1960-1975+The+Vietnam+War

=Introduction to the Vietnam War=

"The Causes of the Vietnam War." //Welcome to English « Department of English, College of LAS, University of Illinois//. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Oct. 2011. <http://www.english.illinois.edu/maps/ || toc =Master Narrative=
 * Who: || **The Vietnam War was fought between the Japanese and the Vietnamese. Ho Chi Minh formed the Viet Minh to get independence for Vietnam from the Japanese and also the French. Other countries including Laos, Cambodia, and America also joined the war.** ||
 * When: || **1959- April 30****th****, 1975** ||
 * Where: || [[image:forhistory/vietnam-map[1].gif width="180" height="349" align="left"]]**The Vietnam War took place in several areas. Most of the war was fought in North and South Vietnam. In 1959 North Vietnam began transporting weapons and other items into South Vietnam by means of the Ho Chi Minh Trail. This is when the war began. As different allies joined the war, the war began to expand into Laos and Cambodia.** ||
 * Why: || **When it comes to the topic of what started the war, there was no concrete idea for the U.S war in Vietnam. Between 1950 and 1965 the United States eased its way into the war in series of steps. While the France fought to get the Indochina colony in order, as well as Vietnam, President Harry S. Truman set up a program of economic and military to aid the French. Once the Vietminh army defeated France in 1954, the France was now defenseless to the growing creation of communism. While the domino theory of communism struck the United States mind, they refused to let it get any worst. In 1961 president John F. Kennedy sent 400 soldiers to teach the South Vietnam how to fight against Communist guerrillas. By doing so this forced the Vietnams to be more aware of the United States actions. 1965 of February and March, President Lyndon B. Johnson organized a bombing, by U.S. aircraft and on March 8th sent 3,500 Marines to South Vietnam. Legal declaration or not, the United States was now at war. With the many different staring dates of war, this only complicated and changed the reason for the war. Americans saw communism as a disease. They believed it violated human rights, scorned democracy, pursued military aggression, and created closed state economics that barely traded with capitalist countries. If the French was overcome by communism, this would make trading with Asia a hard task. Once the Communist Party took over China in 1949,Washington** **believed Vietnam would be next. Which bring back the reason why President Truman’s 1950 decision to give aid to the French who were fighting the Vietminh at the time.**
 * When President Lyndon B. Johnson began to bomb North Vietnamin early 1965, his intentions of a limited war were at mind. They didn’t expect the North Vietnamese would match the American military fighting strength. Americans supported that they was fighting to stop communism in Southeast Asia. People didn’t see anything wrong with the idea and went along with their lives, unaware that the war would escalate and tear American society apart. **

Americans claimed they were fighting to stop communism in Southeast Asia. With that reason in the mind of people, they didn’t see anything wrong with the war.

What does it say about America?
By the United States helping France in their time of need against the Vietnam, this act proved that they would aid any nation in need of help. They saw the France in need of assistance and joined with them in order to stop the domino theory from continuing.

What does it say about African Americans?
When it came to the master narrative side of the story, African Americans didn’t play a roll. Stories of African American fighting in the Vietnam War were never told.

Who/What is being fought for?
In the United States' eyes, they were attempting to stop the spread of communism altogether. = Subaltern Narrative = = = = =

What were African -Americans really facing?
The Vietnam War was the first major war that took place following the desegregation of armed forces in the United States. Another name for African-Americans involved in the Vietnam War was //Soul Soldiers//. African-American particpation in the war was encouraged for the first time. As a result of the new desegregation laws, African-Americans became new enlistees in the draft. America made it seem like they were helping African-Americans, but, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. believed that the Vietnam War was unfair for African-Americans, because statistics show that they were more counted for in the armed forces than they were in the United States' general population. Dr. King referred to the war as "a white man's war, and a black man's fight." The targeted draftees were poor, uneducated and unemployed. This described majority of the African-American population.

= What were African Americans really doing? = The African-American soldiers played the same role as the white soldiers in the Vietnam War, but in the midst of the war, there was still discrimination in the armed forces. The discrimination at hand included seperate resting areas, and things of that nature. Also, often times blacks were put on front line for some of the most dangerous actions including scouting enemies. Some African-American soldiers argued that they were not given the same rights as the white man, so it was not fair for them to fight in the U.S. armed forces on the front line. Majority of the African-American soldiers were against the Vietnam War. "Untitled Document." //University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire//. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Oct. 2011. <http://www.uwec.edu/webprojects/geog445



What is the story of black women during this war?
The Vietnam War was a crucial time for America. For one, segregation was still playing a major role at this time, and black women were being hit twice as hard as anyone else during this period. In the beginning of the Vietnam War, servicewomen of both races were turned down, once they volunteered to serve in the war. The few women who were chosen to serve, were assigned the role of traditionally "feminine" jobs so that they were safe. But, some women made it their duty to cross those segregation and discrimination lines, and serve the United States in battle.

What is ironic about this war as it concerns African American soldiers fighting for the United States?
It's ironic how African-Americans are hardly ever commended for their contribution in the Vietnam War, but they made up for 22% of the casualties. Also, some were well-trained servicemen (20 receiving the Medal of Honor, and quite a few became general officers). The stories that you hear about the Vietnam War hardly ever display the fact that African-Americans were even involved, much less, the fact that they held titles such as general officers.

= Timeline of Important Events = **1858-1884**: France invades Vietnam and made Vietnam a colony. **October 1930**- Ho Chi Minh helps found the Indochinese Communist Party **Sepetember 1940**- Japan invades Vietnam. **May 1941**- Ho Chin Minh establishes the Viet Minh which is a League for the Independence of Vietnam. **September 2, 1945**- Ho Chi Minh announces: an independent Vietnam (Democratic Republic of Vietnam). **May 7, 1954**- The French lose the Battle of Dien Bien Phu. **October 26, 1955**- South Vietnam: republic of Vietnam, with newly elected Ngo Diem as president. **Novemeber 2,1963**- South Vietnamese president Ngo Dinh Diem is executed during a coup. **August 4 and 4,1963**- South Vietnamese attack two U.S. destroyers sitting in international Waters. **January 30,1968**- The North Vietnamese join forces with the Viet Cong to launch the Tet offensive, attacking approximately one hundred South Vietnamese cities and towns. **March 16, 1968**- U.S. soldiers killed hundreds of Vietnamese civilians in Mai Lai. **December 1968**- 540,000 U.S. troops in Vietnam **July 1969**- President Nixon orders the first of many U.S. troop withdrawals from Vietnam **September 3, 1969**- Ho Chi Minh (Communist revolutionary leader) dies **April 30, 1970**- President Nixon announces: U.S. troops will attack enemy forces in Cambodia **January 27, 1973**- Paris Peace Accords are signed that provide a cease-fire **March 29, 1973**- Last of the U.S. troops are withdrawn from Vietnam **March 1975**- North Vietnam launches huge attack on South Vietnam **April 30, 1975**- South Vietnam throws in the towel and gives the Communists the upper hand **July 2, 1976**- Vietnam is unified as a Communist country (The Socialist Republic of Vietnam) **November 13, 1982**- The Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. is dedicated

= Concluding Thoughts =

Dashanik:
Between 1950 and 1956 the United States saw a nation in need of help against the spread of communism. President Harry S. Truman set up a program to aid France fighting in war against the Vietminh army. Even after their defeat the United States made it their duty to take actions against the Vietminh army. The spread of communism was working its way to different nations and the United States saw this idea as a violation of human rights. The United States army fought for the rights of people and risked their lives for any idea that thought other wise.

Ashley:
In conclusion, the Vietnam War proved many points. The war proved that African Americans were just as stong as whites. They can do what whites can do and there was really no reason to look down on Blacks anymore. Also the Vietnam War proved that women are strong. Women had the chance to prove their strength during the War. Overall, the Vietnam War was a turning point in African American's history.

Amaria:
In conclusion, I believe that African Americans in general are not properly creditted for their actions and heroic deeds that they performed during the Vietnam War. In reality, the Vietnam War was a major turning point for blacks, both in America and in the armed forces. This particular war opened up the eyes of whites in America, and proved that blacks were just as capable of executing the same jobs that white Americans had perfected in a force that "white-America" had once dominated. This war also allowed women as a whole to display their capabilities, while permitting a select few to become apart of the American armed forces. Overall, the Vietnam War's effects on America was a bitter-sweet learning experience for the United States.

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