Although the Tet Offensive was unsuccessful for the North Vietnamese Army, they showed that United States had seriously underestimated them and their capabilities. The United States boasted prematurely that the war was nearing its end and the North Vietnamese were all but defeated. However those statements were discredited by the media who brought the Tet Offensive into the homes of millions of Americans which resulted in the highest disapproval of any war amongst American citizens in the history of the United States. In addition the Tet Offensive also showed that the North Vietnamese were willing to fight until the last man and that regardless of how many casualties they suffered, they would fight the United States until the end. SGT Jordan Alvarado SFC Delong 13F ALC Class 017-13 19 July 2013 The
Our country was not prepared for the multitude of issues that Vietnam would cause in the men. There was no government money being designated specifically for programs to help the returning vets. They were dumped upon by society, families and their government. With the end of both the draft and Vietnam, the country turned to other issues, namely, the recognition of minorities. The African Americans and Latinos had continued to push their issues during the war, demanding, and wanting equal rights.
In the end I believe it turned into a complete anti-military novel as Caputo tried to understand the purpose of the war. The inevitable answer was that America had no reason to be in Vietnam and only put their people at harm as the government ordered them to stay. Before entering the war, the country truly did not understand what war meant. “So I guess every generation is doomed to fight its war, to endure the same old experiences, suffer the loss of the same old illusions, and learn the same old lessons on its own” (81). Caputo reveals his true feelings throughout the story.
Arthur Ravel who was 16 years old at the time, witnesses this carnage only because the two men assigned to accompany him to his dad’s store were shot by the town folk. Villa’s men proceeded with such methodical precision that it was clear they had scouted the city before the raid. When the American forces returned fire they inflicted heavy casualties on the bandits one of them being Pablo Lopez, the author of Santa Isabel massacre; who was bounded on both
From their conversation , we know that James Barr was a military man and had killed four men in the past . Helen then went to visit the father of one of the victims . The father insisted that her daughter who being killed was a good person . Jack went to the car park scene where the sniper shot five people . After that , he asked Detective Emerson about the serial number on the sniper rifle .
With the working class not being able to side directly with the “hawks” or “doves” it left them without a voice. The questioning of the government trickled into the actual soldiers in Vietnam causing them to desert the military or just refuse to fight. This alienated a large part of the American public and caused a even more divided country then there already was, one without a clear focus, goal or
Set in the Vietnam War, it begins with a focus on the training of a platoon of U.S. marines and continues to follow the service of Private Joker in his experiences in Vietnam as he goes about his service. Full Metal Jacket is a well paced film that studies the violence of war, portraying the physical as well as the mental dangers in a hyper realistic way. One overarching element that ultimately combines both of these films is their emotional poignancy. Both are highly engaging, yet thoroughly disturbing films. These are two demonstrations against war, revealing the subject in an ironic and undeniably negative light.
The images that were broadcasted all over America did not please the public and before long riots and protests were being held in the streets to end the war. This was because hundreds of American soldiers had died in a war they thought was coming to an end. The Tet Offensive proved otherwise and caused a major disagreement between the public and the American government. Many people believe that this almost forced the government to end the war because without the moral support from their own country there would be no chance in another. On the other hand, the Americans actually won the fight and in doing so managed to kill thousands of Vietcong’s, unmasked Vietcong’s, which they had not been able to do very well until this point.
Vietnam War Carrie E. Christ (McManus) DeVry University Contemporary History Professor Jones Fall 2013 Vietnam War Thesis The Vietnam War is significant to American History because the United States participated in this war, as allies, with South Vietnamese, against North Vietnam and their southern allies, the Viet Cong. This war began because of a dispute that began in 1954, and was the cause of over three million deaths, half of which were Vietnamese civilians, and included the deaths of 58,000 Americans (A&E History). American citizens, divided on their thoughts in regards to support of this war, did not give the respect, nor honor to the veterans that they deserved, many of them shamed. The government, whom gave resolution to enact the war, did not provide support for the wounded veterans, and many suffered physical, emotional, as well as psychological injuries. Many Vietnam Veterans still suffer today because of this war; many whom have never spoke about it since returning to America.
Most of us don't even remember how to act as Americans anymore. The American culture has moved so far in the direction of communist China, the USSR and Nazi Germany, that it is absolutely frightening. When most of us were growing up, we were taught that the enemies of America were "arrogant police states" that did not give liberties and freedoms to their people. Today, nearly everything that we do is watched, monitored, tracked and tightly controlled. We are living in fear.