Vietnam War Experience
American Experience of the Vietnam War
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Introduction
The Vietnam War was an experience for all Americans and it lasted a period of twenty painful years. The American military took a great amount of knowledge and lessons from the war in regards to their involvement in the Vietnam War, lessons that history cannot replace. The war stands as one of the defining events of the twentieth century. The war continues through the international system after nearly four decades after its end. Even though the emotional impact of this war have somewhat eased, the war still haunts the American imagination and has a major influence in the domestic politics, intellectual life and culture
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Cabinet members’ appointments also held a unique partnership and style of leadership. President Eisenhower to Nixon gave their own unique style of handling negotiations so as to win the Vietnam War. President Eisenhower and Kennedy rallied around on foreign aid to South Vietnam as a way of training the military hoping that this would prove to be an effective leadership decision in changing the direction of the war. Aid was sent to South Vietnam by President Johnson in the form of military …show more content…
This lack of experience among the troops also left a sense of cohesiveness within the unit. The inability of President Johnson to admit defeat in Vietnam probably made it impossible for him to be elected as a U.S president for the second term. Studying history therefore allows us to learn from our mistakes and change the direction taken during the next major conflict within our nation. The lessons learnt in Vietnam have developed the U.S military force to its present state since military and government leaders are now able to review past military failures and successes but most importantly their reason for failing.
References
Christopher, R. (1995). The Viet Nam War/The American War: Images and Representations in
Euro-American and Vietnamese Exile Narratives. Univ of Massachusetts Press.
Putnam, R. D. (1988). Diplomacy and domestic politics: the logic of two-level games.
International organization, 42(03), 427-460.
Drake, R. J. (1992). The rules of defeat: the impact of aerial rules of engagement on
April 30th: A Comparison Before The Civil War
134 Words | 1 PagesWe begin with the 40th celebration of North Vietnam’s victory, commemorating the date April 30th as the day in which Vietnam gained liberation from invading American troops. However on this day instead of national celebration there is easily a great rift between North and South Vietnam citizens being witnessed throughout. While the North celebrate April 30th, as a day of liberation those in the South believe the day to hold feelings of helplessness and defeat. To those whom were born or living before the fall of Saigon; the capital city of South Vietnam, it is believed to be the date in which a civil war ensured. Below begins the analyzation of three primary/ secondary sources comparing and contrasting the different views held over the decades
Truong's A Viet Cong Memoir
937 Words | 4 PagesIn A Viet Cong Memoir, we receive excellent first hands accounts of events that unfolded in Vietnam during the Vietnam War from the author of this autobiography: Truong Nhu Tang. Truong was Vietnamese at heart, growing up in Saigon, but he studied in Paris for a time where he met and learned from the future leader Ho Chi Minh. Truong was able to learn from Ho Chi Minh’s revolutionary ideas and gain a great political perspective of the conflicts arising in Vietnam during the war. His autobiography shows the readers the perspective of the average Vietnamese citizen (especially those involved with the NLF) and the attitudes towards war with the United States. In the book, Truong exclaims that although many people may say the Americans never lost on the battlefield in Vietnam — it is irrelevant.
Ethical Issues In The Vietnam War
1101 Words | 5 PagesThe Vietnam war took a major death toll in Vietnam, United States, South Korea, Thailand, New Zealand, and Australia. Just in the U.S., “more than 58,000 American soldiers were killed while more than 150,000 others wounded”. On both sides, there were almost 2 million civilians dead and 1.1 simply on the Vietnamese side. The My Lai Massacre, where soldiers brutally killed Vietnamese children and mothers, presents an example where the war mentally changed the soldiers in the war in a very horrendous way. On the other hand, the United States took brutal losses in the Tet Offensive, where the Vietcong slaughtered over 100 towns and twelve United States air bases.
Things They Carried By Tim O Brien: A Literary Analysis
1292 Words | 6 PagesReaders, especially those reading historical fiction, always crave to find believable stories and realistic characters. Tim O’Brien gives them this in “The Things They Carried.” Like war, people and their stories are often complex. This novel is a collection stories that include these complex characters and their in depth stories, both of which are essential when telling stories of the Vietnam War. Using techniques common to postmodern writers, literary techniques, and a collection of emotional truths, O’Brien helps readers understand a wide perspective from the war, which ultimately makes the fictional stories he tells more believable.
Agent Orange Vietnam War
458 Words | 2 PagesThis research project will explore from both the American and Vietnamese side of the war, the devastation and catastrophic misuse and cost of using Agent Orange, a herbicide which was used by U.S. military as part of the Air Force led warfare on an area of land no bigger than the size of Ireland’s Connaught. The devastating and horrendous results, by the hands of the U.S. who did everything in their own power to win this impossible victory and the ensuing consequences have ruined both an American generation but also several generations of Vietnamese. The U.S.’s aggressive impact on Vietnam has since casted much doubt on their military’s actions. The term ‘Vietnam Syndrome’ still lurks in many people’s minds when thinking of America’s involvement
The Negative Impact Of Vietnam War On American People
765 Words | 4 PagesThe Vietnam War was a war the United States should have never been involved in. The “Domino Theory” was a direct cause of the war. The war resulted in much death; innocent civilians and young Americans were killed. The Vietnam war also resulted in rioting, distrust for the United States government, and the loss of many lives. 58,000 Americans were killed and 300,000 were wounded.
A Summary Of Philip Caputo's A Rumor Of War
1500 Words | 6 PagesMen went through so many tasks during the Vietnam War physically and mentally. The beginning chapters focus on training for war and being prepared for the worst. For example, when there is a sergeant in a room with the marines. The sergeant walks to the chalk board and writes “AMBUSHES ARE MURDER AND MURDER IS FUN” (36-37). The
Weapons In Vietnam War
1164 Words | 5 PagesIn using artillery and air power of weapons like the M163 Vulcan, M42A1 Skysweeper, and the MIM23 Hawk we were able to take down our enemies. There was 2.7 million soldiers that served in the Vietnam War. In this being said there were 58,000 that died or remained missing, and 300,000 that were wounded. More than one hundred forty billion dollars was spent on this war. The U.S failed to overcome its objective of preserving an independent, noncommunist state in Vietnam, now no one knows how or why we fought this war or weather the military outcome was possible for the United States.
How Did The Vietnam War Affect People's Life
551 Words | 3 PagesOn November 1st, 1955, a country divided into two, North and South Vietnam will soon have a war known to many countries around the world. The Vietnam War, or the Second Indochina War occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. At the time, Vietnam had a dispute on what the country should be, Communistic or Republic, which had led war breaking out. North as the Viet Cong group while the Republic Of Vietnam group was South; eventually unexpected events started to unfold, leading towards the end of the war. To this very day, The Vietnam War has changed the ways how many civilians live their lives, especially my family.
The Forever War Of The Mind By Max Cleland
1423 Words | 6 PagesIn conclusion, The Vietnam War had an enormous impact on not just life during the war, but also on society today. These aspects include our literature, the way wars are fought, the soldiers who fought in Vietnam, and the citizens who were involved as well. As you can see wars are constantly changing the way we view society and the way that we act and The Vietnam War is no exception to this statement. “No event in history is more misunderstood than the Vietnam War. It was misreported then and misremembered now.”
Tet Offensive Research Paper
2237 Words | 9 PagesSection 1: Identification and Evaluation of Sources The purpose of this investigation is to explore the question: How did the Tet Offensive change American public opinion on the Vietnam War? The focus of the investigation will be on the years 1965-1970 in order to allow for analysis of American public opinion from the beginning of American involvement to the years following the Tet Offensive. Sources analyzing the Tet Offensive as a whole and American public opinion on the Vietnam War will be used to accurately determine the effects of the Tet Offensive on American public opinion. The first source that will be evaluated is the book “The Tet Offensive,” which was written by Marc Gilbert and William Head in 1996.
Revolutionary War Vs Vietnam War Essay
496 Words | 2 PagesIt is quite difficult to compare two wars that happened 180 years apart from each other, the Vietnam war 1955 to 1975, and the American Revolutionary war 1775 to 1783. Yes, both wars are all that different from each other, in fact I would say that they were the two least similar wars in American history. These wars are very similar because they both used guerilla warfare, a form of irregular warfare that uses tactics such as ambushes, sabotage, raids, and mobility to fight a larger less mobile military force. However a major difference in the wars was that the Revolutionary war was fought to gain independence, while the Vietnam war was fought to maintain independence. Another difference is that the U.S. were ‘Victors’ in the Revolutionary war, and were not so in the Vietnam war.
Pros And Cons Of The Vietnam War
992 Words | 4 PagesThe big failure America in the Vietnam War is the shameful history of tragic scene for arrogant American, whose pain is still difficult to ease. The crucial event also had a profound impact on today 's international situation. It is believed that the failure included political, economic, military and cultural background and other aspects, which are that common. When it comes to the controversial subject, I hope to put forward some fresh views from where I stand. 1.
Explain What Problems Did The Us Face In The Vietnam War
1059 Words | 5 Pages1. What problems did the United States face in the Vietnam War? As the United States struggled against communism in Vietnam, it would face many problems. In the late 1950’s President Eisenhower and later President Kennedy sent military supplies and advisers to South Vietnam. Despite the American aid the Vietcong grew stronger with support from North Vietnam.
Ho Chi Minh's Letter More Persuasive Than Lyndon B. Johnson
280 Words | 2 PagesI find Ho Chi Minh’s letter far more persuasive than Lyndon B. Johnson’s. Using ethos, pathos, and logos, he forms a solid argument that supports Vietnam’s stance on the war. He appeals to one’s emotions by expressing the injustices faced by his people, writing, “In South Viet-Nam a half-million American soldiers and soldiers from the satellite countries have resorted to the most barbarous methods of warfare, such as napalm, chemicals, and poison gases in order to massacre our fellow countrymen, destroy the crops, and wipe out villages.” Words such as “massacre” and “barbarous” highlight the severity of these crimes, and invoke feelings of guilt and remorse in the reader. Chi Minh uses ethos to support his logos, or logical, views on the
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