both in the Vietnam War and in the struggle to stop it. I learned that patriotism includes protest, not just military service.” The Vietnam War was a conflict that lasted from 1956-1975 which the United States participated in along with the South Vietnamese who fought against the Communist North Vietnamese. Many Americans strongly disapproved of the war which caused many protests and riots. The war lasted 25 years killing many people and eventually the North Vietnamese won. The Vietnam War was important to Americans back home because it tested the citizen’s right to free speech, effected future foreign policy, and created many issues for returning veterans.

The Vietnam War was immensely controversial, and had a great deal of effects in the United States, Vietnam and throughout the entire world. The war had lasting impacts that helped to shape the United States and create what the country is today. Michael H. Hunt’s The Wages of War, published in 1996 and Arnold R. Isaacs’ Competing Memories, published in 1997, both primary sources discussed the aftermath of the Vietnam War. Competing Memories is the more valuable primary source because it does a better job of providing multiperspectivity, provided information on why the Vietnam War made such a large impact, and discussed why the war started. On the other hand, The Wages of War only talked about the effects on Vietnam and Asia.

years of the War. So the birth rate expanded abruptly. The quantity of youngsters between the ages of five and fourteen expanded by more than ten million between nineteen fifty and nineteen sixty. A considerable lot of the inexperienced parents moved to homes in the new rural areas. The word suburb originates from the word urban, or doing with urban communities. A rural area was sub or something not as much as, a city. It as a rule was made on an unfilled real estate parcel simply outside a city. A representative would purchase the land and construct houses on it. Youthful families would purchase the houses with cash that they obtained from nearby banks. Life was distinctive in suburbia. There was a wide range of gathering exercises. 12 There were changes to

When the Vietnam War finally came to an end in 1975, it left a lasting impression in minds of many Americans. Not only did about forty-seven thousand American soldiers lose their lives, but the United State government also spent a hundred and seventy-three billion dollars for a failed war effort. With intervention in Vietnam becoming increasingly ineffective, America decided it was time for a change in its military strategies. The most important changes that following the Vietnam War were: a more restricted foreign affairs policy, a decrease in defense spending, and a transition to an all-volunteer force.

The Vietnam War was, and still is highly controversial. Whether or not the United States should have entered the war is still up for debate. However, when considering the war’s impact, it seems quite clear that the nation shouldn’t have. 1967 was a time when many Americans were heavily divided not just over America’s involvement and action in Vietnam but also about their values and morals. It was in this year that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his speech “Beyond Vietnam” in which he provides exceptional reasoning for ending the war, and a call to action for Americans to fix not only the damages of war in Vietnam, but also in their own country. After reading his speech, it is very clear why the United States should have stayed out of

Forty six years have passed since the United States officially stopped their involvement in Vietnam. Not since the Civil war had the country been so torn. Every American family was impacted, losing husbands, sons, and daughters. Over fifty thousand Americans were killed and many more still suffer deep physical and emotional scars . Veterans took their own lives, were treated as social outcasts, or ended up on the streets with the homeless. The Vietnam conflict was a war that many did not understand and that left a nation questioning the government they had always trusted.

The Vietnam War is one of the most debatable and controversial wars in U.S. History. To this day people are questioning why we ever entered a war that was over 8,000 miles away. Why would we put our soldiers through such harsh fighting conditions and why would we spend so much money on a war that was not ours? Some people say that U.S. involvement was necessary to help end Communism and important to keep South Vietnam from coming under North Vietnamese control. However, there are many people who oppose that U.S. was involved due to the high number of casualties and financial burden it had on our country. Many people also say that we shouldn’t have participated in this war because Vietnam 's political issues didn’t affect the U.S.. The United States should not have participated in the Vietnam War because of the effects it had on our soldiers, the overall cost to our country and because it was a battle we could not win.

Vietnam was the longest war in American history and the most disliked American war of the twentieth century. It brought about almost 60,000 American deaths and in an expected 2 million Vietnamese deaths. Indeed today, numerous Americans still ask whether the American exertion in Vietnam was a transgression, a bungle, a vital war, or whether it was a respectable reason, or an optimistic, if fizzled, push to shield the South Vietnamese from totalitarian government. This leads to the question of In what ways did the U.S.’s involvement in the Vietnam Conflict affect American society from 1957 - 1975?

George Herring 's article " The legacy of Vietnam" talks about the military clash between the communist North Vietnam, backed by its allies and the government of South Vietnam, backed by the United States and other countries that are anti-communist that happened in Vietnam during Richard Nixon 's presidency. The Vietnam War was a terrible war, especially for Vietnamese because a millions of them died during the war. The author not just describes the war itself; he also analyzes the killing and the attack that occurred during the war. In general the Vietnam War was the most costly war contrast to other wars and it was the most shocking eras in American history. The Vietnam War had an impact in American history. It brought fear from the war