The Vietnam War Was Like No War Before - 1292 Words

The Vietnam War was like no war before. America got involved in Vietnam to preserve a non-communist South Vietnam, but in the end, the government and the country fell to communist North Vietnam. The US had never experienced such a military defeat in its history. The causes of this monumental defeat may not have been clear at first, but through memoirs such as Philip Caputo s Rumor of War and other historical accounts of the war, we now have a better sense of what truly led to America s loss. As a combat soldier in Vietnam, Caputo s memoir helps us to better understand why America lost the war because it shows how the conditions of this war caused mayhem within the minds of these soldiers, undermining the American war effort. War†¦show more content†¦This steady buildup of psychological degradation first began as soon as Philip Caputo and his fellow marines landed at the Danang Air Base on March 8th, 1968. The arrival at Vietnam was a surprise for many of them because they s pent their first days packing and piling sandbags and digging foxholes. Philip Caputo and his platoon thought they were going to war and were disappointed with the manual labor they were faced with when they go there. After a few weeks of building sandbags and foxholes, the soldier s attitudes started to change about the concept of war. War was nothing like they had expected, they were ready for fighting and death to the Vietcong, but had experience none so far. For over a month the men continued the same old routine of digging foxholes and filling and piling sandbag. The men started to become ill with a variety of ailments from diarrhea, malaria, and dysentery the men begin to find themselves filled with depression. This was only the beginning of the marine s struggles that would soon lead them to hate everything about Vietnam and turn their focus away from the war and more on hatred itself. Thus making them unfocused on the goals of the war and making America s efforts to win the war more complicated. These conditions only worsened when Caputo s Charlie company took a forward, defensive position on Hills 268 and 327Show MoreRelatedVietnam And The Vietnam War1711 Words   |  7 Pages â€Æ' The Vietnam War was one of the bloodiest wars in the history of Vietnam. Vietnam use to be a peaceful country until the idea of communism started spreading across Vietnam. Many wanted to stay democratic but saw what happened to the Germans and started to lean towards communism. Many also wanted to stay democratic and still had it hopes high that it will soon get their lives and economy back on track. It later exploded into a huge argument and then leads to a civil war spurring between NorthRead MoreThe Things They Carried By Tim O Brien1169 Words   |  5 Pagesabout Tim O Brien, a Vietnam veteran from the Unite States, who tells stories about what had happened when he and his team were stationed in Vietnam. He also talks about what he felt about the war when he was drafted and what he tried to do to avoid going to fight in Vietnam. The Things They Carried by Tim O Brien was precise with its portrayal of setting, conflict, and characterization in this Vietnam set historical novel. Tim O Brien recreated the setting of the Vietnam War through the descriptionRead MoreThe Things They Carried By Tim O Brien1146 Words   |  5 PagesJace Marzan Instructor Kucera English 100 15 July 2015 Mary Anne The Things They Carried is a war story based on the Vietnam War. One story the author, Tim O Brien tells is the story of Mary Anne, Mark Fossie’s childhood sweetheart. Mary Anne’s curiosity allows her to acquire knowledge about Vietnam’s culture and language. She wants to learn about Vietnam, the war and what they do. She also isn’t afraid and is eager to aid the casualties. One night she goes out on an ambition with the Green BeretsRead MoreMedia Coverage of the Vietnam War Essay952 Words   |  4 PagesVietnam and the Medias Coverage of It Vietnam is unlike any war ever fought, unlike other war that we fought none before that brought so much controversy as to how it was covered by the media, it forever changed the way we the public looked at war. As technology evolved so did the ability to cover news. In the years prior to Vietnam there was only radio and television was not yet in every household, not to mention there wasnt no color televisions and very few colorRead MoreThe War Of The Vietnam War1704 Words   |  7 PagesRevolutionary War, even before we were a country. How we jumped in during WWI to help bring it to an end. Also, how we raided the shores of Omaha to save Europe from Hitler, and drop nukes on Japan. We learned how we beat the Soviet Union so hard during the Cold War that they don’t even exist anymore. One war that America does not seem to talk about is the Vietnam War. The Vietnam War was a proxy war during the Cold War, but it is always swept aside. The Vietnam War divided the U.S. as the war continuedRead MoreMedia Coverage On The Vietnam War1549 Words   |  7 PagesThe Vietnam War introduced many new forms of technology on and off of the battlefield. Increased weaponry helped shape the outcome of the war, but media coverage also played a large role in representing the news and opinions of the war. Viet Thanh Nguyen’s The Sympathizer helps illustrate how the media influences and spreads t he opinions of the people during the Vietnam War. The war media, which includes newspapers, movies, and most importantly television, caters towards its audience. What the mediaRead MoreThe Vietnam War Was The Biggest Failure Of The 20th Century1628 Words   |  7 PagesThe Vietnam War The Vietnam War is one of the most controversial wars the United States participated in. Communism in the 20th century, was a huge threat to the U.S. It become a priority of the U.S. to stop the spread of Communism. In the late 1940s, the French struggled to control its colonies in Indochina - Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos (history.state.gov). The U.S. saw that the French were struggling in south Vietnam so they decided to come and help France. They tried to support France and theRead MoreThe War Of The Vietnam War1608 Words   |  7 Pageschange was thrust upon them in the form of the Vietnam War. The Vietnam war forced the U.S’s hand in adopting a very aggressive form of foreign policy. The Vietnam war was highly controversial and unpopular with the American public. The United States’ involvement in the Vietnam war lasted from 1965-1972, and it was the first war to fight Guerilla fighters head on in the U.S. This pressured the U.S to adopt a very aggressive form of foreign policy to combat communist guerilla fighters. Vietnam wasRead MoreAmerican Public Opinion of the Vietnam War Essay1566 Words   |  7 PagesAmerican Public Opinion of the Vietnam War At the beginning of the U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War, in 1965, the American Public favored the idea of war because they feared the threat of communism. Polls conducted in 1965, showed 80 percent of the population agreed with President Johnson and were for the war (Rousseau 11). The U.S. got involved with the war to stop communism from spreading throughout South Asia. Americans were afraid if one country on South AsiaRead MoreOpposing the Vietnam War Essay1023 Words   |  5 PagesOpposing the Vietnam War The War in Vietnam is one of the most controversial arguments in history. The main reason That it is so controversial, is because we lost. Both democrats and republicans argue that the way the war was handled should have been differently. Some ask why bother, the war is over and done with; that there is nothing anyone can do to change it. The amazing thing about history though is that we can learn from our mistakes, and make sure that nothing like this ever