ipl-logo

Dave Mathis Involvement In The Vietnam War

1147 Words5 Pages

Being involved in the Vietnam war seemed inevitable to 19 year old, Dave Mathis, whether it be through the draft or enlistment. The thought of war consumed his mind, masked in fear. Mathis was a wild child, the youngest boy of 6, he had no fear in the world, that was until talk of the Vietnam war erupted. He knew he was going to have to fight but thought it would be better if he enlisted himself so then he could at least choose what branch of the military he went in to.
Dave Mathis grew up in a religious household, his mother was a Christian, but didn’t believe in organized religion. His mom used to say, “People who go to church only go to show off their new car or dress,”, so Mathis believed her, he never wanted to attend church. As a boy, he believed he was an atheist. He didn’t believe anything that his mom would preach, but to protect his mother, he described himself as agnostic. This meant he didn’t care one way or another about religion. …show more content…

He passed all the tests except the eye exam. To be a helicopter pilot, he had have perfect 20/20 vision without glasses. The thought of war still consumed his mind, he said, “I was worried I was going to go over there and get my ass killed so I avoided all contact with girls”. He didn’t want to leave someone he loved behind if he were to die at war, so to make it easier on him, he stayed single. Along with avoiding women, Mathis never discussed going to war with his mother. One of his older brothers, Harry, was already in Vietnam and his other brother, Less, was a survival instructor for the military, so he figured his mom was just glad he was out of the

Show More
Related
1010 Words | 5 Pages

For a thirteen-year-old boy it was even more dangerous and difficult to survive not only because of the enemies and the fact that he didn’t have his parents but also because he had to hunt for his own food. Despite of all these challenges he even takes on the mission to find his parents. He succeeds in finding his parents and then decides to join the war fighting for the American independence. Cited

Read More
786 Words | 4 Pages

The thing with Nam was as Horn said “it controlled your life” because if you were above the age seventeen you were able to get a number. But the thing was if you weren 't getting educated then you went in, if you were older you 'd get a later number. He didn 't want to go out to Vietnam and fight so he tried out to be a band player.

Read More
69 Words | 1 Pages

John The poor, young, marine, Missing his wife and kids, Drafted. Keeping his family and friends close to heart, Feeling purpose, pressure, He’s unnerved.

Read More
1061 Words | 5 Pages

As the story progresses and O’Brien’s circumstances fluctuate, we are shown through his actions and choices the outcomes of an undesired ideal standard and the dilemma it is accompanied with. As the Vietnam War draft was issued in 1968, we are shown O’Brien’s competing choices in an attempt to live unconstrained from the notice. As a graduate, his desires to join the State Department as a diplomat was challenged by

Read More
685 Words | 3 Pages

Bertrand Russell once said, “War doesn’t determine who’s right, only who’s left.” The Vietnam War was one in particular where soldiers often struggled with who the enemy was. War is too often thought of as something to be won, but this novel reveals it is simply something to be survived, and the shell of a person that is left will not be the same one that walked into battle. That is a jarring reality very prominent in Fallen Angels by Walter Dean Myers. It is a lesson soldier Richard Perry learns all too well on his journey from innocent young boy to Vietnam veteran.

Read More
963 Words | 4 Pages

By using historical context, narration, and character usage, O’Brien employs the theme of mental health across to the readers to show the mental health of soldiers during this time. O’Brien portrays the story from a monumental historical point, the Vietnam War, to show how mentally oppressive the war was. The soldiers that were drafted

Read More
569 Words | 3 Pages

1955 marked the beginning of a devastating war that Vietnam was about to face. The war politically divided the Northern and Southern regions of the country. Although many may comprehend the battles between the rise of communism or capitalism, the effects on families and ways in which they overcame such harsh situations are often overlooked. Instead, wars are frequently represented through statistics and lists of chronological events. It is important to comprehend these wars on a more personal level.

Read More
682 Words | 3 Pages

Men within the “prime-fighting ages” were required to register for the draft and selected at random to serve. Despite a common misconception, most men that were serving in the American armed forces rarely saw the horrific scenes of battle. In comparison, the soldier’s view of the war and the interviewees differ greatly. Many of the soldiers were fighting in the war to return home to safety and comfort. They wanted to “get it over with” so they could return to their families and to their homes.

Read More
702 Words | 3 Pages

The Vietnam War was a long battle of seventeen long years. There were many causes leading up to this traumatic event. The U.S. got involved because of the spread of communism throughout Asia. The novel, The Things They Carried is about how morality can change both how a soldier thinks and feels. In Tim O’Brien’s historical fiction novel, The Things They Carried, both the physical and geographical surroundings shape the psychological traits of the characters during the following events: Mary Anne’s disappearance, the death of Curt Lemon and Mitchell Sander’s unbelievable story.

Read More
2081 Words | 9 Pages

The soldiers in the Vietnam War are portrayed as losing themselves in the chaos and trauma of combat. Through the stories of the soldiers and their experiences, O’Brien explores the ways in which war strips away one's sense of identity and humanity. The author himself is depicted as losing himself in the war. O'Brien served in the Vietnam War, and his experiences inspired much of the book. Through the character of Tim O'Brien, the author explores the ways in which war can strip away one's sense of self and purpose.

Read More
500 Words | 2 Pages

He get’s his dreams crushed when he receives the fateful draft notice for the Vietnam War. His grad school dreams are replaced with gripping fear. Will he have to kill others? Be killed? Wounded?

Read More
1179 Words | 5 Pages

Many soldiers that served in the Vietnam war suffered dramatically pertaining to mental and physical health. O’Brien and many other soldiers also had the same views on the Vietnam War, such as that it was pointless for the United States. Most soldiers were frustrated with the fact that they were fighting for their country with no purpose or benefit for the American people. In the book O’Brian said, “I can’t stop crying. I can’t stop thinking of what a waste it all was” (O’Brian 7).

Read More
1129 Words | 5 Pages

Ever since the early 1940s, young men across the country have been forced to enlist in the selected services. Regardless of these men’s plans for the future, it was expected of them to lay down their lives for their country. While the military draft was intended to strengthen the American army, it also strengthened the arguments made by antiwar protestors. Why should people have to die for a cause they do not believe in? This was the question numerous American citizens were asking themselves throughout the entirety of the Vietnam War.

Read More
607 Words | 3 Pages

Veterans experience atrocities that causes them to question how God could allow such cruelty to exist. Krebs predicament with his religion is common among those exposed to life without a sense of safety and assurance. Seeing the carnage war produces can scramble a man’s sense of reality and illusion. Everyone comes out of war a different person. Philip K. Paulson, a veteran of the Vietnam War, went into Vietnam a Lutheran, and became an atheist after one month in Vietnam.

Read More
1674 Words | 7 Pages

On page 4 Johnny talks to his father, “‘Aren’t you signing up?’ I asked him. “Aren’t you going to the war?’” Johnny continues to pester his dad and even asks his mom if he is a coward. The fact that Johnny actually wants his dad to go to war, goes to show you how much the idea of pride was associated with the war.

Read More

More about Dave Mathis Involvement In The Vietnam War

Related Topics

Open Document