America's Response To The Vietnam War
The Vietnam War, arguably the most controversial war in American history, severed our country between the pro-war “hawks” and anti-war “doves”. With the seventeenth parallel division of North and South Vietnam, the United States stepped in to support the south against the communistic north and Vietcong. The discussion seems to always revolve around whether or not we should have inserted ourselves into foreign affairs; however, not many appear to take interest in the impact it has had on the men of our nation. America was promised a strong leader— Richard Nixon— to drive us further from war zones to help strengthen our nation. When he buried our men deeper into the war, by bombing Cambodia, America’s response was anything less than outrage for those in support of the end of the war. War is not as glorious as is often portrayed, which is a
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common misconception that is corrected when looking back upon the letters our fellow soldiers have sent home.
Through the first hand accounts described in the letters of soldiers who fought in the Vietnam War, it is quite prevalent that the conditions and average days in Vietnam were far from a pleasant experience. Although they “attempt to make due with what they have”, as an anonymous soldier states in his letter home, it is quite difficult to enjoy their stay. The largest problem among the soldiers is they had no notion as to what exactly it was they were fighting for, yet continued to fight; many didn’t even believe they had a chance at leaving Vietnam with victory in their hands. One young soldier, who remains anonymous, wrote to his brother of his inability to comprehend the war he was fighting and further extended this comment to not understanding war as a whole. The focus of the Vietnam War differed greatly from that of other wars in American history; The goal was no longer to conquer territory, but kill the enemy in cold blood. This scarred not only the soldiers, but also the nurses tending to the wounded soldiers. Although textbooks may display a more valiant outlook of what the war was like, nothing can better
describe it for the brutal monster it is than those who are consumed by it themselves. One nurse, by the name of Linda, reveals how war has not left her scarred physically, but emotionally. She writes a letter describing her state of being as utterly “sick” of war. Men returning home commonly displayed a lack of interest in achieving a medal for their services. They viewed the awards with contempt rather than gratitude, although most did not outright display this view to the public. It is through the letters of Vietnam that one can see the most valuable things in life are love and unity. One soldier, John Houghton, writes to Mrs. Perko of his fear of being alone, desperate need of love, and longing for someone to be with him when night falls. Every once in awhile entertainers such as Bob Hope and Tuesday Weld would attempt to bring joy into the lives of the soldiers so in that moment they too could convince themselves everything would be all right.
58,132 men died needlessly in a war we did not have to become involved with, but their names should forever be viewed with the respect they deserve. America should never allow the greatest fear of the soldiers who fought in the war, such as Richard Strangelberg, become a reality; this fear is one of being forgotten by those who want to deny any association with the war. Being the drafter of primarily younger demographics age-wise and being distinctly integrated, the Vietnam War has set itself apart as recognizably different than other wars. It was one in which the men established a unity among one another, as is evident in Peter’s account off troops joining to sing Silent Night, the night of Christmas Eve, creating one of the most harmonious moments to contrast the brutal war scene. The letters written home from Vietnam tell stories from soldiers’ perspectives, which textbooks oftentimes don’t uncover.
common misconception that is corrected when looking back upon the letters our fellow soldiers have sent home.
Through the first hand accounts described in the letters of soldiers who fought in the Vietnam War, it is quite prevalent that the conditions and average days in Vietnam were far from a pleasant experience. Although they “attempt to make due with what they have”, as an anonymous soldier states in his letter home, it is quite difficult to enjoy their stay. The largest problem among the soldiers is they had no notion as to what exactly it was they were fighting for, yet continued to fight; many didn’t even believe they had a chance at leaving Vietnam with victory in their hands. One young soldier, who remains anonymous, wrote to his brother of his inability to comprehend the war he was fighting and further extended this comment to not understanding war as a whole. The focus of the Vietnam War differed greatly from that of other wars in American history; The goal was no longer to conquer territory, but kill the enemy in cold blood. This scarred not only the soldiers, but also the nurses tending to the wounded soldiers. Although textbooks may display a more valiant outlook of what the war was like, nothing can better
describe it for the brutal monster it is than those who are consumed by it themselves. One nurse, by the name of Linda, reveals how war has not left her scarred physically, but emotionally. She writes a letter describing her state of being as utterly “sick” of war. Men returning home commonly displayed a lack of interest in achieving a medal for their services. They viewed the awards with contempt rather than gratitude, although most did not outright display this view to the public. It is through the letters of Vietnam that one can see the most valuable things in life are love and unity. One soldier, John Houghton, writes to Mrs. Perko of his fear of being alone, desperate need of love, and longing for someone to be with him when night falls. Every once in awhile entertainers such as Bob Hope and Tuesday Weld would attempt to bring joy into the lives of the soldiers so in that moment they too could convince themselves everything would be all right.
58,132 men died needlessly in a war we did not have to become involved with, but their names should forever be viewed with the respect they deserve. America should never allow the greatest fear of the soldiers who fought in the war, such as Richard Strangelberg, become a reality; this fear is one of being forgotten by those who want to deny any association with the war. Being the drafter of primarily younger demographics age-wise and being distinctly integrated, the Vietnam War has set itself apart as recognizably different than other wars. It was one in which the men established a unity among one another, as is evident in Peter’s account off troops joining to sing Silent Night, the night of Christmas Eve, creating one of the most harmonious moments to contrast the brutal war scene. The letters written home from Vietnam tell stories from soldiers’ perspectives, which textbooks oftentimes don’t uncover.