“Who is the Coward?” The idea of war is a hard pill to swallow, no matter how you look at it. One day your life seems normal and the next you're on your way to Vietnam, getting ready to put your life on the line for your country. The Vietnam War was not something people saw as an easy task. During the war, the government set up a random draft system to select the American men who would be enlisted in the war. After the selection, there were two types of drafties who didn’t want to participate in the war. There were the people who feared war and chose to flee to Canada. On the other hand, there were the people who just didn’t believe in war. These soldiers were seen as cowards by US citizens. But what really makes someone a coward? Cowardice is thought to be the lack of courage to do or …show more content…
An example they shared said,“This is nothing more than a slap in the face to me and all Americans. These men are not heroes, but they are cowards” (Imber, 00:02:22-00:02:27). They received letters in the mail from family, friends, and other US citizens, calling them cowards and sending them threats. This demonstrates how the view of these fleeing soldiers was cowardly to most Americans during this time. The US citizens sending these letters saw these draft dodgers as cowards because they were too scared to stick up for their country and fight for their freedom. In The Things They Carried, Tim O’Brien thought that he wanted to flee to Canada after being drafted into the Vietnam War. He stayed with a friend for 6 days near the border of Canada. Tim wanted to leave so badly because he couldn’t fathom the idea of being a part of the Vietnam War. As Tim said “I was too good for this war”. Too smart, too compassionate, too everything”(O’Brien 39). He was filled with embarrassment that his family would never forgive him for leaving and that they would see him as cowardly. Despite the fear, he still
The Vietnam War was a psychological and physical battle for all the young men who were drafted or volunteered. Caputo's own reasons for volunteering illustrate the mentality for some of the men entering into this journey. Those who are inducted into Vietnam face disturbing moral dilemmas that can be expected in an "ethical wilderness." The draft introduced a myriad of young men to the once forgotten moral ambiguity of war. Average American citizens must balance right from wrong in a world without morals or meaning. Caputo himself struggles with the idea that killing in combat is morally justified.
Tim O’Brien begins his journey as a young “politically naive” man and has recently graduated out of Macalester College in the United States of America. O’Brien’s plan for the future is steady, but this quickly changes as a call to an adventure ruins his expected path in life. In June of 1968, he receives a draft notice, sharing details about his eventual service in the Vietnam War. He is not against war, but this certain war seemed immoral and insignificant to Tim O’Brien. The “very facts were shrouded in uncertainty”, which indicates that the basis of the war isn’t well known and perceived
In the early 1960s the U.S. began sending military advisors to South Vietnam beginning the Vietnam War, arguably the most controversial war in United States history. This incident followed Vietnam gaining its independence from the French Empire’s Indochina in 1954. The nation soon split, creating a communist North Vietnam, and a noncommunist South Vietnam. In fear of communism spreading the U.S. supported South Vietnam and sent troops. As the incident dragged on it caused a huge anti-war movement and a lot of political turmoil.The troops were withdrawn in 1973, the whole country fell to communism, and the U.S. failed. How did a superpower such as the U.S. take defeat from a small country like Vietnam? Many have wondered and continue to wonder
Tim O’Brien finds himself staring at his draft notice on June 17, 1968. He was confused and flustered. O’Brien does not know how or why he got selected for the draft. All he knew was that he was above the war itself, “A million things all at once—I was too good for this war. Too smart, too compassionate, to everything. It couldn’t happen” (41). He was also demented on the fact that he, a war hater, was being drafted. He felt if anyone were to be drafted it should be the people who supported the war. “If you support a war, if you think it’s worth the price, that’s fine, but you have to put your own precious fluids on the line” (42). His draft notice was when he first carried his thought of embarrassment. He instantly thought if he does not support the war he should not have to go to war. The only way not to go to war was to flee the country so the draft council could not find him. He had a moral split. “I feared the war, yes, but I also feared exile” (44). This quote is so true in young adults, not only then, but also now. Peer pressure, the thought of being embarrassed if we do not do something, pushes many young adults to do things they do not want to such as pushing Tim O’Brien to enter the draft. The thought of being judged ...
Tim O’Brien served in the Vietnam War, and his short story “The Things They Carried” presents the effects of the war on its young soldiers. The treatment of veterans after their return also affects them. The Vietnam War was different from other wars, because too many in the U.S. the soldiers did not return as heroes but as cruel, wicked, and drug addicted men. The public directs its distaste towards the war at the soldiers, as if they are to blame. The also Veterans had little support from the government who pulled them away from their families to fight through the draft. Some men were not able to receive the help they needed because the symptoms of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) did not show until a year
Most of the soldiers did not know what the overall purpose was of fighting the Vietnamese (Tessein). The young men “carried the soldier’s greatest fear, which was the fear of blushing. Men killed, and died, because they were embarrassed not to. It was what had brought them to the war in the first place” (O’Brien 21). The soldiers did not go to war for glory or honor, but simply to avoid the “blush of dishonor” (21). In fact, O’Brien states “It was not courage, exactly; the object was not valor. Rather, they were to...
Soldiers like O’Brien were drafted to go to war and they were obligated to go to war for fear of embarrassment and guilt they would bring to their family and town if they decided to run away from the draft. O’Brien realizes that going to Canada was a pitiful fantasy silly and hopeless. O’Brien mentions that “He understands that he would not do what he should do he would not swim away from his country” (page 55). O’Brien illustrates that he has some visions of his family, wife, daughter, friends and people from his town calling him a traitor! Turncoat! Pussy!, when he tries to step out of the boat (page 57). Tim O’Brien mentions that he couldn’t tolerate it, he couldn’t endure the mockery, or the disgrace or the patriotic ridicule he also mentions that he couldn’t be brave enough to jump (page 57). The vision personifies his shame, his inability to withstand what others will think of him, and the responsibility to meet social obligations. The power of his imagination, shame, and embarrassment made him belief that the right decision is to go to war. It convinced him that it was worth dying to not be seen as a coward, to avoid shame. Tim O’Brien states “I would go to the war- I would kill and maybe die¬-because I was embarrassed not to” (page 57). O'Brien's decision is not rooted in what he believes is the "right" thing to do, but the thing society wants him to do and his
Millions of men were called to serve in the Vietnam War. Sometimes, the men were drafted and did not have a choice. Unlike the gift-wrapped ideals of the war that were displayed to the United States, many soldiers would find that the military life would involve far more than “real man-sized action.” To the general public, soldiers were being drafted to be heroes, but once they were forced into war, less than heroic things occurred, and no one would be able to object. The law...
The impact of the Vietnam War upon the soldiers who fought there was huge. The experience forever changed how they would think and act for the rest of their lives. One of the main reasons for this was there was little to no understanding by the soldiers as to why they were fighting this war. They felt they were killing innocent people, farmers, poor hard working people, women, and children were among their victims. Many of the returning soldiers could not fall back in to their old life styles. First they felt guilt for surviving many of their brothers in arms. Second they were haunted by the atrocities of war. Some soldiers could not go back to the mental state of peacetime. Then there were soldiers Tim O’Brien meant while in the war that he wrote the book “The Things They Carried,” that showed how important the role of story telling was to soldiers. The role of stories was important because it gave them an outlet and that outlet was needed both inside and outside the war in order to keep their metal state in check.
...though people believe that, those on the home front have it just as a bad as the soldiers, because they have to deal with the responsibilities of their husbands, there is nothing that can compare to what these men have gone through. The war itself consumed them of their ideology of a happy life, and while some might have entered the war with the hope that they would soon return home, most men came to grips with the fact that they might never make it out alive. The biggest tragedy that follows the war is not the number of deaths and the damages done, it is the broken mindset derives from being at war. These men are all prime examples of the hardships of being out at war and the consequences, ideologies, and lifestyles that develop from it.
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.
When Tim received his draft notice on June 17, 1968, he felt lost and anger. He was not a supporter of war and back in college he had taken a “modest stand against the war” (39). He believed the war was an event that is unsuitable for him and had a firm belief
Missing persons cases raise fundamental questions about justice, human rights, and moral obligations. Missing persons cases are not merely statistical figures or legal dilemmas; they represent profound human tragedies that test the integrity of justice systems and societal norms. The equitable handling of these cases, ensuring unbiased attention regardless of circumstances, is a topic of continuous discourse and scrutiny. The primary concern of this discussion is whether or not cases involving missing persons are treated equitably. In these situations, equitable treatment includes not only the allocation of resources but also the upholding of moral and legal requirements as well as respect for moral standards.
...nd embarrassed with their true desires not to fight. There is no freewill at this point because they feel obligated to be the patriotic men. They are confused not knowing the reason for this war but that it is “to stop the Communists, plain and simple” (O’Brien 45). Unfortunately is it not plain and simple, even a million words would not be able to express the experiences that these young men endure. Unlike the Lone Ranger, the soldiers would rather flee due to the natural human instincts toward a dangerous situation. Yet, they suppress their true feelings and fight with all they have. As we can see, the ones that fight to help people that they hardly know are indeed the regular, normal, and everyday human beings. With this in mind, we cannot count on the Lone Ranger to come to the rescue; rather, the heroes are right before our eyes. They are an “everyman.”