William Edward Adams: A Vietnam Hero

The Vietnam War that commenced on November 1, 1955, and ended on April 30, 1975, took the soldiers through a devastating experience. Many lost their lives while others maimed as the war unfolded into its full magnitude. The book Dear America: Letters Home from Vietnam by Bernard Edelman presents a series of letters written by the soldiers to their loved ones and families narrating the ordeals and experiences in the Warfield. In the book, Edelman presents the narrations of over 200 letters reflecting the soldiers’ experiences on the battlefield. While the letters were written many decades ago, they hold great significance as they can mirror the periods and the contexts within which they were sent. This paper takes into account five letters from different timelines and analyzes them against the events that occurred in those periods vis a vis their significance. The conclusion will also have a personal opinion and observation regarding the book and its impacts.

In the middle 1960s, every male in America had to register for Selective Service Draft at age 18. He would then be eligible for the draft and could be inducted into the Army for a period of two years. If you were a college student, you could receive a deferment and would be able to finish college without the fear of being drafted. However, once finished with college, a students name would be put to the very top of the draft list and could be deployed at anytime. The anti-war movement was about young men being drafted and then sent into war that most Americans did not believe threatened the security of the US. The Vietnam War was America’s rebellious war, a war without popular support

According to Powell & Koltz (2012) Powell was born in 1937 to Jamaican immigrants in Harlem, New York. He was educated in New York City public schools, and graduated from Morris High School in 1945. From there he would attend City College of New York to study geology. During his time at City College is where he would find his path into ROTC, followed by a commission in the United States Army. At an early age he served as an army infantry officer where he held command in various battles.

Gonyea, D. (2014). LBJ Legacy: Vietnam War Often Overshadows Civil Rights Feat. Retrieved from: http://www.npr.org/2014/04/09/300836769/civil-rights-act-anniversary-may-polish-lbj-s-image

Vietnam was so significant to the United States partly as it would be the first war they would lose. It also had a tremendous financial impact on the country and the casualties were also more in the public eye than ever before due to the media. They learnt that: "a long war for limited objectives, with its steady stream of body bags, will not be supported by the American people" (Martino, 1996, p37). Some suggest that the US should have avoided any involvement in the war.

Armistead was born February 18, 1817 in New Bern, North Carolina. Lewis came from a high-ranking military family. His father, George Armistead was the commander of Fort McHenry during the War of 1812, and his grandfather, John Stanly was a United Stated Congressman, and uncle Edward Stanly was a military governor of Eastern North Carolina during the Civil War. Due to his family connection to the United States military and government, Lewis attended the West Point in 1834.

Movies are a fun and modern source for entertainment that often try to depict events that took place in real life. Many films based on real life events are often criticized for being inaccurate or altering much of the storyline. Others are also praised for being as accurate as possible and portraying the character’s traits in the best way. The 2013 American war film “Lone Survivor” is one of those movies that did a little of both. This is not necessarily a negative thing as I really enjoyed the movie and thought it was overall a good film and a great depiction of the events that happened in the operation in which the U.S. navy SEALs we involved. There are many war films out there that probably give us a better depiction of what war really looks

He was born in Decatur, Mississippi, he grew up in Mississippi and also went to school there in the town before he went to serve in the army for the United States of America. He went into the army in 1943 during World War 2 and he fought against Germany and France, he was discharged from the army in 1946. After he came home, he applied to Alcorn Agricultural and Mechanical College now called Alcorn State University. On December 24, 1951, in his senior year he

Jefferson Davis was born June 3rd, 1808 on a small farm in southwestern Kentucky from his parents Samuel Davis and Jane Cook Davis. After spending most of his childhood life in the southern frontier of Mississippi, he decided to receive a quality education, mainly because of his brilliance and strong intelligence. He attended many schools before he went on to complete a four year term at West Point Military Academy which later appointed him a Second Lieutenant in 1828. Davis was then commissioned to

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.

He was born on 15th of July 1836 in Eglin, Scotland. Adams father was James D Leslie he was a tailor in Eglin, Scotland and owed a business. His mother was Margret H Simpson, Adam was one of nine children and his family was very close to a well-known family the Dixsons.

Commitment towards the recovery of isolated personnel has remained a steadfast value in the military throughout the evolution of warfare and supports the stronghold of the Warrior Ethos, “never leave a fallen comrade behind.” The rescue of Lieutenant Colonel (LTC) Iceal “Gene” Hambleton is regarded as the “largest, longest, and most complex search and rescue operation” by American Forces during the Vietnam War. On Easter Sunday, April 2 1972, Hambleton was serving on board of a United States Air Force EB-66 aircraft (call sign Bat 21) as a navigator in a flight of 2 aircraft, which was escorting 3 B-52 bombers, when his aircraft was destroyed by a SA-2 surface-to-air missile (SAM). As the sole survivor, Hambleton was able to eject from his

It was the summer of Vietnam, The Grateful Dead, and free love. Nothing made sense, and the cultural landscape around the world was smashed into pieces. It was a world in flux, a world awash in a tsunami of what was and what could be. In June of 1697 dissatisfaction reached a head ushering in a new era of rambunctious youth that had enough of the status quo. Dennis Ashwell was no different despite his background. He hailed from a penthouse in New York overlooking Central Park. He went to good schools and got good grades. He went to cocktail parties hosted by his mother in swanky hotels, and hobnobbed with his father at political events, fully realizing he served as a shining beacon of how young adults should act. At 18, he was accepted and went to Harvard.

It is 3:00 a.m. on a Friday morning— my first Friday of summer break. I question my motives, and I wonder why I would ever want to be awake during such prime sleeping time. I looked down at what I’m holding, a ticket that puts me on a flight to our nation’s capitol, Washington D.C. I’ll be off on the greatest adventure of my young life. By that afternoon I’ll be touring the nation’s capitol as a part of the Youth Tour program.

Countries all around the world have been involved in two massive wars. World War I marked the first global war, which then led into World War II. Both wars have had significant impacts all around the world. They have impacted the way countries are led and how societies operate all around the world. Certain people have also played important roles that have impacted both sides of both wars. One man that affected both wars was George S. Patton; not only was Patton a great military tactician, but he was a strong and courageous leader that powerfully impacted the resulting factors of both the first and second World War.