warm up name a time you felt like you were being discriminated against because of things about...
TRANSCRIPT
Warm up
Name a time you felt like you were being discriminated against because of things about yourself that you just cannot change
Vietnam War
What was the war in Vietnam?
Vietnam -Overview
• Longest war in U.S. history
• More than 58,000 killed• 300,000 wounded• 14,000 disabled • 800,000 Vietnam
veterans diagnosed as having “significant” to “severe” problems of readjustment.
Public Opinion
• Two out of three Americans judge the Vietnam war to have been a “mistake.”
• Over 50% do not have a clear idea what the war was about.
• About 1/3 can’t even remember which side we supported.
A Different War• First “living-room
war – people watched footage of combat on the nightly news
76% of the men sent to Vietnam were from lower to middle class families.
The average age of a soldier was 19.
Most soldiers were drafted – few enlisted.
Soldiers served a “tour of duty” – about 1 year.
Background of the War• Vietnam – was a
French colony that was invaded by the Japanese during WWII.
• Ho Chi Minh – leader of the Vietnamese – called the Vietminh.
• Ho Chi Minh supported Communism
Background
• French- control South Vietnam (Democracy)
• Ho Chi Minh – controlled North Vietnam (communism)
• French pull out of Vietnam, US is afraid that all of Vietnam will become communist now
Reasons for U.S. Involvement
• Containment – American policy of resisting further expansion of communism around the world
• Domino Theory – President Eisenhower’s – belief that if one country falls to communism, neighboring countries would fall.
The Two Leaders of Vietnam
• Ho Chi Minh – leader of North Vietnam
• Ngo Dihn Diem – “placed” into office by the United States. Leader of the South Vietnam
LBJ and Vietnam
• LBJ will escalate - increase U.S. involvement in the war.
• Sec. of Defense – Robert McNamara – recommends the U.S. send more troops
Trouble in the Gulf
• August 1964 –Gulf of Tonkin • The U.S.S. Maddox was attacked by
N. Vietnamese torpedo boats• LBJ ask Congress to act• Gulf of Tonkin Resolution gave LBJ
a “Blank check” to do whatever steps needed to repeal attacks
Now that we are in war, we need manpower
• Many people do not know why we are in Vietnam
• Others do not agree with why we are in Vietnam
• Therefore, no one wants to go fight
• Many thought we were fighting Vietnam’s own civil war (war that they should settle themselves)
So what do they do?DRAFT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
•Required all men to register when they reached the age 18
•Mainly targeted men who were:• Poor• Minority • Uneducated
So who are you?
Gentlemen, when you came in you filled out a draft card that would have been filled out during Vietnam
Let’s see who gets drafted!!!!!
Lives affected by the draft
There will be approx. 9 families in class today
In your families you will find out who has been drafted
As a family you will have to decide what are you going to do now that your family member has been drafted
Here are your options…
Options
• Go to Vietnam• Conscientious objectors – men that claimed
because of their religious beliefs that they could not fight in the war.
• Deferments – delayed entrance or not have to go at all. Mainly included upper class – because they could afford college.
• Prison- resisting the draft is a crime• Dodge draft – go to Canada.YOU HAVE 5 MINUTES TO DECIDE
Let’s see what happens to you
Read off draft board decisions
What was it really like in Vietnam?
Dead Presidents: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rg1v9KZvzVU
Forest Gump:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jVA2cMSgj_U
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zWAVtoKOri8
Letter from Vietnam
Protests
Trouble for Diem
• Diem is Catholic and outlaws buddist practices in Vietnam
• In protest to the Diem- Buddhist monks set themselves on fire.
• Nov. 1, 1963 – Diem is executed
Protests
• Woodstock- musical antiwar demonstration
Kent State
• May 4, 1970
• Kent State University in Ohio
• Students upset because Pres. Nixon ordered U.S. troop into Cambodia.
• Student start protest march – national guard throws tear gas at students.
• Students throw rocks at National Guard.
• Minutes later – 4 students were shot dead.
Resisters of the Vietnam War
What was your fate?
Issues when veterans returned home from Vietnam•Country did not support them•No jobs•Post Traumatic Stress Disorder•Nightmares•High Suicide rate•Alcoholism•Abusive•Desperation
How did the Vietnam War end?
Nixon
• Vietnamization – called for the gradual withdrawal of U.S. troops and for the Army of South Vietnam to take more control of the war.
Nixon
• “Peace with Honor” – Pres. Nixon wanted to maintain U.S. dignity in the face of withdrawal from the war.
Homework
Write a 1 page summary answering the following prompt:
Based on our activity today:
Why was the Vietnam War so opposed in the United States? What were the effects of the Vietnam War on society emotionally, politically and economically?