Born on the Fourth of July by Ron Kovic
Stop the Sun by Gary Paulsen
To Heal a Nation by Joel L. Swerdlow
For your final readings of Times of Change, I would like you to set aside some time on Monday (Memorial Day) to read the choices above. Once you are done, I would like for you to post in your blog a note to the men and women on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. After what you have learned over the past few days, and what you saw when we went to D.C., what would you want to say to them?
-I just want to say thanks, thanks for all you have given to make this country so great and united. It's leaders, like you that bring our country closer together. That show us that we fight for something we all believe in. You are so brave, so powerful, how do you do it? You have braved every obstacle set before you and it just amazes me. I tip my hat to the soldiers of the United States of America, I salute you.
Saturday, May 26, 2007
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Times of Change 3
Farmer Nguyen by W.D. Ehrhart
Massacre at My Lai by Hugh Thompson
A Nun at Ninh Hoa by Jan Barry
What do these two poems and the article say about the impact of the war on the native Vietnamese? Can you think of any other ways in which the war will impact the native Vietnamese?
-These two poems and the article really bring out the true brutality of the war. The insane beliefs that were acted to stop the war, and how the native Vietnamese were crushed physically and emotionally, watching the land the love being torn apart and some of their best friends with it. Imagine. For example in Farmer Nguyen, farmer Nguyen couldn't catch a break, whatever he did for one side, he was punished by the other. This truly shows how Natives were treated. In The Massacre at My Lai a massacre of an estimated 347 unarmed Vietnamese villagers by American soldiers was covered up by the military. In A Nun in Ninh Hoa, a Buddhist nun set himself to flames sitting proudly amid in a solemn, silent crowd. She set herself to flames as a sign to stop the war.
Massacre at My Lai by Hugh Thompson
A Nun at Ninh Hoa by Jan Barry
What do these two poems and the article say about the impact of the war on the native Vietnamese? Can you think of any other ways in which the war will impact the native Vietnamese?
-These two poems and the article really bring out the true brutality of the war. The insane beliefs that were acted to stop the war, and how the native Vietnamese were crushed physically and emotionally, watching the land the love being torn apart and some of their best friends with it. Imagine. For example in Farmer Nguyen, farmer Nguyen couldn't catch a break, whatever he did for one side, he was punished by the other. This truly shows how Natives were treated. In The Massacre at My Lai a massacre of an estimated 347 unarmed Vietnamese villagers by American soldiers was covered up by the military. In A Nun in Ninh Hoa, a Buddhist nun set himself to flames sitting proudly amid in a solemn, silent crowd. She set herself to flames as a sign to stop the war.
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Times of Change 2
Jack Smith
What are we fighting for?
Don't ask me, I don't give a damn,
Next stop is Vietnam;
-This is a display of sarcasm.
What challenges does Jack Smith face as a soldier in Vietnam? (a bulleted list is fine)
-Jack Smith faces the challenge of being traumatized from the intensity of war and battles .
-Jack Smith faces the challenge of having to watch his friends die next to him.
-Jack Smith faces the challenge of intense and exhausting climates.
-Jack Smith faces the challenge of not knowing when he will be ambushed at any given moment and possibly even killed.
How does Smith’s attitude toward war change?
-He goes from being terrified and scared to just glad that he's alive.
This song by Country Joe and the Fish became one of the first protest songs of the Vietnam Era. Read the lyrics to the song, and then respond to the following:
-
What is the song asking the “big strong men to do”?
-Fight for the army.
… the “generals” to do?
-Come and help us get the communists, this is your big chance, the only way we'll win is if we blow them all up.
… “Wall Street” to do?
-Make money for the war effort and help supply the army.
… “mothers” to do?
-Send your sons off to Vietnam to die.
Write down four specific lines from the song that display sarcasm, cynicism, or anti-war sentiment.
And it's one, two, three,What are we fighting for?
Don't ask me, I don't give a damn,
Next stop is Vietnam;
-This is a display of sarcasm.
Monday, May 21, 2007
Times of Change
A Dubious Crusade
Look up both words in the title of the short essay. What do they mean?
Relate the title to the reading. What is Warren saying? How do you think this will relate to the rest of our study of Vietnam?
- Doubtful journey under military envolvment for a cause or purpose.
-Warren tells us how the war in Vietnam was a very hard one, and how it will almost tear the nation apart.
-This will make the rest of our study interesting to find out exactly HOW hard it is.
History
What is the overall theme of Vuong-Riddick's poem?
-The overall theme of Vuong-Riddick's poem is that no matter how long or how hard, the Vietcong and the Vietnamese fought for their own kind of freedom, whether it may be communism or a democracy. It had just happened to be that in this scenario, communism previaled.
What is the main thesis of the essay?
-The main thesis of the essay is that the U.S. had to go through a lot, mainly politically to get to fighting the war.
What was the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution?
-The firing and attacking of the U.S. ships.
What evidence does the author give to support his thesis?
-Their we're many points of views.
How does this link to the theme of the first reading, “A Dubious Crusade”?
-Some people we're doubtful of the outcome of the Vietnam War.
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
The Korean War Blog
1. Korea was split into two parts also known as North and South Korea. They dividing line that split them was called the 38th Parallel.
2. North Korea was influenced by the belief of communism and the Soviet Union. While South Korea was influenced by the belief of democracy and the United States.
3. The North and South Korean governments kept an uneasy peace between 1945-1950.
4. In June, 1950, Joseph Stalin told the leader of North Korea to spread the rule of communism throughout all of Korea.....by force.
5. Harry S. Truman was afraid that the Soviet attack in Korea was just the beginning and that it would spread to Western Europe.
6. The United States supported South Korea in the war as the Soviet Union supported North Korea in the war.
7. An emergency meeting was held at the United Nations, the Soviet Union chose not to attend, helping the countries of democracy get the fact across that South Korea needed help in the war.
8. General MacArthur was able to change the course of the war by his determination in just a short two days. After the force of the United Nations were taking heavy losses.
9. Mao Zedong of the Chinese Empire believed that the American involvment in The Korean War was a scheme to expand the U.S. in East Asia, so he sent 250,000 Chinese troops into battle. Once the U.S. saw this, they realized the chance of a humiliating defeat. Now the Chinese involvement pushed the U.N. forces back below the 38th parallel. MacArthur wanted all out war with China but the president said no.
10. Physically and emotionally spent, they both agreed to a ceasefire (truce) June 27, 1953. But the fighting wouldn't actually stop until 2 years later.
2. North Korea was influenced by the belief of communism and the Soviet Union. While South Korea was influenced by the belief of democracy and the United States.
3. The North and South Korean governments kept an uneasy peace between 1945-1950.
4. In June, 1950, Joseph Stalin told the leader of North Korea to spread the rule of communism throughout all of Korea.....by force.
5. Harry S. Truman was afraid that the Soviet attack in Korea was just the beginning and that it would spread to Western Europe.
6. The United States supported South Korea in the war as the Soviet Union supported North Korea in the war.
7. An emergency meeting was held at the United Nations, the Soviet Union chose not to attend, helping the countries of democracy get the fact across that South Korea needed help in the war.
8. General MacArthur was able to change the course of the war by his determination in just a short two days. After the force of the United Nations were taking heavy losses.
9. Mao Zedong of the Chinese Empire believed that the American involvment in The Korean War was a scheme to expand the U.S. in East Asia, so he sent 250,000 Chinese troops into battle. Once the U.S. saw this, they realized the chance of a humiliating defeat. Now the Chinese involvement pushed the U.N. forces back below the 38th parallel. MacArthur wanted all out war with China but the president said no.
10. Physically and emotionally spent, they both agreed to a ceasefire (truce) June 27, 1953. But the fighting wouldn't actually stop until 2 years later.
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