The Vietnam War

"The Vietnam War has been called 'the war on the evening news.' Night after night on television across the country, people saw rocket attacks and firefights and their aftermaths - villages burning, children screaming,wounded American soldiers being dragged out of the jungle by their buddies.

As the war continued year after year, as the number of American troops in Vietnam escalated into hundreds of thousands, and especially, as the number of American casualties also mounted, the types of stories and language of the reports changed significantly. Ultimately, the war on the evening news would forever change the American people and their government." -- Writing, April/May 1997.

Question to ponder

"How could the army of the most powerful nation on Earth, materially supported on a scale unprecedented in history, equipped with the most sophisticated technology in an age when technology had assumed the role of a god of war, fail to emerge victorious against a numerically inferior force of lightly armed irregulars?" -- Andrew Krepinevich, Jr., The Army in Vietnam (1986).

The Task

You will be assuming several roles in the next week and one-half in an attempt to fully understand the American viewpoint toward and atmosphere surrounding the Vietnam War. In order to gain this understanding, you will be completing the following tasks:

Task selection for an "A"

Complete four tasks listed in the Webquest.

Task #1 must be done with a partner.

Choose three tasks from Tasks #2, #3, #4, and #5 to complete.

Task #2 may be done with a partner or individually if chosen.

Tasks #3, #4, or #5 are to be completed individually.

Task selection for a "B"

Complete three tasks listed in the Webquest.

Task #1 must be done with a partner.

Choose two tasks from Tasks #2, #3, #4, and #5 to complete.

Task #2 may be done with a partner or individually if chosen.

Task #3, #4, or #5 are to be completed individually.

Task selection for a "C"

Complete two tasks listed in the Webquest.

Task #1 must be done with a partner.

Choose one task from Tasks #3, #4, and #5 to be completed individually.

Tasks must be handed in on time, and be neatly and professionally done. If completed tasks are late, or completed in an unsatisfactory manner, grade will be lowered. *Notice: ALL students will be completing Task #1!

Tasks

1. You are a teenager living in the midst of the confusion and upheaval of the Vietnam War. The war in Vietnam floods the media; the evening news, magazines and newspapers. It is also the main topic of discussion and argument surrounding you in your daily life. You have debated, argued and discussed this controversial war with friends and family and have come up with four basic principles that form the foundation of your beliefs.

A. It is the responsibility of the United States to ensure that the people of South Vietnam are allowed to choose their own form of government.
B. As a world power, the United States bears the responsibility of aiding and supporting the governments of other countries.
C. The citizens of the United States are personally responsible for the policies of their government.
D. Moral and political corruption exist in the United States.

You decide to write an editorial detailing your beliefs and your attitude toward U.S. policy in Vietnam. You may choose to either be pro-war, and support escalating U.S. involvement in Vietnam, or be anti-war and support ending the U.S. involvement in Vietnam. The editorial must be one to two pages long,written professionally and typed neatly. Make sure that the points made in your editorial refer to the four principles listed above.

2) Create a poster that visually demonstrates your beliefs and concerns regarding the Vietnam Conflict. Poster must be at least 3' x 2' (the size of standard posterboard) and will be graded on originality, content presentation and visual impact.

3) You turn eighteen and graduate from high school. Suddenly, you are faced with a decision which will impact the rest of your life. What do you choose? Enrolling in college, trying to obtain a deferment, draft-dodging, conscientious objector, waiting until your draft number comes up, or enlisting? Using a journal format, analyze your feelings concerning the war, your family, your responsibilities and your choices. By the end of the journal, you must have made a decsion, and indicated your reasoning for your choice. (Journal entry/entries should total two to three typed pages.)

4) You are a Vietnam vet. You have survived the war, and you return to a country still divided over the United States' involvement. There is no hero's welcome for you, no ticker-tape parade, no banquets in your honor. Instead, you are looked at by many as some sort of a monster, a baby killer, someone who has joined with the government in its moral and political corruption. How do you answer the accusations of those who know nothing more of the war than what they see on television and read in the newspapers? In a brief oral presentation (3 - 5 minutes) defend your role as a soldier in the VIetnam War. You may use notecards, visual displays, etc. to support your position.

5) As a veteran of the Vietnam Conflict, you make your first trip to the Vietnam Memorial. After years of waiting for the war to be recognized and commemorated , there it is - the Wall covered with the names of all of those who gave their lives for their country. Like many who visit the wall, you want to leave something at its base, something that symbolizes your feelings - towards the war, your fallen comrades and the fact that you have survived. What would you choose to leave at the wall? Write an explanation of what you would leave and why. Then write a personal note to this fallen comrade to accompany your gift.

Learning Advice

1) Choose the grade option you intend to complete for the Webquest. For an "A", you must complete four tasks, for a "B" three tasks, and for a "C" two tasks.

2) Begin your research by looking at information which will allow you to decide whether you will support or not support the Vietnam Conflict.

3) Now take a look at the remaining tasks to determine which interest you. Choose the tasks necessary to complete your grade option, and keep these in mind as you begin to research the Internet for information dealing with Vietnam.

4) When searching the internet, make sure you document findings to be used in your tasks. Organize the documentation of your findings by opening a new word processing document, dividing the page into three columns, labeling them: Site Address, Name of Web Page, and Notes.

5) Explore the listed sites in the Resources section. (Feel free to follow any additional links on the page with corresponding information. Be on the lookout for any pictures, facts, information that will help you complete your task.) Don't forget there is a wealth of information in other areas (Ebsco and Patron's Catalog) as well. Not all information needs to be taken from the Internet.

6) Take notes, print out information and pictures from sites that may prove to be helpful in completing your tasks. Go easy on printing the pictures, however. Copy them first, and then decide which ones you really want.

7) As you near the end of this project, either alone or with a partner, answer the questions that deal with the Vietnam Conflict. Give them to your instructor when you are finished.

Resources

Background Information

An Overview of the Vietnam War--A brief overview of the Vietnam Conflict. Good site for basic knowledge and information. Also contains excellent links.

Photos and Visual Memories

Vietnam Combat Art--Sketches by a combat artist James Pollak, who was born and still lives in South Dakota.

Vietnam Portfolio--An war photographer's portfolio focusing on the effect of the war upon the Vietnamese people and how the war uprooted their lives

The Wall

Personal Legacy: The Healing of a Nation--A site containing an exhibition of the articles left at the Vietnam Conflict Memorial.

The 60's

The Sixties--This is a great site dealing with the music, personalities, etc. of the period.

Learning Suggestions

Have fun exploring all the links listed and those you discover pertaining to the war. Just remember, a person could spend the whole time allotted to this project doing nothing but wandering through the Internet. Make sure you do some exploring, but that you always keep in mind just what the purpose of that exploration is, and that is the completion of your tasks.

Remember there are multiple viewpoints concerning the Vietnam Conflict. When looking through a site, make sure you understand which viewpoint the site conveys.

If you are having difficulties, or have a question, please ask.

Review Questions

1) Which university in 1970 witnessed the first killing of U.S. student protesters?

2) What did President Nixon call his policy to replace U.S. ground troops with South Vietnamese?

3) Name the complex of North Vietnamese supply routes that started in the North and ended in South Vietnam.

4) What village was Lt. Wm. Calley Jr. convicted of leading a massacre of South Vietnamese men, women and children in?

5) What is the popular name given the 1964 congressional resolution giving President Johnson a proxy for a formal declaration of war?

6) Name the 1969 Communist military campaign that turned U.S. public opinion decisively against the war.

7) What is the popular name given the harmful defoliant used by U.S. forces during the conflict?

8) What was the average age of a U.S. soldier in Vietnam?

9) What were some of the ways young men avoided military service?

10) Which countries fought in the Vietnam Conflict? On which side?

Conclusion

The conflict in Vietnam was the longest and second most costly in the history of the United States. According to public opinion polls, two out of three Americans today view the Vietnam was as a "mistake." Despite this negative assessment, very few know what the United States government should have done differently. More than half the people polled do not truly understand what the war was about, and one-third can't remember whether we fought with South Vietnam or North Vietnam.

Hopefully, after completing the research and the tasks in this project, you have gained an understanding of not only Vietnam Conflict, but the atmosphere and mood that existed in the United States as well.

Documentation

For instructions on documenting Internet sources, refer to Citation Maker.

Adapted from a WebQuest created by Mrs. Cathy Noble.