The Domino Theory, which warned that communism must be halted before it spread, led U.S. policy makers to begin sending large numbers of U.S. troops to Vietnam in 1965. To many Americans, the Vietnam conflict seemed part of America’s altruistic effort to make the world a better place, but increasingly, the war in Vietnam frustrated Americans. By 1968, more than 500,000 Americans were deployed in Southeast Asia, and the United States’ efforts to use its colossal military firepower and resources to defeat the communist Vietcong were ineffective. The war soon came to represent a hopeless cause that led to personal alienation and deep distrust of American institutions among many young Americans. The document that I would like you to read (you can read it by clicking here) records the insights of Jack McCloskey, an Army medic who served in Vietnam in 1967-68. [PLEASE BE ADVISED: THE FOLLOWING DOCUMENT CONTAINS STRONG LANGUAGE].After reading McCloskey’s candid comments, I would like you to reflect on and discuss the following: Why do you suppose that nonwhites and poor whites seem to account for most of the soldiers in Vietnam? According to Jack McCloskey, why did Vietnam veterans become so alienated? How did returning veterans cope with this alienation? What is the difference between McCloskey’s war in Vietnam as perceived by his father and uncles? After reading this document, how would you define patriotism? Your thoughts…
12 comments:
This is really sad, After the war he says that he comes back and talks to no one, he isnt really sure how to cope with the people that look at him differently after he is fighting and just drinks and drinks. After he begins to reflect on the war itself and the broken promises the US made to the soldiers fighting the war, he realizes that he was fighting in order to help his country see their own problems and even through the lost promises he is still very patriotic towards America.
that was a lot to take in... pretty heavy actually. i mean my grampa was in that war and said that he came back changed and he doesnt talk about it much either like jack said bcause it makes him remember his friends dying and people he met.
i think most soldiers were poor or non whites because they had nothing to lose and they were made promises that werent kept. if you have nothing better to do and believe its okay and you will gain something out of it then why not go and fight. i guess when they got over there it turned out to be very different!!
i think the soldiers who vame back saw a different world. they were fughting for something totally different than the us citizens and it seems that they were almost surprised that this was their country and theses people were the same as them. i think the patriotism of the soldiers and the patriotism of the people was totally opposite. the peole had no clue what was going on in reality. the soldiers seemed pissed that this was what had been going on back home while they were killing and dying opver seas.
i think that many of the soldiers that went to war were either lower class or non white because they might have not had much here going for them or they didn't have my possesions or a good life and they were promised that if they went to war when they came back they would a job and othr things waiting for them but it wasn't true. mccloskey said he knew his country had made a mistake and his father and othr elder war vetrans took it as him not being patriotic, which wasn't true because he was. and with the alienation i think he said he didn't talk to anyone for about 2 months after returning home and what he had goten used to like the killing stuff wasn't the norm here so many soldiers had to adjust and he said he began to drink. many of them wren't understood when thy came back and thy didn't understand the world around them. i think partionism is having pride in your country but not being blinded by that pride its accepting that your country is not perfect and has flaws, it is believing in your country but and supporting it but knowing also when to admit it is wrong.
That was a really sad document. He talks about having all of his friends killed, then eventually not wanting to know anything about anyone because he was too hurt to lose anyone again. He said that Vietnam had robbed him the ability to cry and to have feelings and emotion like that. He also talked about when he returned home, how he wanted nothing but to get drunk and go to school and that was it. He says that he loves America but sees that itr's made mistakes and wants to see those mistakes corrected.He talks about how when a soldier returns home expecting everything to be the same (with a girlfriend, wife, job, ect.) and it's all changed; he brings up this quote: "I was given all these
promises. I come home and they're not there." It';s a sad thing to think about but we need to face facts and see that this is the reality of war.
non-whites probably accounted for a majority of the army because they were readily available. they weren't the ones holding high-paying jobs and supporting america, they were merely lower class 'blacks' [excuse the term. i am african american so i mean no negativity.] thus, they were able to run off to fight this war without too much obligation.
according to mccloskey, the veterans were alienated because of the horrors they had to live through that no one else quite understood. when you don't know who to shoot at, or you have to choose who to save because you know you can't save everyone; it has a numbing effect.
when the veterans came back they coped with their struggles by getting drunk and forgetting them. i can't blame them. when you've got no sense of what to live for, just forget life and get drunk.
he explains that the war he fought was a war for just the sake of fighting, pretty much. his father and uncles believed that ww2 and such were wars of freedom. mccloskey says that, the wars could be for freedom and democracy, but the u.s. needs to read its own constitution and figure out what it is again. he says that the american people have forgotten the meaning of freedom and justice. after fighting, the veterans wanted things to change. they didn't want to ever have that again. because it wasn't right. they wanted a u.s. that was true to its values, and so some were determined to speak out and make the change.
I think that nonwhites and poor whites were involved in the war because they were promised a better life when they returned from war (if they did). People come back so alienated because they have seen numerous deaths of people. They coped by drinking alot and not talking. They both perceived the wars in similar ways.
after reading, Patriotism is U.S. citizens willing to help protect u.s. interests.
The Vietnam vets I think were more alienated than any other veterans from any other war because of the general public's overall disapproval of the war. Like McCloskey said, the vets and the world were different after the war and all they could do was to try and make the country a better place. I think his father and uncles show the typical blind patrism of many Americans during the Cold War. Of course the US government encouraged this by accusing anyone who criticized the government of being "commies".
the majority were non whites or poor whites i think because their lives basically could not improve anymore, so why not join the war and make the most of it? he seemed to be alienated when he got back home, because it was not his routine way of living. he says that when you get back from vietnam, you come back an individual. Its said because he says how in the war the soilders all had a purpose; a job. then he gets back home and it seems like there is no reason to them anymore. He also believes he is just as patriotic as his dad and uncle.
this document reminds me of the movie born on the 4th of july. tom cruises character goes over there thinking that he is fighting for his country and ends up seeing that it was a scam and that all the promises made to him were not gunna happen. its a great movie and i think it goes well with this mans story.
After reading this document i would define patriotism as a love for your country but also a understanding of your country. The soldiers were alienated because this war was unlike anything they have ever been in. When they were in Vietnam together they didn’t want to make friends or get close to anyone because you might have to see them die. This is a big burden to have on you mind. When the soldiers came home some of them copped with the alienation my going back to school, keeping to themselves because they had seen friends, leaders, and civilians die right before their eyes. This document was very powerful
sad sad sad.. he cant even be himself anymore or around other normal people that he used to once be before war. he says he doesnt know how to be like other people.. it is sad that the US made all of those broken promises and that he fought for that, but he is very patriotic and loves his country so he knows he fought for it but he fought for a war that made the US see there own problems
I know this is an old document but it caught my attention, this is ( i think) the biggest realization of how the soldiers feel. all the crap they were promised then never given. and it shows how clueless the american people were of what was going on during this war.
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