Peace activist, protester, dreamer, are three titles that describe Ron Kovic. Many people know that Ron Kovic was a war hero in the Vietnam War, but he was so much more. As a well known Vietnam activist, Ron Kovic showed America that veterans matter and should not be cast aside from the rest of the world. He left a lasting legacy by taking others ideas and hopes and trying to make them come true. He set up rallies so others would not have to die in a war that they would not win.
I have thoroughly enjoyed the book so far, and found it and extremely interesting read. It has made me think what i would do if I was in Jimmy Cross’s position, of being drafted into the Vietnam War. Would I ditch the draft and go up to Canada? Or if I did accept the draft, what would I carry? Well, the answer to the first question, of me going up to Canada to ditch the draft, would be yes.
The Vietnam War was one of the deadliest wars, fought by North Vietnam and South Vietnam in 1955. North Vietnam was supported by the Soviet Union and China, whereas South Vietnam was supported by the United States. The Vietnam War began when a North Vietnamese torpedo boat attacked the U.S.S. Maddox and the U.S.S. Turner Joy in the Gulf of Tonkin. Following the declaration of the war, more than 500,000 draftees chose not to report for duty, some burned their draft cards, some skipped the induction, and some even fled the country. These people were known as “draft dodgers,” anyone who left the country during this time faced a number of consequences, including imprisonment or even being denied entry back into the United States.
While these numbers were high, Hamburger Hill was not the worst fight of the war. The Hamburger Hill losses were much smaller, but they set off a protest back home. The American people were growing to hate the war. A February 1969 poll revealed that only 39 percent still supported the war; while 52 percent believed sending troops to fight in Vietnam had been a mistake.
Vietnam operates as a paradox in the minds of Americans. There were those who fought, were injured and died for America. Effects of Vietnam Then you have those who were against the war.
Understanding Veterans activities Did you know there is estimated to be less than 850,000 Vietnam Veterans alive today. During the 1950s and 1960s the United states were picking wars to stop communism. After, the Vietnamese fought for their independence and won, the country later than split up to north and south Vietnam. The north was considered Communist and the south was Non-communist.
He says, “We look for some sign from the Soviet Union that they are willing to move forward, that they share our desire and love for peace and that they will give up the ways of conquest.”
It was 1965 and the first U.S. troops were landing in South Vietnam, there were 3,500 U.S. Marines added to the already 25,000 advisers in the country. This war would define how we view life for decades and generations. Most people thought it was a mistaken war with no purpose other than to stop the flow of communism in Asia and the fear of others would follow, and add to the strength of the Soviet Union during the height of the cold war. Some people turned the war into a racist battle ground to justify the uprising and protest against the war. The troops were poorly armed and on average fought 240 days a year when compared to WW2 with only 40 days a year for infantrymen.
The war of Vietnam was caused by men who didn’t really understand the impact their decisions would make. They were not strategic and they didn’t take any advice from the militaire that actually knew what they were doing. Kennedy didn’t trust the Eisenhower and JCS, and didn’t take advice from the Pentagon or the old guard. One of the men in command, Alain Enthoven, was very arrogant and hotheaded. In McMaster’s words, Enthoven, “held military experience in low regard and considered military men intellectually inferior.”
On top of the dramatically climbing number of casualties, there was also a lot of controversy regarding the horrific effects that the fighting had on the mental status of soldiers. “The bitter Vietnam experience has left the United States Army with a crisis in morale and discipline as serious as any its oldest and toughest soldiers remember.” (New York Times Article, Document I ) Many times, returning soldiers would suffer from extreme anxiety and depression, dealing with the difficult memories left in place of fighting in the war. “I know my happiest moment in Vietnam was when I was hit, because I “knew” I was homeward bound.
There was war in Vietnam and back home in the United States between many Americans. One group of American citizens during the Vietnam War was the Doves. The Doves opposed the United States' involvement in the war. The reason for this is, the Doves thought the United States should not have tried to change the perspective that more than half of the Vietnamese people had for a communist government. “They also felt that the war, in dense jungles on the other side of the globe against a
In the short story, “Because My Father Always Said He Was the Only Indian Who Saw Jimi Hendrix Play ‘The Star-Spangled Banner’ in Woodstock”, Victor talks about his father who fought in the Vietnam War. He describes one day where he and his father discuss war and peace. Victor’s father says, “And besides, why the hell would you want to fight a war for this country?
Soldiers were dying, and they continued to be sent over to fight. The war itself provided a major wave of anti-war rhetoric that is still prominent today. The anti-war rhetoric was pushed through politicians, celebrities, concerts, protests, average citizens of different economic classes, but most importantly through song. “In the 1960s, several now-influential artists appealed to the disaffected counterculture’s emphasis on peace and love, especially with the sliding approval rates of the Vietnam War. As public approval of the Vietnam War dwindled in the latter half of the 1960s, popular music artists began to record songs that reflected this disapproval and ultimately became a new method of protest (Hopkins).”
WhPictures Source: Alejandro Cantu, Laredosun.us, Hardwooddiva.com What is the first thing that comes to mind when you think of the San Antonio Spurs? Could it be the teams four (4) NBA championship titles? Or maybe, the Spurs style of play? One obvious, but not spoken of often, is that the San Antonio Spurs is the most international team in the NBA.
The soldiers in the Vietnams war were there for different reasons, some soldiers were forced against their will and some were there by choice. Because of that, each soldier has their own thoughts about the war, O’Brien has interpreted that “The twenty –six men were very quiet: some of them excited by the adventure, some of them afraid”. This clearly shows how the men
