Impact of Vietnam War on American Culture

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. These changes in the behavior of society have

The Vietnam War began in 1954 after years of conflict stretching back to the 1940s between the communist regime of North Vietnam and South Vietnam. North Vietnam was attempting to make South Vietnam a communist country; since we are a democracy, the United States opposes the views of communist countries, and because we feared the spread of communism the United States became involved as an ally of South Vietnam. The war ended in 1975, resulting in disastrous effects on Vietnam and America. The assertion of the United States in this war rose controversy among Americans, and I disagree with our involvement in the Vietnam War because of the United States’ reasons to fight.

The War not only affected those in Vietnam, but those still at home in America. Americans had split into two groups, known as the hawks and the doves. The hawks were people who supported the war and wanted the country to be victorious in its fight with Communism. The doves were the people that disagreed with the war. These were traditionally students, and people of the younger generation. Many veterans when they would return home, would join in these mass protests. One popular protest, which took place at Kent State University, resulted in 9 wounded people with 4 dead. The police at Kent State took action against a mass protest by opening fire. This is the evil that is created through war. Without the Vietnam war, there is no protest at Kent State. Without the Vietnam war, the college kid’s lives are spared. Without the Vietnam War, thousands of lives could have been saved. Neil Young said it best in his song Ohio. Ohio discussed the brutality of war but mainly the police brutality against the kids at Kent State. Vietnam was a tragic stain in American history.

The impact of the Vietnam War upon the soldiers who fought there was huge. The experience forever changed how they would think and act for the rest of their lives. One of the main reasons for this was there was little to no understanding by the soldiers as to why they were fighting this war. They felt they were killing innocent people, farmers, poor hard working people, women, and children were among their victims. Many of the returning soldiers could not fall back in to their old life styles. First they felt guilt for surviving many of their brothers in arms. Second they were haunted by the atrocities of war. Some soldiers could not go back to the mental state of peacetime. Then there were soldiers Tim O’Brien meant while in

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.

For those who served in Vietnam, the war left a major legacy. Due to the fact of Vietnam War being unpopular, and unacknowledged, the veterans had to adjust to different consequences. Vietnam veterans experienced physical, and psychological problems. Exposure to Agent Orange was a huge issue, because of all the issues it caused. It had long-term consequences, like the increase of the risk of various types of cancer, and birth defects among the veterans' children. A negative legacy the war left on Vietnam veterans has been the health effects of Agent Orange and other herbicides used in Vietnam. The exposure to the different kinds of chemicals caused them, and their family to develop illnesses, and birth defects for their children. Of the veterans'

The Vietnam War was a very long and messy war that started in 1954 and ended in 1975, although the United States joined in 1965. The united states projected the idea of stopping a Communist takeover of Vietnam as their main reason for joining the war. Soldiers fighting in the war were about two thirds volunteer and the rest were selected through the draft. This sparked outrage in many military aged men and was the beginning of the defiance towards the war. (thevietnamwar.info) With so many people fighting the war it was really supported overall by Americans at the start of the war. The Vietnam War affected the relationship between Americans and the government in many ways, some people it strengthened the idea of the government, and many people who were against the war rebelled in many ways to test the governments powers such as skipping the draft, protesting, or anti-war marches.

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.

This article discusses President Lyndon B. Johnson’s involvement with Vietnam and civil rights. Vietnam and Civil Rights Movement protests coincided. African Americans were discriminated against at home and in the United States armed forces. In previous history blacks fought segregated in war. During Vietnam blacks were intergraded with a small number of segregated troops. Blacks fought for democracy believing they would return home with equal rights. Blacks felt they had earned the right to be equal. After returning home from Vietnam, blacks remained discriminated against. The war heightened awareness of discrimination. Martin Luther King Jr., with blacks and whites, marched to Washington to protest for equal rights. Kings speech was one of the most powerful protests in history. His speech for freedom was televised across America. King was assassinated and white soldiers applauded his death. The military began posting confederate flags on equipment. Racism was tolerated in military bases. Legislation passed the Civil Rights Act in 1964.

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.

In January, 1966 on unsigned U.S. Army memorandum titled “Use of Herbicides in Vietnam” shows that within a week the trees in the plantation “showed considerable leaf falling”. The military use of Agent Orange worked, but as studies found it was not the most efficient solution. The horrible effects are devastating. The reason for the herbicides was to control the vegetation to be able to see who was coming. The United States sprayed and sprayed that herbicide nonstop, more and more. Did the herbicide work? Yes, it did that is the reason they kept spraying it. The vegetation would grow so fast and would not go away only for short periods of time. In result they increased the amount sprayed over time. The U.S. sprayed more that 19 million gallons of herbicides in over 4.5 million acres of land in Vietnam from 1961 to 1972. Each year from 1962 till 1966 there was an increase in Agent Orange used every year. Agent Orange was sprayed all throughout Vietnam rural land. Although there was another problem called “mist drift” this this caused significant damage. This happens after they spray the herbicide on an aircraft, before it reaches the ground or when it has reaches the ground, but has evaporated during the heat of the day, then it is moved from the target to another place due to surface wind (no more than 10mph). It can mist drift up to 6 miles or

For many of the American people, the Vietnam War is long forgotten, and the trauma of the war still haunts them to this very day. Before the war, there were multiple reasons why men wanted to participate in the war. Many felt that it was their duty to fight for their country and to gain a sense of freedom. During the war, approximately twenty-seven million American men dealt with the draft and up to two thirds of men joined the army, the average age being 19 years old. Majority of soldiers experienced violence and lost their friends to the horrors of the war. A minority of the soldiers were involved in drug abuse and addiction such as the use of marijuana and novocaine, in order to disconnect from reality of what they had witnessed or what they had done. Although not all veterans involved in the Vietnam War were permanently damaged, around 500,000 to 700,000 people suffered from stressed related impairment known as post-traumatic stress disorder. Approximately 11,500 women (who served as nurses) also returned with PTSD. The American troops were very inexperienced, and as a result of this, they failed to develop an effective response to the Vietcong’s guerrilla tactics. The Vietcong outdid the American troops as they were determined, passionate soldiers who believed that they were defending their country in order to implement a communist system that would improve their lives. America also failed to win the support of the Vietnamese peasants, who believed that the Americans were invaders and could not compare with the Vietcong who offered to improve their lives. American forces also lost support back home as it became clear that they were fighting a losing and expensive battle. The media was all over the Vietnam War conflict, and America was bombarded with images of massacres such as My Lai where up to 300 Vietnamese people

The Vietnam War began in 1954 and came to an end in 1975. It was a conflict that set in opposition the communist regime of North Vietnam and the Viet Cong

As America was fighting a war for freedom in another country, unruly teens were fighting their own at home. Cultural change, the explosion of free love, youthful rebellion, and a new liberal mindset all seemed to have one underlying device in common; drug use. The late 1960’s into the early and mid-70’s found the perfect environment for recreational drug use. Music and arts celebrated this lifestyle, as well as free thinkers and their idiotic philosophies about spiritual elation through mind altering narcotics. Lack of family structure with so many homes transformed by the Vietnam War also left young teens without guidance, and an economy with little to offer to the up and coming generation. As the next few years passed and the free love generation began to grasp the concept of working for a living, showering on a regular basis, love with commitment (or antibiotics), and cultural change through policy, they brought to the workforce a new dynamic not previously prevalent. Recreational drug use had become part of society. Vietnam War veterans also brought their own demons home with their return, opiate addictions were a common occurrence (Carson 2012).

As we all know, the Vietnam War began on November 1, 1955. The war was fought between The Vietnamese and The United States. This war began because the South was opposed to the Communist rule. The war ended on April 30, 1975 and The United States had surrendered. When the supporters of the United States caught wind to this tragedy, the United States lost public support. Not only did they lose public support, they lost thousands of troops/soldiers, and billions of dollars that they had put into the war. Both the U.S. and the Vietnamese suffered tragedies but the U.S. lost more to the war than the Vietnamese. Join us in our essay to learn more about the lost of the U.S. to the Vietnam War.