Vietnam Veteran's Note

Dear Veterans,

First of all I would like to thank you for defending out country. You went through so many hardships while in Vietnam such as watching people or close friends die, probably got injured, and had to face many weather changes. Many people seemed to have opposed the war here in the U.S. but they seem stupid to my eyes. All you were doing was fighting to protect and defend our country which you did. Thank you for everything!!!

Sincerely,
Nicole Ransom

Times of Change Readings - Thursday

Farmer Nguyen, Massacre at My Lai, A Nun at Ninh Hoa -

What do these two poems and the article say about the impact of the war on the native Vietnamese? Can you think of any other ways in which the war will impact the native Vietnamese?

The article tells of how innocent Vietnamese civialians were killed for theit beliefs and who they supported in the war, they were just going about their ordinary lives and suddenly they were being attacked and most of the village killed. The first poem tells of how and innocent farmer was tortured by both sides for according to the Vietnamese "giving away information to the U.S.' and according to the U.S. "giving extra food to their enemy." The second poem tells of how buddhists would light themselves up in flames and kill themselves to escape the evils of the country since it was being take over by foreigners who invaded our peace and wantings. This was will affect the Vietnamese people by probably leaving a grudge on the U.S. and many of people will die probably losing half of their population. It will limit the Vietnamese resources and way of life.

Times of Change Wednesday Two Readings

Jack Smith -

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

• Jack was forced to watch his close friends die without him being able to do anything.


• He had to act dead so the North Vietnamese soldiers did not kill him while having other dead people be piled on top of him.


• Found booby traps and pigs.


• He watched planes dump napalm on the war site.


• He was the only soldier left alive at the site and he had to wait for rescue troops to come get him.


• He went through training sessions.

How does Smith’s attitude toward war change?

He no longer has the desire to fight in combat to defend his country. He feels war is immoral and wrong and should not exist anymore.

I Feel Like I'm Fixing to Die Rag -

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

The song is asking the men to help the U.S. get out of the mess they got themselves in by fighting in the war.

… the “generals” to do?

It is telling the generals that if they are there to fight then fight well but to also stop volunteering because they are mainly killing boys like american boys who do not know what they volunteered for.

… “Wall Street” to do?

It is telling the people making the weapons to stop making them and supplying the army because all it could lead to is the dropping of an atomic bomb - probably on Vietnam.

… “mothers” to do?

The song is telling the mothers to stop sending their children to Vietnam because all that will happen is they will get killed.

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

• So put down your books and pick up a gun, We're gonna have a whole lotta fun.
• Whoopie! we're all gonna die.
• And you know that peace can only be won When we've blown 'em all to kingdom come.
• Be the first one on your block To have your boy come home in a box.

Time of Change First Three Readings

A Dubious Crusade = The word dubious means doubtful and the word crusade is a vigorous concerted movement for a cause. Warren is basically saying that when the war ended the country was doubtful of its government and of the causes it had to go to war. The war was like a crusade the U.S. went to war for a cause but it was doubtful and now the people have no faith in their government.

History = The overall theme of Vuong-Roddick's poem is war and battle throughout Vietnam's history.

The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution = The main thesis of this essay is that since Vietnam attacked the Maddox the U.S. has the right to go and attack Vietnam and defend its stations of the coast. The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution was permission given to President Johnson telling him he was allowed to defend the United States interests in the area in which the Maddox had been attacked. The author tells how the ship was attacked and how the U.S. defended its interests which eventually led to a bitter ten - year war between the U.S. and Vietnam. This reading links to the first reading because in some way it was also a "Dubious Crusade" because the U.S. was doubtful of their actions yet they attacked Vietnam.

Korea - The Forgotten War

Movie:

• The North and South Korean governments kept an uneasy peace between 1945 and 1950.
• On July 15, 1950 the war started, 100,00 people in the military were sent into South Korea from North Korea to try and take it over.
• North Korea was getting supplies from the Soviet Union.
• President Truman was afraid the North Korean invasion was the beginning to a Soviet Plan to conquer the free world.
• The UN called an emergency session and the absence of the USSR helped the U.S., Britain, and France to come to a resolution urging other countries to help South Korea against the attack.
• North Korea seemed unbeatable but South Korea and allies would not withdraw.
• McCarthur was able to change the whole course of the Korean War in just two short days.
• McCarthur's victory grew to devastation thanks to the Korean winter.
• China joined the war on the North Korean side.
• By June of 1953 North Korea and other's stopped fighting at the 38th parallel.
• Altho, two years passed before all fighting ended in Korea.
• U.S. fought the war to prevent communism from spreading across Asia.

ABC - CLIO Korean War:

• In September, McCarthur's Inchon campaign (Operation Chromite) defeated the North Korean army and put the UN on the offensive.
• After a long time the UN was finally able to beat the Chinese and put their army on a defensive line across the 18 parallel.
• In December 1952, President Eisenhower visited Korea to make his own personal appraisal.

Has MLK's Dream been "realized"? - Income

Over the past years the total income for minority groups such as Hispanics and African Americans have increased drastically. In 1980 the average income for Hispanics was 13,651; African Americans was 10,764. In 2003 those incomes went up from 13,651 to 32, 1997 and from 10,764 to 45,631. Both of these incomes are still not equal to Caucasians which were 18,684 and in 2003 were 45,631. They are still not equal but are gradually getting there.

The statistics also tell a different, sad story. The poverty statistics of the country in 2004 were horrendous differences between Caucasian and African American. The African American poverty lines in total were 25.6, in people under 18 were 35.9 and finally in 65 and over were 21.4. The Caucasian statistics however are of all ages 8.8, of people under 18 11.0, people 65 and older 7.2. As you can see the poverty levels of these two different skin colors are drastic differences.

Overall making equality an issue would definitely help the income and the different poverty levels throughout the country. People say Caucasians, African Americans, and Hispanics are equal but that has proven to not be true. As you can tell by the different in income percentages and major differences in poverty levels. The poverty levels can relate to the fact that Caucasians still get job offers before African Americans and are usually the ones accepted. If people can somehow get the past out of their heads then maybe, finally our country would become and equal country.

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

No, because it is being used to try to prevent racial favortism in schools like colleges and even in jobs. It is trying to prevent racial favortism from happening and I am also sure Martin Luther King would walk along side the protesters saying it is totally and completely unfair.