Vietnam

~History

What is the overall theme of Vuong-Riddick's poem?
*death, possibly innocence

~The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution

What is the main thesis of the essay?
*There is much controversy over the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution because it could've been based upon a lie.

What was the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution?
*The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution was a congressional approval to defend the United States in the area.

What evidence does the author give to support his thesis?
*He includes quotes from Senator J. William Fulbright (head of the Senate Forgiegn Realtions Committee), and his views on the incident.

How does this link to the theme of the first reading, “A Dubious Crusade”?
*It links the two peoms together because they were both you could say "doubtful journeys."

~Jack Smith

What challenges does Jack Smith face as a soldier in Vietnam? (a bulleted list is fine)
*He had to look at the body bags that were made for him.
*He has to try to keep safe from the bullets in the LZ.
*He survived through an ambush.
*He had to watch some of his closest friends die.

How does Smith’s attitude toward war change?
*At first he just wanted to get away, get some adventure, and grow up before going to college, but as as the war continues to change so do his views on it. At the end of the war he became cynical, and angry, but not only that, he also became misanthropic. Eventually though he realized there was no use in holding grudges.

~I Feel Like I'm Fixing to Die Rag

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 asks all the big strong men to join the army.

… the “generals” to do?
*The song asks the generals to beat the "reds."

… “Wall Street” to do?
*The song asks Wall Street to gain money by supplying our army with rquiptment.

… “mothers” to do?
*The song is asking the mothers to pack their boys up for Vietnam.

Write down four specific lines from the song that display sarcasm, cynicism, or anti-war sentiment.
*Be the first one on your block, to have your boy come home in a box
*Whoopie! We're all gonna die
*What are we fighting for?
*Just hope and pray that if they drop the bomb, they drop it on Vietcong

~Farmer Ngyuyen, The Massacre at My Lai, A Nun in Ninh Hoa

What do these two poems and the article say about the impact of the war on the native Vietnamese?
*They were innocently murdered, and beaten.

Can you think of any other ways in which the war will impact the native Vietnamese?
*If some still lived they had to see their friends and family die, they must have been not only terrified but shocked at the outcome. I bet, many villages were ruined, and therefore people had to start from the ground up. Things like that...it's all really sad.