Facts About The Vietnam War - 1511 Words

The longest recorded and arguably one of the most controversial wars in American history is the Vietnam war. In 1959, the communist government of North Vietnam had devised a guerrilla campaign in democratic South Vietnam. The government of North Vietnam had the goal of uniting both countries under a communist reign. The United States quickly became an ally with South Vietnam because they feared the spread of communism. The aftermath of the war resulted in sixty thousand American deaths and two million Vietnamese deaths. Today many people question the necessity and rationality of the war. It is still debated today if the American force in Vietnam was a blunder or a noble cause. As the war raged on there was a rise of two groups in†¦show more content†¦I Feel Like Im Fixing to Die Rag, by Country Joe and the Fish expresses bitter feelings towards the draft. This song stirred up a variety of emotions among people towards the draft. It sent a powerful message conveying that sen ding inexperienced young adults to fight experienced guerrillas on their home ground was immoral and soldiers had a high risk of dying in battle. I Feel Like Im Fixing to Die Rag, conveyed the message to millions that politicians and US military were to blame for the Vietnam War. It also expressed the thoughts of civilians being trapped by the draft and being forced to go to war. Country Joe and the Fishs song gathered hundreds of thousands at the Woodstock Music Festival and their song was used as a method of uniting US citizens with the emotional lyrics of their song. It was a way of uniting a large amount people who were unhappy with the draft and ultimately the war. On April 30th, 1970 the current president Richard Nixon announced that the American forces would expand the Vietnam War into Cambodia. The expansion angered many Americans and a demonstration was held on May 1st on Kent State University and then later agreed to be held again on May 4th. Beside the Universities effort s to ban the gathering, two thousand students attended to protest the Vietnam war. The Ohio Army National Guard was called to the university to disperse the crowd. The crowd retaliated with throwing rocks and otherShow MoreRelatedTaking a Look at the Vietnam War1343 Words   |  5 Pagesâ€Å"North Vietnam cannot defeat or humiliate the United States. Only Americans can do that.† I bet you can guess that whoever said this quote was very anti-war. That person is Richard Nixon, thirty-seventh president of the United States. Nixon was the president who ended the war, but which president had beliefs that war was necessary? Thirty-sixth president of the United States, Lyndon Baines Johnson was the accused main blame for starting the Vietnam War. The Vietnam War was probably the most controversialRead MoreThe Vietnam War Had A Tremendous Effect On The World1415 Words   |  6 PagesThe Vietnam War had a tremendous effect on the world, especially the United States. Not only did th e war affect people in battle, but also left permanent effects on people all over the world. Over 57,000 U.S. citizens died and over 140,000 injured in battle. Multiple Americans were impacted by the war, vast amount of people died but more were injured. North Vietnam won the battle against South Vietnam and their allies. The Fall of Saigon in 1975 was the end of a gruesome war. The war had multipleRead MoreThe Vietnam War Cost the U.S. More than Money Essay902 Words   |  4 PagesU.S.A Involvement in Vietnam War Direct U.S. military involvement in The Vietnam War, the nations longest, cost fifty-eight thousand American lives. Only the Civil War and the two world wars were deadlier for Americans. During the decade of Vietnam start in 1964, the U.S Treasury spent over $140 billion on the war, enough money to fund urban regeneration projects in every major American city. In spite of these enormous costs and their accompanying public and private disturbance for the AmericanRead Mo reEffects Of The Vietnam War On The United States1673 Words   |  7 Pageseffects of the Vietnam War with the United States and Vietnam had devastating effects for both sides. The United States entered this war as a way of proclaiming that it was the world power and to help out a country that split into the North and South Vietnam. One side was communist and the other side was a republic. The Viet Cong tried to oppress and take over. The United States reacted to this threat as a communist act and decided to step in and aid the people of Vietnam. This war was classifiedRead MoreAnalyzing The Things They Carried By Tim O Brien1539 Words   |  7 Pagesthe author of â€Å"In The Lake Of The Woods† and â€Å"Tomcat In Love.† In this book, O’Brien tells the details of the Vietnam war as a form of storytelling. He includes several characters in it such as Tim O’Brien, Jimmy Cross, Mitchell Sanders, Henry Dobbins, Ted Lavender and so on. He starts with the primary character, Lieutenant Jimmy Cross, who is carrying out a mission in Vietnam, and carries letters of the girl he has a crush on named Martha, an English major at â€Å"Mount Sebastian College inRead More Sweetheart of the Song of Tra Bong as Metaphor Essay1150 Words   |  5 PagesSweetheart of the Song of Tra Bong as Metaphor  Ã‚   The Vietnam War is a strange and unexplainable event in American history. The controversies surrounding the American involvement in Vietnam and the need for Vietnam veterans to tell their stories of the war are prevalent in the post-Vietnam culture of America. The stories that will last forever are those that swirl back and forth across the border between trivia and bedlam, the mad and the mundane(89). The story of the sweetheart of the SongRead MoreNixon s Impact On The Vietnam War903 Words   |  4 Pagesmodest by assigning responsibility for the war in Vietnam to the Johnson administration election, Nixon consistently criticized Johnson s Vietnam policy. Republican Party s leading spokesman on Vietnam, Nixon forced the administration to acknowledge and respond to his rhetoric, Nixon s hawkishness on the Vietnam conflict during 1964-66 has been largely ignored by students of the war.(2) Given Nixon s role in Nixon as a critic of America s Vietnam policies during the Johnson administration sRead MoreThe United States’ Prolonged Stay In Afghanistan Has Lead1495 Words   |  6 Pagesprolonged stay in Afghanistan has lead some to label the war in Afghanistan a rerun of the war in Vietnam. While the two share some pertinent characteristics, the divergent characteristics of the wars far outweigh their similarities. That being said, some insights can be garnered from the war in Vietnam that are important to be considered in any conflict the U.S. should find itself in. An analysis of the U.S.’s entry, commitment, and exit in the Vietnam war indicate that a strong commitment to a clear andRead MoreFallen Angels, by Walter Dean M yers1376 Words   |  6 PagesThe Vietnam War in the late 1960’s was described as a tragedy, a victory, a win, and a loss, but for whom? The millions of people who loss their lives or the millions of people who fought to save others or is it for the millions of people who had to make that decision every time that they were in battle, but as for Richard Perry, a seventeen-year-old, African American just out of a Harlem High School, had to ask that question solely to himself. Perry, a talented and bright young man put away hisRead MoreThe United States Involvement During The Vietnam War947 Words   |  4 Pagesthose conflicts have turned out into wars. Looking back at America’s â€Å"track record† with war, America has a worthy past of having its citizen’s support. Obviously the two World Wars we not controversial. The United States in the Korean War was criticized, fairly, for its strategy, but the need to defend South Korea was never questioned. In onl y the Vietnam War was the United States’ very participation criticized. This is such a gigantic change with prior wars that it bears study as to why it happened