Memorial Day Readings

To those who sacrificed their lives for America in Vietnam, I would like to display my sentiments. I am extremely grateful for your sacrifices, those which I will never be able to fully understand, those actions which you made because your country said that you were fighting for its idea of freedom; this freedom was perhaps from a world filled with communism, or freedom as described by the Constitution's preamble, where it is stated that a common defense shall be provided for Americans. Whether or not you went above and beyond the call of duty for the purpose of Freedom and America, or for those who were fighting beside you, or your families back home, you displayed courage beyond all possible conception. You should be standing beside the surviving men and women of today, but the fact that you made the ultimate sacrifice makes you the subject of my greatest and undying gratitude, and, as far as I know, of every member of this great nation. And I apologize to you for the harsh words and actions against your names by the people who take their hatred of the Vietnam War out on you, when you bravely responded to the call of your country. For you who gave your lives in an unpopular war, a despised war, I want to inform you that you are the heroes of today, and that the freedoms I experience today are a direct product of the heroism and sacrifice I thank you so sincerely for.

Times of Change- Third Set of Readings

What do these two poems and the article say about the impact of the war on the native Vietnamese?



They first two readings convey that the innocent natives were threatened (they were beaten, and, in one instance, purposely and massively murdered) by American forces, and in terms of being pushed around, by the North Vietnamese soldiers. The third reading, shows a method used by natives to expressed their oppostion to the leader, and supports their buddhist beliefs. Obviously the natives lived under constant fear of being attacked is somehow conveyed in all three readings, but only the idea of escaping from the conflict via suicide is revealed in the third.



Can you think of any other ways in which the war will impact the native Vietnamese?

Their homes were probably destroyed, causing them to rebuild their villages. Also, napalm, which was meant to target the enemy, was usually used in the vicinity of native villages, and would burn the skin of unsuspecting, innocent women, children and elders. I'm assuming that the jungle was ripped apart by constant mortar fire and bombing, which, additionally, may have cost the villagers valuable resources (in the case that they used any of the plants in the jungle for medicinal purposes, or a concept of that nature). It's possible that some native Vietnamese became victims to the booby traps meant to harm the American soldiers. Finally, they had to become accustomed to heavy bombings, and find a way to get underground, or, at least, out of the open area.

Times of Change- Second Set of Readings

What challenges does Jack Smith face as a soldier in Vietnam? (a bulleted list is fine)

. He, as well as his comrades, were inexperienced in the ways of war, as they were usually from 18 to 20 years old and only had basic training, which made it even harder for them, in particular, to fight a foreign, hidden enemy.
.His platoon had to use bayonets and machetes in order to clear the jungle foliage for a base camp.
.The extreme melange of emotions concerning the knowledge that you will almost certainly not be returning alive, as reiforced by the plethora of body bags prepared for America's fallen soldiers, is certainly difficult to deal with.
.Facing the frustration that comes with the loss of soldiers without even spotting the enemy, which was a product of VC booby traps.
.Adjusting to the realties of the war's dangers, and having a difficult time concealing himself from enemy fire, as the ground was very hard, and not easy to dig through (the feeling that he was not in control).
.Worrying about an ambush from the North Vietnamese forces and having to march through the elephant grass and dense jungle, without knowledge of where the booby traps are.
.Attempting to concentrate during an ambush, enough to help heal fellow soldiers while not getting shot, when machine guns are rapidly firing, which causes great confusion.
.Staying still and pretending to be dead, while directly under the enemy's nose and in front of the line of allied firing, in order to remain alive.
.Bandaging one's self without aid while removing one's self from the line of fire.
.The feeling of being trapped, which happened when he was caught between enemy and freindly fire, and when he decided to light the cigarette, even though he knew that doing so might cause the enemy to see the smoke and kill him (vigilance, as well as being able to keep his head straight).
.Not having control over his fate, in the case of the mortar fire, and when the American aircraft came to drop napalm and bombs on the enemy (they could easily hit him as he was in the generally vicinity of the enemy). He had to trust that his luck would continue.
.Experiencing the fear of almost being hit by napalm, while he witnessed the pain it caused other Vietnamese and American victims, and the intense anger to know that all his friends are dead (after the ambush).
.Witnessing the carnage after a battle, with the stacked up dead bodies and the blood covering everything.
.Resorting back to the death of friends, the bonds that Smith formed with his fellow soldiers was strong and the sadness that followed their deaths was hardly tolerable. Those wounds would never heal, those painful memories would stay with him, and he would truly understand the significance behind the Vietnam Memorial.


How does Smith’s attitude toward war change?

When he joins the army around the age of 18 he thinks, like most other young men who volunteered, that the army is just a way to prepare for life and mature, and that life as a soldier was filled with glory. By the end of his time in Vietnam, Jack Smith realizes that the soldiers don't fight wars for the reasons he once assumed, but end up forming strong bonds of friendship (making them a band of brothers, which unites them). He finds out that a soldier doesn't fight for Uncle Sam or for his family back home, but that he fights for the man fighting right next to him, knowing that his comrade is doing the same. Toward Vietnam in particular, Smith thinks, when retrospecting over the loss of the war, that the war itself was pointless, in that it caused so much suffering for no purpose (don't we trade with that country now).


This song by Country Joe and the Fish became one of the first protest songs of the Vietnam Era. Read the lyrics to the song, and then respond to the following:

What is the song asking the “big strong men to do”?

The song is asking "big strong men" to fight for America over in Vietnam.

… the “generals” to do?

The song is asking the "generals" to think quickly, and to chase and kill all of the Northern Vietnamese soldiers, and VC.

… “Wall Street” to do?

The song is asking "Wall Street" to monetarily support the US forces so that more bombs can be produced to dropped on the concealed enemy forces in Vietnam.

… “mothers” to do?

The song is asking "mothers" to help send their sons, quickly, off to the conflict in Vietnam.

Write down four specific lines from the song that display sarcasm, cynicism, or anti-war sentiment.

. So put down your books and pick up your gun, We're gonna have a whole latta fun.

. Well there ain't no time to wonder why, Whoopee! we're all gonna die.

. Be the first one on your block To have your boy come home in a box.

. What are we fighting for? Don't ask me, I don't give a damn, Next stop is Vietnam:

Times of Change- First Three Readingsl

Look up both words in the title of the short essay. What do they mean?

Dubious means giving rise to doubt, and a crusade is a remedial enterprise undertaken with zeal and enthusiasm. Together they signify a questionable military endeavor.
Relate the title to the reading. What is Warren saying?
James Warren is saying that the US involvement in the Vietnam is seen as a failed operation in the eyes of the American people in that it inflicted great damage to the United
States (in terms of control).

How do you think this will relate to the rest of our study if Vietnam?

This idea of Vietnam being a dubious crusade will evidently lead us as we study Vietnam by being an important perspective of the opposers of the war, and how Americans were affected by and reacted to the war.

What is the overall theme of Vuong-Riddick's poem?

The dominant them in the poem "History" is that throughout time, no matter who was involved with the Korean people, there was a presence of heated conflict that led to retreats, but more importantly, death. Therefore, the theme, in a single word, is death.

What is the main thesis of the essay?

The thesis of the essay is that the fact of whether or not the whole truth was told about Viet Cong PT boats firing on American destroyers, the impact of the event was that it caused the US to begin the Vietnam "War."What was the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution?
The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution was approval (in what form?) of the defense of US interests in the area of Vietnam in response to the Maddox being attacked by the Northern Vietnamese boats in the form of building up of the US troops and supplies in Vietnam by a nearly unopposed vote in Congress.

What evidence does the author give to support his thesis?

Goldberg states that (I believe his thesis has a supportive as well as a dominant main idea as displayed, but not analyzed in the first question for this reading) that Senator Fulbright argued that President Johnson persuaded Congresses to send troops "over there" by twisting the truth in the course of events involving the Maddox. The author concludes the essay by stating that the Resolution had been enacted, regardless of its status in honesty, and was a prelude to the Vietnam War. He even goes on to state that there were over 50,000 American lives lost in Vietnam to place emphasis on the Resolution's powerful impact.

How does this link to the theme of the first reading, “A Dubious Crusade”?

If "this" means the supporting main idea, concerning the truth behind Johnson's story with the Maddox being attacked, then it relates to the theme of a dubious crusade in that it presents the possibility of the truth being concealed, which, moreover, caused certain individuals (obviously at least the two senators who voted against the Resolution) to the doubt President Johnson and the war that resulted from The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution. This presents the other, doubtful, perspective that comes from the theme of a dubious crusade, except here, instead of the war being a dubious crusade, a "perceived" event leading up to the war is challenged in terms of reality and therefore honesty from the individuals it was promoted by.

Korea - The Forgotten War (10 Important Facts)

The predominant cause of the intensity of the conflict in Korea between Communism and Democracy was that China had fallen to communism in September of 1949, after the Nationalists, backed by the US, were defeated in a civil war, and forced to retreat to Taiwan. This occurrence caused a fear in the US that communism was attempting to conquer the world, which made the American policy on foreign affairs well prepared to jump at the next display of communist power in Asia.

Japan had controlled Korea as a colony for 50 years, until its defeat at the end of World War II. At this time, in 1945, the Soviet Union moved in to occupy the portion of Korea that lay north of the 38th parallel. In response, America began to occupy the part of Korea that lay to the south of the 38th parallel (sort of like Germany in a sense). The northern faction was ruled by Communism while South Korea had a US-supported noncommunist leader.
When North Korean forces crossed the border at the 38th parallel, in June of 1950, a conflict erupted, which is now known as the Korean War, because Truman took action in order to follow through with his communism-containment policy. He asked for the aid of other United Nations members in the form of soldiers, and several responded affirmatively, but Americans comprised most of South Korea's fighting force (they were all commanded by General Douglas MacArthur).

At the beginning of the war, North Korea had the upper hand as it managed to push South Korean forces against the southeastern most part of the peninsula. MacArthur's response was the first offensive for South Korea where the US snuck behind the enemy lines by landing at Inchon, eventually trapping and forcing the northerners to retreat (they were sandwiched between the invaders at Inchon and the forces down near Pusan, which was the southeastern most part of the peninsula).

MacArthur quickly gained Truman and the UN's permission to chase the enemy as they retreated because Truman believed that an invasion would cause the two factions to reunite, but by the time the US forces nearly reached the Yalu River, the boundary between North Korea and China (now communist), the Chinese told the forces to halt.
The turning point of the invasion, and really the war, came with China's fear of being insecure because its neighbor, North Korea, which shared its style of government, was being invaded. The leaders of China warned the UN that if their forces continued to advance, China would enter the conflict against the UN. However, the UN drove their forces closer to the Yalu river, and on November 25, 1950, hundreds of thousands of Chinese troops pushed the UN's forces back into South Korea. This caused there to be a balance of control along the original line of separation, the 38th parallel.

MacArthur almost immediately wanted to blockade China's coastline and bomb the whole of China, thereby utilizing the historically affective Total War method, but Truman denied this request, fearing that it would lead to a World War III if the Soviet Union felt it had to step in. MacArthur responded by opposing the president by trying to gain support of Republican leaders and the public through the media.

Because MacArthur opposed his orders as Commander and Chief, Truman fired MacArthur and sent him back to the US. Upon his return to America, although most Americans saw the incident from President Truman's perspective and agreed with the action, MacArthur was treated like a hero.

Because the war had been occurring for a long time with no apparent conclusion in sight, the Korean War became more unpopular. The topic of the war was used in the election of 1952 after the Soviets, who were supporting North Korea with money and weapons, suggested that discussions of truces begin, but failed to do so within two years. When Truman didn't run, Dwight D. Eisenhower, a republican World War II hero, ran and won on account that he criticized the hated war and promised to quickly end the conflict.

To show exactly how much the US despised the Korean War, the people elected "Ike" in landslide vote, and one of the first actions he took as president was to go talk with the North Koreans and Chinese (this was a good move considering not only that he had to uphold a promise to his supporters and the American people, but that China was a nation rich in the resource of troops and that the Soviet Union could physically join in the fight if it were prolonged any further). Eisenhower made a compromise with the communists, although he privately stated that he was prepared to use nuclear weapons and bring the war home to China if necessary, to have a cease-fire end the fighting in July of 1953. With this agreement, the border that existed between North and South Korea had been kept relatively similar to as it had been at the start of the war, and communism had been contained. However, some Americans were angered by the fact that the long war had such a seemingly minute impact on America.

Has MLK's "Dream" Been Realized?- Income

Although many races in the United States have not had equal standings as far as income, there have been a couple of statistics that support the idea that the nation has grown towards the outline of Martin Luther King's dream of equality. As far as "well to do" was considered in terms of yearly income in 2003 (around $60,000), 12 percent of whites and Asians qualified, and about nine percent of blacks and hispanics qualified, which, although not entirely equal, is somewhat similar. Also, six percent of whites and blacks made an "average" income (approximately $30,000), whereas four percent of asians and eight percent of hispanics made this much. Once again, these figures are relatively similar.

The inequal distribution of wealth, on the basis of race and gender, in America, however, is far more evident. When viewing the percentage of people below the poverty level (with incomes of less than $10,000 a year) it is a striking discovery that around four percent of whites exist in this state when nine percent of hispanics, and 14 percent of blacks live in poverty. These figures are by no means close and share a resemblance to the tilt in incomes that existed during the Civil Rights Movement. As far as gender is concerned, in 2003, women had a median income of about $17,000 a year while men had a median income of approximately $30,000, which also show how America hasn't made enough reform to bring about King's dream.

In order for the races and genders to gain financial equality, there need to be changes in representatives in the federal government. Today there are many white males in Congress, which doesn't help minortities and women to get their voices heard by the government. If this change occured, legislation could be passed to help increase job availability for women and minorities even more, until Martin Luther King's vision is closer to reality. If this doesn't occur, or, at least, if it is not allowed then the context of the Constitution and Declaration of Independence don't possess all the magnificance and significance that they assume.

Martin Luther King Jr. Reading Questions

Why does the author feel that whites owe King the greatest debt?

The author feels that whites owe Martin Luther King the greatest debt because he tranformed the nation in a way that allows white Americans to separate themselves from other whites around the world who believe in racial separation. It is only because of King that whites can say justly that America is a place of freedom in terms of racial equality, and because whites can no longer be considered hypocrits when it comes to the issue of race.

Was King "the right man at the right time"?

Although a trite expression, King was the right man at the right time. He was what the nation needed most to break the band of racism that separated it from freedom. King was the only person with the right mind to follow Ghandi's idea of nonviolent protest, the only one dedicated and willing enough to tenaciously cling to the idea that all men are created equal and have unalienable natural rights, and the only person with the power necessary to lead a group of people towards the path of racial equality because of his powerful ideas and speeches. He was also a perfect example of the nonviolent protests that he preached as he stood with being thrown in jail numerous times and enduring constant death and bombing threats. He risked his life far more than other leaders through exposure by fighting valiantly for his dream of racial equality.

Would King be upset with the current use of his most often quoted line? Why or why not?

I don't know as if "upset" is the proper term for King's feeling over people abusing his famous "I have a dream" line. I would say that he would be more disappointed that people are jeopardizing the entire struggle for racial equality by using that honest line for purposes that come nowhere near the intensity of the Civil Rights Movement. King used that line because he truly believed in the power of equality, enough to fight for it. That quote summarizes the cause that King sacrificed his life for.