vietnam war

Choices

Tim O’Brien was drafted to the Vietnam War. He didn’t want to go

to the war. So he went to the northern woods in the northern Minnesota.

He had to make a choice whether to go to the war or not to go to the war.

After spending six days with guy Elroy he decides to go. Tim O’Brien went

to the war for the wrong reasons.

He didn’t even think that there should be a war. He saw no reason at

all why they should be fighting. He says “I was drafted to a war I hated... [I

was] politically naive, but even so the American war in Vietnam seemed to

me wrong. Certain blood shed for uncertain reason. “He hated this war and

had so many questions about it. he says “ It was my view then, and still is

that you don’t make a war without knowing why.” he didn’t believe in it

and didn’t know why we were fighting so why should he go to a war.

He didn’t want to go to war. He wasn’t made for war. He even says ,

“I was no solider. I hated dirt and tents and mosquitoes. The sight of blood

made me queasy.......” Now come on he didn’t even like anything to do with

outdoors what good would he even do for our country. He minds well stay

home and go to school.

He was too young and had too much to lose. He even got a scholarship to a good school. “... I had the world dicked - Phi Beta Kappa and Summa

Cum Laude and president of the student body and a full ride scholarship for

grad studies at Harvard.” It must have been a mistake cause I was too

young. “ a month after graduating from Macalester college. I was drafted to

fight a war I hated. I was twenty-one years old, young, yes.” Way too young

to go to war.

He was too embarrassed not to go. He was afraid to be laughed out of

town. “ ... and it was easy to imagine people sitting around a table down at

the old Gobbler Cafe on Mainstreet, coffee cups poised, the conversation

slowly zeroing in on the young O’Brien kid, how the damned sissy had

taken off for Cananda.” Now think about those reasons aren’t very good for

going to fight for our country.