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 1 Running head: SOCIAL EFFECTS OF THE VIETNAM WAR The Vietnam War's Effects on American Society Halley E. Moore Metro High School- St. Louis The Vietnam 2 Abstract The Vietnam War had a profound effect on American society. It changed the way we viewed our government, the media, and our Constitutional rights. Because of this shift in perspective, the country was torn apart and yet still came together in new and different ways.

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.

The Vietnam War was one of the bloodiest wars in American history.The Vietnam War was one of the longest wars in American History. It persisted from 1955 to 1973. This war was the first wars to ever be broadcasted on live televison. The Vietnam War had a big impact on america, over three million people were killed. This war was faught in South Vietnam, North Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. By looking at "Reaching Out ' by Larry Burrows one can see the explicit and implicit which is important because to be able to fully analyze the

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

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 destroyed american life as we know it. More than 58,000 men and women made the ultimate sacrifices; billions of dollars spent on the conflict in an attempt to “contain” Communism. America went into the war as the world’s largest allied superpower, following a victory during WWII against the axis powers. Despite being the world's largest military power, America left Vietnam with a humiliating defeat, with high casualties. The nation’s longest war, the only war the U.S. ever lost, it had many consequences and impacts on most aspects of American life, from the economy, politics, the american people, and veterans of the Vietnam war.

Vietnam was the longest war in American history and the most unpopular American war of the 20th century. This is probably the war that caused the most dilemmas for policymakers, and American citizens. The War caused many people to lose their lives over fear and unnecessary destruction. The war caused problems within the United States as well. Many American people did not want this war to happen, and so they protested it when the soldiers would return home from Vietnam.

During American involvement in the war, African Americans were listed and reenlisted on the military draft at higher rates than any other nationalities including whites and Latin-Americans (Westheider 9). As a result, more African Americans than any othe r minority fought and died in combat. In addition, they constantly faced racism. One militant protested forcefully against the unfair conditions: “You should see for yourself how the black man is being treated over here and the ay we are dying. When it comes to rank, we are left out. When it comes to special privileges, we are left out. When it comes to patrols, perataions and so forth, we are first” (Gallagher). According to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., black youths represented an unequal share of early draftees and faced a significantly higher chance of seeing combat. “Rumors abounded that the U.S. government were using the Vietnam War as a form of genocide. Money was being pumped into Vietnam instead of poor black communities in America” (Gallegher).

     U.S. President Lyndon Johnson's decision not to seek reelection in 1968 prompted serious negotiations to end the war to began. Between 1968 and 1969, contacts in Paris between North Vietnam and the United States were expanded to include South Vietnam and the NLF. Under the leadership of President Richard M Nixon, the United States changed its tactics to combine U.S. troop withdrawals with intensified bombing and the invasion of Communist sanctuaries in Cambodia .

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, 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.

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)

The Vietnam War's Effects on American Society Abstract The Vietnam War had a profound effect on American society. It changed the way we viewed our government, the media, and our Constitutional rights. Because of this shift in perspective, the country was torn apart and yet still came together in new and different ways. The Vietnam War's contraversiality spurred a great many sources of protest, against our government's use of power, how far we could stretch the rights of free expression, and primarily against the violence of the war itself.

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