Letter Home From a Soldier in Vietnam
Dear Mom,
I am doing great. Well…When I say great, I mean I'm as good as you can
be over here. This place is like a giant valley of death, that's keeps
getting filled with more dead American soldiers every day. We keep
asking ourselves the question, why are we here? Why are we dying for a
cause that's got nothing to do with us? We just don't see the point in
us being here any more. It's been 7 months since I saw you all now. I
hope you are all doing well. You take so much for granted when you're
at home you know, just little things, like the sound of your voice
telling me to get out of bed. I dream about that sometimes, but then
wake up to see the face of a drill sergeant shouting at me to get up.
The days seem to go on forever, but the nights are even longer. In the
day we just sleep and listen to music, The Doors, The Stones, Motown,
The Beatles, that sort of stuff. We basically just waste time, smoking
the hash pipe etc. Bob Hope is supposed to be coming soon, now that
would be treat.
But at night it's a totally different story. That's when the ' VC come
out to play." We spend most night out on patrol. The bastards hide
everywhere. Everyone says that 'We own the day, and they own the
night'. We just can't beat them at night, it's like they are an army
of machines programmed to come out and kill at night. No matter how
quiet we are or how many we outnumber them by, they always seem to
win. The other day 2nd platoon got 12 of their 15 men K.I.A. The other
3 aren't in good shape either. We could kill 10 of their men, to every
1 of ours that gets killed, but even at those odds, they will still
win, and we will lose. They also have the best advantage, they are
i. Difficulties faced by soldiers due to the nature of fighting in the Vietnam War - Personnel had difficulties with transportation supplied with adapted vehicles back seat faced rear to provide additional fire power (Source A) – It appears as if the government didn't worry enough to supply men with safe and capable equipment - Threat of traps led to fear as vehicles had to be parked on street at night (Source A) o Check for traps each morning became a daily ritual particularly in fuel tanks (Source A) o A request for a locking fuel cap was denied because weren’t entitled to one” (Source A) • What circumstances would have needed to arise for them to be entitled to one? The Offensive full guard was set up (24hrs a day), personnel got no sleep and were constantly on alert (Source A) – How significant would this have been in the personnel’s mental frame of mind?
...hether the Dragoons were really down to their final two rounds when they made their daring nighttime escape they still managed to return to Fort Walla Walla with minimal loses.
figures out what he wants to do with the rest of his life. And yet our
This reader’s rating for this book is average. It is a very well written book but it may not appeal to some people. If the reader was familiar with the war then this would be a wonderful book to read. This reader thought it was interesting but not as enthralling as it should be. The book was mainly made out of quotes or dialogue from the men in the war. This was a very different way of writing but it was interesting. Many of the veterans had interesting stories to tell and how it felt like to be in the war. Overall it was a book to consider if you’re into war stories.
The Vietnam War was one of the most controversial wars in history, perhaps because it was one of the first wars to be documented, filmed and shown on television for most of the public to see, judge, feel and eventually protest against. This essay will discuss the varying experiences of Australian veterans upon their return to Australia from Vietnam. In my opinion, I do believe that the Australian soldiers of the Vietnam War were treated horribly when they got back from Vietnam. Opposition Leader Arthur Calwell and many Australian families who had to fight in the Vietnam War believed that it was a bad idea to send troops. Families watched their men and boys leave for Vietnam as soldiers and came back as disrespected veterans.
The initial reaction I received from reading Soldier's Home, and my feelings about Soldier's Home now are not the same. Initially, I thought Harold Krebs is this soldier who fought for two years, returns home, and is disconnected from society because he is in a childlike state of mind, while everyone else has grown up. I felt that Krebs lost his immature years, late teens to early 20's, because he went from college to the military. I still see him as disconnected from society, because there isn't anyone or anything that can connect him to the simple life that his once before close friends and family are living. He has been through a traumatic experience for the past two years, and he does not have anyone genuinely interested in him enough to take the time to find out what's going on in his mind and heart. Krebs is in a battle after the battle.
Tragic events occur not only in the United States, but also all over the world. From these tragic events communities, families, and the government decide to place memorials for people that were lost and as a thank you for people protecting the citizens of the country. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial, The Wall, in Washington D.C. is one of these cases. However, what exactly was the purpose of this memorial? The purpose of putting up the Vietnam Veterans Memorial was not only to thank the veterans for their bravery, but to remind future generations about happened during the Vietnam War. Also, the memorial is important to help people and the veterans to accept the fact that the war actually
In this interview my interviewee was my grandfather Roy Gene Lakin. In the interview I asked him multiple questions over what he did during his time in the war. We talked about his rank and about what life was like in Vietnam and where he has been during that time. This interview will give you information about what people did during the war. My grandpa told me things about what he did and about what his job was as a U.S. Marine.
is turning into night, all the good things are going to sleep, and the evil
Feelings of isolated darkness are something everyone is acquainted with sometime in their life, no matter how drastic the situation is, everyone experiences dark struggles. In the poem, “Acquainted With the Night,” Robert Frost illuminates how difficult, lonely hardships affects people. In “Acquainted With the Night,” a man, or the speaker, is on a night walk, pondering his life. Everywhere he walks, he feels disclosed from everything and everyone around him. The speaker in “Acquainted With the Night,” is an average person describing his personal numerous miseries. Because of these hardships, he feels lonely and detached from his life, yet he knows that time must go on and he must carry his struggles with him. During his walk, the speaker
men each. During the worst part of the battle, a shell hit Tom's leg. Jeff
Originating on the 11th hour, of the 11th day, of the 11th month, 1918, the cessation of fighting at the end of World War I would come to be known as Veterans Day. This hallowed day, was thought to be the end to wars, and was reflected upon by President Woodrow Wilson in 1919 as representative of the solemn pride to honor those who died in service of their country. (VA.gov)
The United States of America has a long history of trying to provide support and benefits for the men (and recently women) who have fought for the country dating back to the Colonial War time in 1636. The Pilgrims passed a law saying the colony would care for the disabled soldiers who fought against Native Americans (U.S. Department of Veteran’s Affairs, 2015b). During this time, it was customary for veterans to receive pensions for their service during war-time. This effort was made to prevent desertions and to encourage more men to enlist. Another effort the U.S. government made was to offer public land free to men who fought in the war due to only 3,000 men drawing on the pensions offered during the Revolutionary
It was now monday morning and camp had officially started. All the troops meet at the Flag Poles at the middle of camp, for announcements. We had around 15 boys in our troop, which was very small compared to the other troops who had around 75 to 1...
...ure a little longer, and look a little closer to see how he or she can add to the effort. If each soldier takes the initiative to work just a little harder we can accomplish the mission that much faster and to a better degree. But it takes the whole team as a unit, as one, to attain this goal.