Vietnam It is the day before my wedding and all I can think about is how lucky of a man I am. My future wife and I go downtown for some last minute wedding preparations and we run into the secretary of the draft board. Of course, everyone knows about the U.S. government deciding to draft people for the war, but I had hoped I would not be chosen. The secretary of the draft board told me she had mailed me a wedding gift earlier today. My heart sinks into my stomach because I know exactly what she sent. The next day (Our Wedding Day) on top of all the emotions I am feeling about my wedding, I receive the letter informing me I had to go to Oklahoma City in May to take a physical for the draft. The following month I receive my “draft notice” informing …show more content…
Although I still cannot live with my wife on the base, she is still able to move into an apartment in Sierra Vista, which is located just outside of our base. I receive weekend passes that allow me to visit her every weekend. Although the pass only allowed me to see her for five hours, every second was precious. Living without my wife is the hardest part of this entire experience. Finally my time at Fort Huachuca comes to an end and I am sent to Fort Gordon, Georgia where I am trained as a teletype operator. Again, my wife cannot live with me but she is able to live with some friends close by. Besides the 4 p.m. to 2 a.m. classes every weekday for teletype practice, Fort Gordon did not provide much excitement. Following my training, I receive word that I have a thirty day pass to fly back home to Hobart, Oklahoma before I am sent off to Vietnam. Over these thirty days not a single day goes by where I do not think about what is going on in Vietnam. The pass allows me to gain my sanity back before I actually go to war, but in reality it just makes my sanity worse. I have all day to worry about what might happen instead of being busy all day. These thirty days fly by, and in a blink of the eye I am in Oakland, California being processed to go to Vietnam. With a few signatures on pieces of paper, I am on my flight to the most dangerous country …show more content…
Everyone assumes a truce has been called for the Vietnamese to celebrate TET. Everyone has gone home, but the North and Viet Cong attack over one hundred Vietnamese cities and US military bases over South Vietnam. “As the celebration of the lunar new year, Tet is the most important holiday on the Vietnamese calendar” so everyone assumes that they will celebrate on the actual day (history.com). When all of this occurs our sergeant demands for the squad leader to send someone to the DMZ. Before he can even say my name, I knew this was how he planned on getting his payback. “Stockton, you’re up.” I am already in my tent gathering up my things to head to the hottest zone in the world. Upon arrival, the North drops mortar shells causing mass devastation and injuries to myself and everyone surrounding the area. Pieces of shrapnel explode in my face forcing me to the ground in agony. “AHHH! Someone help me!” I scream at the top of my lungs. Immediately I am loaded up and taken to a field hospital nearby. The shrapnel completely misses my eye, but the pain is incomprehensible. With this, I receive orders that I am going home. My sergeant asks me if I want to wait a couple days to receive my Purple Heart, but I tell him to “shove that Purple Heart up his ass. I want to go home.” On September 3rd, 1968 I am discharged from the US Army. Forty-three years later, I receive my Purple Heart from the hard work of my oldest
On the thirtieth of January, 1968, as the sun set over South Vietnam, nothing seemed out of place. A cease fire had been declared in observation of the Tet holiday and the U.S. and South Vietnamese forces welcomed the break. The latter half of 1967 had been filled with violent, bloody and perplexing battles for the anti-communist troops. For the last three months the North Vietnamese Army (NVA) and Viet Cong (VC) were launching regimental sized suicide attacks against remote U.S. outposts near the Cambodian border. The losses for both sides were mounting and morale was dipping due to the perceived stale mate. The peace was exactly what was needed, but it wouldn’t last. Shortly after midnight North Vietnam would launch the largest offensive
The dreaded day arrived too soon. There I stood four months pregnant, feeling both scared and worried, on a warm sunny August day getting ready for our tearful goodbye. Being a military spouse, you know that you will...
Boom, Bang, Crack! The sounds of muskets being fired, its ammunition ricocheting off rocks and splintering trees are heard all around. The pungent smell of gun powder stings the nose, and its taste makes the mouth dry and sticky. The battle is still young, but blood soaked uniforms and dead or dying men can already be seen, causing the fear of death to enter many of the soldiers' minds. It is remembered that freedom is what the fight is for, so we must continue to gain independence. The battle has been going on for a short time now, although vision is already obscured from all the smoke and dust in the air. It is becoming increasingly difficult to breathe, with all of these air borne substances entering my lungs. People are still being struck by musket balls for the cries of agony rise above the many guns' explosions. This is how the battle to be known as Bunker Hill began.
n America, veterans are symbolized as heros who fight in America's battle .We even have a special day to honor the men and women -Veterans day. However, we deny theses heros from such an efficient policy the Purple Heart. The first issue of contention with PTSD is whether it’s a real “wound,” but the answer to this is obvious and well documented by the fact that more combat veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan die from suicide related to wartime service and mental health issues than from enemy bullets and bombs.Furthermore, veterans are people that go through such a traumatizing experience and should not be treated as robots.The article,”What wounds Deserve the purple heart?”, states “Those who believe that psychological wounds should qualify
During the Vietnam War on January 30th, 1968, the communist Vietnam troops in the North, with assistance from the Viet Cong, commenced a series of attacks against the forces in the south and the US, known as the famous “Tet Offensive.” The name “Tet Offensive” is derived from the most important holiday on the Vietnamese calendar. It is a celebration of the lunar New Year. General Vo Nguyen Giap, along with the forces in the north, decided to attack on this day because it is supposed to be a “truce period” between the north and south. On this day, the ARVN (Army of the Republic of Vietnam) was at its lowest level of alertness. (Dunn, 2005) The offensive consisted of three phases. The first phase took place on January 31st and lasted until March 28th. During this phase, the North Vietnamese forces wanted to draw the allied forces out of heavily populated cities and lowlands and then launch attacks on those cities. (Staff, 2014) This was a major surprise. The second phase, also known as “mini-tet”, took place on May 5th and lasted through June 15th. This phase consisted of massive attacks on villages and cities aiming to hit 119 targets. (Staff, 2014) This phase was a complete failure. The last and final phase of the offensive ranged from August 17th to September 23rd. This attack consisted of more attacks on villages and cities and was handled only by the North Vietnamese soldiers, without the help of Viet Cong, ending in another failure. (Staff, 2014) The Tet Offensive was a highly publicized attack with the daily media coverage it received. It was also regarded to as one of the turning points of the Vietnam War. After the failed attacks of the North forces, Viet Cong was ruined as a military force. (Dunn, 2005)
Imagine living in despair after coming back home, dismayed from a war that got no appreciation. Robert Kroger once said in his quote, “The brave men and women, who serve their country and as a result, live constantly with the war inside them, exist in a world of chaos. But the turmoil they experience isn’t who they are, the PTSD invades their minds and bodies.” Eleven percent of Vietnam Veterans still suffer with symptoms of the terrifying disorder of PTSD (Handwerk). Vietnam Veterans struggle with the physiological effects of PTSD after war, which leads to despair and many deaths.
Following negative feelings from close individuals in a Veteran’s life, a person taking part in war can become detached.
The air was warm, the beams of sunlight shined on my skin, and the sweet laughter of my daughter came as she ran about. I could hear the bark of the neighbor’s dog in the distance, the scraping sound of a jogger's sneakers on the gravel sidewalk and I could smell the sweet aroma of the ripening peaches coming from the tree in our backyard. It was a brilliant summer day just like any other. My husband, Matthew, pulled in. Our daughter ran to him as he walked up the drive, “Daddy, Daddy,” she shouted as she wrapped her arms around him, embracing him with love. My husband sat beside me and began to speak. My heart began to beat slowly and erratically at first, my eyes began to burn in their sockets and a lump rose in my throat. The hair on my arms stood on end as my eyes began to fill with tears. “I got orders babe, I’m going to be shipped out in eight days.” These words my husband spoke would be the begging of a whole new life, a whole new fear. This day my life changed forever. On this day I learned my husband was going to be deployed.
“In July 1965, Lyndon Johnson chose to Americanize the war in Vietnam.” Although Johnson chose to enter America into the war, there were events previous that caused America to enter and take over the war. The South Vietnamese were losing the war against Communism – giving Johnson all the more reason to enter the war, and allowing strong American forces to help stop communism. There were other contributing factors leading up to the entrance of the war; America helped assist the French in the war, Johnson’s politics, the Tonkin Gulf Incident, and the 1954 Geneva Conference. President Johnson stated, “For 10 years three American Presidents-President Eisenhower, President Kennedy, and your present President--and the American people have been actively concerned with threats to the peace and security of the peoples of southeast Asia from the Communist government of North Viet-Nam.”
"Facing It," by Yusef Komunyakaa talks about a war which most, if not all Americans are familiar with. The ever so controversial Vietnam Conflict, also known as the Vietnam War. This poem was very well written, and I respect all that was said in the context of the poem. "Facing It," discusses his visit to the Vietnam Memorial in Washington D.C., and his emotions that he experienced while he was at the memorial. I can not imagine what the feelings would be like to see one of my friend's name etched in this wall, although Tomas Van Putten can. I had a personal phone interview with him on October 30th, 2002.
Forces during several waves of coordinated attacks that were later called the Tet offensive. These assaults influenced the soldiers who had the tough job of defeating the enemy during the reign of attacks. In the battle of Saigon, during the Tet offensive, the members of the 716th battalion had to infiltrate and defeat the Vietcong members who had tried to raid and take control. This battle at the US embassy ended up to be one of the fiercest battles every fought by the military police in which four MPs were killed. During the Tet Offensive in the Republic of Vietnam the Military Police provided a first line of defense against enemy combat forces as well as providing much needed firepower, communications and means of transportation. During the crisis of the Tet Offensive, the Military Police were often the first to report to the scene in which they had to become aware of any enemy threats and...
There were many events that lead up the Vietnam War, it started in 1945 with the hostilities between the French and Vietminh. “Geopolitical Strategy, economics, domestic US politics, and cultural arrogance shaped the growing American involvement in Vietnam” (Anderson 1). As a matter of fact, the Vietnam War was several wars, but it was not until 1962 that America had their first combat mission, however, Americans were killed during ambushes by the Vietnamese before the first combat mission. There is much controversy over the reasons for the Vietnam War, supported by the several different books and articles written about the war. “The most famous atrocity occurred in a tiny hamlet called My Lai in March 1968” (Detzer 127). History shows that the reaction of many Americans to the attack by US soldiers on the village of My Lai during the Vietnam War was opposition, and the actions of the US soldiers during the My Lai Massacre will be forever remembered as a significant part of the Vietnam War and American History.
One thing that communities have been able to realize from returning war veterans is that it can be extremely hard for them to return to where they have left off. This is not necessarily because they have no place to return, but because of the emotional reality of the differences between their self’s and the outside community. While their families and friends may be experiencing a miracle and the weight of relief has been lifted from their shoulders, the veterans they welcome home with open arms are likely struggling with emotions. High on this list of emotions is guilt, Survivor’s guilt to be more precise (Sherman, 2011).
The Vietnam War took action after the First Indochina War, in fact the Vietnam War is also known as the Second Indochina War. This war included the communist North Vietnam and its allies of the Viet Cong, the Soviet Union, China and other communist allies going against South Vietnam and its allies, the Unites States, Philippines and other anti-communist allies. It was a very long and conflicting war that actually started in 1954 and ended in 1975. The war began after the rise to power of Ho Chi Minh and his communist party in North Vietnam. More than three million people were killed during the war, this included approximately 58,000 Americans and more than half of the killed were actually Vietnamese civilians. The Vietnam War ended by the communist forces giving up control of Saigon and the next year the country was then unified as the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. Many people, including both men and women were directly and indirectly involved within the war itself. Women worked many different roles in the Vietnam War, and they are most definitely not credited enough for all that they actually did.
I grew up in a small town and after I graduated high school I wanted more in life than a 9 to 5 job; I wanted to see the world. I had a few friends that had joined the military and had come home to visit with exciting stories about their experiences. I noticed a change in a few of them; they seemed to walk a little taller, maybe act a bit more mature. This, along with the intrigue of life outside of my small town, drew me to consider joining the military. I met a recruiter in Lakeland Florida in July of 1989 and a few months later on September 26th I raised my right hand and took the Oath of Enlistment. I had no idea what I had gotten myself into.