“There 's many a boy here today that looks upon war as all glory, but boys, it is all hell!”-William Sherman. During the Vietnam War, this was the thought process for many people and college students, including Mark. Throughout his life, Mark Egli’s occupations and lifestyle has fluctuated greatly. Mark went from being an orderly at a nursing home, to a farmer, to a school teacher, to a superintendent and the reason for all of these changes had to do with one event, the Vietnam War. Mark was in college during the war, and as the war went on, many people and college students, including Mark, started to go against the war for various reasons. Some of these reasons included adults being mad about the draft, the casualties that were occurring, and the fact they saw no point to go to war. The war affected Mark’s life in numerous ways including his college life, his job selections, and his thoughts about the government. It all started for Mark during his years at the University of Iowa from 1968 to 1970. Mark recalls, “It was the late 60’s when I was a junior or senior at the University of Iowa. The American people, particularly students, began to confront the government about the war at Vietnam. Students were burning their draft cards and doing anything they could to stir up trouble.” Mark was not excluded from this trouble making. One situation Mark was involved in includes when his professor assigned him and his friend a job, “I had a professor that allowed me
The war in Vietnam did not affect only matured political leaders. In fact, one of the largest demographics affected by the war was the population of young adults ages 18-35. These people, who were commonly referred to as ‘college aged’, experienced a time of revolution during 1961-1975. Previous to the war, students in universities could not voice their opinions on political or social issues. The voting age at the time was actually 21, meaning many students in college could not even vote in elections. Despite their oppression, many students felt that their opinions were valid and wanted to be heard. This birthed the Free Speech Movement. Programs and organizations such as Chicago’s JOIN (Jobs or Income Now), SDS (Students for a Democratic Society), and other campus-based political organizations fueled the fight for equality of all ages. Much of the Free Speech Movement’s success can be credited to Mario Savio’s intense speeches. The generation of students in
“I was persuaded then, and I remain persuaded now, that the war was wrong. And since it was wrong and since people were dying as a result of it, it was evil(O ' Brien 272).” Tim O ' Briens If I Die in a Combat Zone is based in the Vietnam war with the main character being Tim O ' Brien. He explains what it was like to be drafted into the war and the hardships that he went through fighting the Vietcong. The changes that happened before his eyes to people he was fighting with being turned into a deranged person. He describes the fears that the soldiers had of bouncing betties and the people hiding waiting to attack the moment they go to sleep. The Vietnam started in 1955 and ended in 1975 with a total body count of a million people killed
Edward R. Murrow once said, “Anyone who isn 't confused really doesn 't understand the situation,” (Quotes About Vietnam War). The entire basis for the Vietnam War was to suppress communism. Citizens of the United States as a whole did not understand communism. Communism was a newer concept and had mainly been seen in reference to the Cold War with USSR. Often times with confusion comes anger. Many soldier were angry that they were sent to war, while others went out of curiosity. The story of Mary Anne Bell’s time in Vietnam is representative of the curious soldiers who volunteered for the Vietnam War.
Throughout the 1960’s, the United States of America was in the midst of change, advancements, and struggle. It was America vs. the Soviet Union, always trying to one up each other in both weaponry and space technology, but the main conflict was the spread of Communism. As the battle between Communists and Non-Communists raged on, America attempted to do everything in its power to stop the spread of communism all around the world. This is what lead to the gruesome war that lasted over a decade in Vietnam. A great deal of social changed happened all over the world, but particularly in America as the Vietnam War dragged on. As people became more aware of the atrocities going on in Southeast Asia, the endless domestic support turned into
Many of those who have seen the face of war will tell you that it never leaves that individual. It is likely that some of those who may tell you that may have seen that face during their time in Vietnam. The Vietnam War was an armed conflict that spanned over many years before it finally ended in 1973 with the exfiltration of United States (US) forces. During this time, tens of thousands of US service members lost their life while hundreds of thousands were left with debilitating injuries and returned to the US. One of the bloodiest battles during this war was the Battle of Hue, which took place during the Tet Offensive of 1968, and was one of the largest urban fights since the Korean War. Due to the urban environment of this particular battle, cover and concealment was at a premium but left fields of fire lacking. Hue city was significant because it was a religious and cultural focal point for the country. Hue city was one of the most venerated cities in Vietnam, as well as, the home of the Catholic church of the country. The purpose of this paper is to explore the events surrounding the Battle of Hue and actions which may have caused a different outcome. Analysis of the Battle of Hue reveals a significant challenge facing the US: The use of Human Intelligence (HUMINT) collection and dissemination of the critical information obtained by effective source operations would have drastically changed the outcome of this battle in the favor of the US and its allies.
The Vietnam War lasted from 1954 through 1975, and was the longest war ever fought in American History which lasted for 21 years. This war was long and costly and was mainly fought against the communist regime of North Vietnam and its southern allies known as the Vietcong, against its war rival South Vietnam and its principal ally, the United States. More than 3 million people were killed in the Vietnam War, including 58,000 Americans (Staff). Although this war was mainly fought towards the impact of stopping the spread of communism, there were many other factors that contributed to the start of the war.
Rita Ghatourey once said, “Good decisions come from experience, and experience comes from bad decisions.” Sometimes bad decisions can lead to a broken finger nail or a scratch, while others can cause millions of deaths and psychological tolls. Throughout history, multitudinous countries and leaders have made deplorable decisions, causing lives to be lost. For example, during the Vietnam War, Presidents of the United States made many unethical decisions, which only further exacerbated the war. The war occurred from 1965 through 1968 in mostly Vietnam, but also in Laos and Cambodia. The war was fought between the communist North Vietnam and their communist allies and South Vietnam, supported by the US and a few other countries. The Viet
To this day, the Vietnam War remains as one of the most controversial subjects in modern American history. The main question that revolves around the Vietnam War, or any conflict that took place during the Cold War for that matter, was whether or not American efforts did actually help prevent the spread of Communism not just in Europe, but throughout the world. While other controversies around this time heavily revolved on whether or not the Americans were acting for the sake of others, or to fulfill their own intentions on preventing the spread of Communist rule on the other side of the world. This period in American history proved to be an interesting one given how you had men fighting abroad, yet at the same time you had your own set of
During 1968, the Vietnam War was a major moment in American history. The Vietnam War was the most publicized war during its era; moreover, this was the most unpopular war to hit the United States. All over the country, riots began to raise, anti-war movement spread all over the states begging to stop the war and chaos overseas. During this time, fear and doubt were widespread due to the decisions of the government, and battles occurring in Vietnam.
War is something of a desideratum and an atrocious entity. It sparks contentious discourses, and is often declared following such events. The Vietnam War is notably one war that has enraged many American citizens thereafter. It is understandable that President Kennedy would want to become involved in a war that is governmentally motivated; we have war to overthrow regimes and conquer land. Moreover, a possible cause of the Vietnam War could have been to overthrow the Communist regime so that no more people would be forced to live in the sphere of a homologous influence. (Source E) In due time the question became: what is more detrimental, having engaged in war, or having remained pacifistic? Both have consequences, both have casualties.
The American people were stationed in Vietnam because there was soon to be a communist takeover of the south. Being opposed on the ground by the Vietcong.
The years that the United States participated in the Vietnam war were some of the most
The Vietnam War came at a time of great social and political unrest in America. It was right in the middle of the Cold War, a fierce worldwide battle between Eastern communism and Western democracy. There was already division going on in America at the time, with events like the red scare in Washington creating a growing fear of worldwide communism. The U.S. involvement in Vietnam began with Harry Truman aiding the French in an imperial war from 1946-1954, which the French eventually lost to the Vietminh. The U.S. once again entered Vietnam in 1965, this time involved in a civil war between the democratic South and the communist North. What ensued was one of the most controversial wars in American history, which had a lasting impact that is still felt today.
Dominos. One falls then they all fall. People spend hours to set them up, just to watch them all fall in the blink of an eye. This is similar to the theory of what the U.S. believed would happen if one country, Vietnam, was to fall to communism. This is what caused the war between North Vietnam the communist lead government and the anti-communist South (Encyclopedia Britannica1). How does a war relate to a game enjoyed by millions of people all over the world? Just like in a game of dominos, you set them up and watch them fall, the Vietnam War was the same. Vietnam and the countries surrounding it had worked very hard for independence, that they no longer cared how their government was run. But, the U.S. believed that if Vietnam became
1. The Vietnam War was a war against communist Russia more than it was a war against the North Vietnamese. Before the start of this War the United states established a policy where any country seeking help in a fight against communism would be aided by the United States. Any such bold statement, would eventually put the United States in a difficult situation. The war started off establishing a presence in South Vietnam attempting to push back the North Vietnamese who were attempting to conquer the South and create a united communistic Vietnam. This war was also aided by the politician who saw the war as an opportunity to prove the US superiority over Russia. Slowly, it became clear that the war was not as easy as originally planned. The slow progress and eventual realization the war could not be won began to wage war on the minds of people. This in addition to the loss of thousands of innocent lives began to affect popular opinion. The war beginning to develop into a political nightmare and politicians were forced to make a decision on what was the best policy for the country. Was it fair to continue to protect a group of people to possibly offer a better way of life while at the same time american soldiers continue to lose their life?