The Value Of A Vietnam Soldier's Life

SPRINGFIELD — Shirley Flores’ eyes filled with tears Friday as she read the name of her brother on a newly unveiled Vietnam War veteran’s memorial in Springfield.

The United States, the most powerful army in the world at the time of the war. The Vietnamese war started in November 1, 1955 and ended in 1975. To many people it was one of the most pointless wars in the United States history. It was like the country was split during the war. There was many protest against the some of which that drew blood. So why did the United States join the Vietnamese war. What was the impact on American society, the people of America. What was the impact of war on the United States foreign policy. The foreign policy determines how America conducts relations with other countries, further certain goals. So why did the United States join the war, what was the impact of the war on America society, and what was the impact of the war on the United States foreign policy.

The cost of the United States entering the Vietnam War drastically outweighed the potential victory over the spreading of Communism in Vietnam. Not only did over 58,000 soldiers lose their lives, but nearly 150,000 soldiers were also injured as a result. The remaining soldiers were left with physical and psychological scars, as well as returning home to financial ruin because of job loss and inability to work. Events during the war, such as the My Lai Massacre, made the American public question the motives of the government and eventually led to hundreds of anti-war groups and protests to arise.

The Vietnam War is widely regarded as the lowest point in the history of U.S. foreign affairs. It mercilessly dragged an unwilling country on a fatal ride for twenty years, all while receiving low approval ratings and high funding. The Vietnam conflict served as an optimum environment for the virus of controversy. No one has more experience with controversy than Heinz Alfred Kissinger. He is the ultimate pragmatist, as embodying his philosophy of realpolitik, a diplomatic ideology based on utilitarianism rather than international ethical standards. When one’s political calling card downplays the role of ethics in diplomacy, that individual is bound to garner a high profile reputation. Kissinger himself has lamented the national predicament during this conflict—squeezed between the ultimate rock, his duty to keep peace, and hard place, his duty to act with the approval of the American people. This predicament was rooted in an omnipresent opposition to Communism, as was America’s role in the entire Cold War. Cold War politics were politics of fear. That fear drove competition, which bred a certain variety of leader – a logical, calculating politician with regard for nothing but his country’s success. To avoid an uncontrollable spread of Communism through the westernized world, some moral casualties were strewn about the wayside. However, the American public had no trouble rolling up their collective sleeves to back this forward-thinking activist. In more recent years, some

“War does not determine who is right - only who is left.” ~ Bertrand Russell. The famous quote from Bertrand Russell describes the reality of war. War only lets the powerful and the wealthy side win and not the righteous side. On an average 378,000 people die each year at war while 1,450,000 people died in the Vietnam war. The Vietnam war started on 1 November 1955 and lasted until 30 April 1975. The war was fought between the North Vietnamese Communist government and the South Vietnamese Communist rebels known as the Viet Cong against the non-Communist South Vietnamese government and their ally U.S.A. The war destroyed the life of both, the North and South Vietnamese along with the other nations that took part in it. More than 1 million people were killed including civilians and over 3 million injured. Thousand were wives were left widows and hundreds of kids orphans. After consistent protests by the Americans, U.S.A withdrew from the later stages of war. The Vietnam War is a depiction that wars are murky and filthy and should be circumvented as they bring agony and desolation to the people. To show this I used three different mediums which are - Political Cartoon “Name a

Prisoners of War (POWs): In international law, term used to designate incarcerated members of the armed forces of an enemy, or noncombatants who render them direct service and who have been captured during wartime.1

Before his career as an actor Ronald Reagan was a part of the US Army Reserve, while in the reserve, he was called to duty just after the Pearl Harbor. He served the army form the year of 1942 to the year of 1945. During his service he arose the the rank of Captain, even though he never had any part in combat situations. Although he never had experienced combat, he stayed stateside and narrated the training films and was in the Army Air Force’s First Motion Picture Unit. (Ronald Reagan)

Vietnam War DBQ Rough Draft The United States became involved in Vietnam affairs after the end of World War II, during the Cold War. The French were trying to colonize Indochina, which included Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. America wanted to have the French as allies against the Soviet union, so they proceeded to aid them in their colonization. Vietnam pressed for independence, and war broke out. The U.S. involvement in the war remains controversial.

In the novel The Things They Carried and the documentary Regret to Inform, people that were involved share their recollection of events that occurred during the Vietnam War. Consequently, both works also share the underlying idea that people are affected by the war even after it is done. They convey this meaning through the stories of mental and physical harm each witness deals and dealt with because of the war.

The Vietnam War was certainly controversial. There were many protests that erupted across college campuses and throughout numerous town and cities. Many individuals viewed the war as unnecessary and unwinnable. The draft was also very widely criticized and seen as a negative point in the war. The draft was forcing young college students to go fight in dangerous territory. The most controversial aspect of the Vietnam War is certainly that it was deemed unwinnable by the US government, but they still chose to remain in Vietnam and fight. Why was the Vietnam War unwinnable though? Was it actually unwinnable or did the US government

Wars are fought for freedom and independence and usually when soldiers come home we receive them with open arms ready to praise them and thank them for putting their lives on the line. If you were asked to describe a soldier, you’d probably say heroic, brave, courageous, or honorable. After the Vietnam War, parades weren’t the welcoming soldiers got; instead, they were shunned and booed at.

After the Vietnam War, soldiers suffered from posttraumatic stress disorder in countless numbers. The trauma they saw, endured, and witnessed forever changed and scared their lives. Men, like Tim O'Brien the author of the novel The Things They Carried, suffered from posttraumatic stress disorder and it took them years to regain their lives after their return home. In the excerpt from his novel, O'Brien shows the reader how the men endured this mind-altering experience in the jungles of Vietnam through the details of all the items the men carry.

A first person narrative can create more empathy but can also cause legitimacy issues in the form of bias. In the movie it often plays on the fact that everyone was affected by this war. Vera’s boyfriend, brother, and friend all died in the war affecting Vera’s family as well as the surrounding families. Vera often connects with others in the movie through empathy, knowing that they all have someone in the war. During Roland’s departure, Vera and Roland were very clingy trying to stay with each other as long as possible with Roland hanging out the train window and Vera running along aside the train. In response to Roland’s enrollment to the military, Vera becomes a nurse wanting to do something more for the war. Roland comes back to visit

Boettcher, Thomas D. Vietnam: the Valor and the Sorrow from the home front to the front lines in words and pictures. Boston, MA: Little, Brown, 1985.

Throughout the history of the Civil War, Gettysburg was one of the most intriguing battles. It not only was the battle that had largest number of casualties but it was also located in a very isolated piece of land in upstate Pennsylvania. Gettysburg National Military Park has gone through many phases throughout its history; one thing that has not changed and that is the importance of remembrance of the soldiers and their sacrifices. The changes that occurred through the decades at Gettysburg National Battlefield mirror the social climate in the United States.