In my further research on the history of Vietnam, I found contradicting information that offers two drastically different interpretations of the initial involvement of the United States in the political state of Vietnam after the Geneva Accordance was signed. In President Kennedy’s letter to the leader of South Vietnam, Kennedy claims to be merely aiding in the protection of South Vietnam from the evil communists of North Vietnam in response to North Vietnam breaking the agreements made in Geneva. The underlying motive here is to stop the spread of communism, a dangerous form of government according to the U.S. democratic leaders. However, this does not appear to be the way historical events actually took place. According to Encarta, South Vietnam began building an army, with the help of the U.S. military, which was a direct violation of the Geneva Accordance. This would suggest that the U.S. was involved in the war from the very beginning as opposed to the reactionary role as protectors of South Vietnam, as suggested by President Kennedy’s letter.
The Battlefield Vietnam portion of the PBS website depicted a far greater U.S. involvement than I realized. According to this source, the American government was so fearful of the spread of communism that they helped South Vietnam to elect a new anti-communist leader and offered military support in building a strong enough army in South Vietnam to overthrow the communist powers of North Vietnam. These efforts led to the installation of repressive laws that allowed the South Vietnam government to retain anyone in jail who was even assumed to be communist, and consequently a decrease in civilian support for the war effort. The worst of all is the fact that innocent American lives were dragged into the mess without full understanding of the circumstances. This issue is addressed in Tim O’Brien’s chapter entitled “Spin” within the novel The Things They Carried. Spin begins with examples of ways in which the soldiers expressed their frustrations with their miserable situation including the mailing of body lice to the draft office in retaliation of the draft process (31). This minor activity shows just how desperate the soldiers are to voice their distaste for the war they are fighting. As they realize their efforts to be heard are futile, the soldiers try to make the best of the situation. However, they are constantly in conflicting states of boredom and terror. They try to fill their days with normal pastimes such as checkers and practical jokes, but the fact remains that they are stuck in the middle of a war with no concept of how they managed to be placed there (32, 37). They were told they were being good Samaritans, protecting a weaker nation from a mean bully, but are now haunted by memories and stories of “the bad stuff [that] never stops happening” (32). The cultural context of how the war began helps to explain the frustration the soldiers are experiencing. As soldiers, they have no real direction, no clear purpose, and no concept of what exactly they are fighting for.
The Battlefield Vietnam portion of the PBS website depicted a far greater U.S. involvement than I realized. According to this source, the American government was so fearful of the spread of communism that they helped South Vietnam to elect a new anti-communist leader and offered military support in building a strong enough army in South Vietnam to overthrow the communist powers of North Vietnam. These efforts led to the installation of repressive laws that allowed the South Vietnam government to retain anyone in jail who was even assumed to be communist, and consequently a decrease in civilian support for the war effort. The worst of all is the fact that innocent American lives were dragged into the mess without full understanding of the circumstances. This issue is addressed in Tim O’Brien’s chapter entitled “Spin” within the novel The Things They Carried. Spin begins with examples of ways in which the soldiers expressed their frustrations with their miserable situation including the mailing of body lice to the draft office in retaliation of the draft process (31). This minor activity shows just how desperate the soldiers are to voice their distaste for the war they are fighting. As they realize their efforts to be heard are futile, the soldiers try to make the best of the situation. However, they are constantly in conflicting states of boredom and terror. They try to fill their days with normal pastimes such as checkers and practical jokes, but the fact remains that they are stuck in the middle of a war with no concept of how they managed to be placed there (32, 37). They were told they were being good Samaritans, protecting a weaker nation from a mean bully, but are now haunted by memories and stories of “the bad stuff [that] never stops happening” (32). The cultural context of how the war began helps to explain the frustration the soldiers are experiencing. As soldiers, they have no real direction, no clear purpose, and no concept of what exactly they are fighting for.
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