Liberal Revolutionist
by Adam Mellott - Wednesday, June 3, 2015, 9:31 PM
 
(Sorry, I posted this last night in the wrong category) - Not being into politics and doing the best I can to interpret the appropriate meaning for each of these, I would have to say that in regards to the Vietnam war, I would be a Liberal Revisionist for a few reasons.  First, I feel that Vietnam was not necessary and did not need to happen at all.  The main reason for the U.S. getting involved in the war was because the Japanese takeover of Vietnam made clear its importance as a gateway for important raw materials such as rubber, tin and oil.  The U.S wanted to ensure Vietnams independence and felt that if it lost it to communism, the “domino effect” would be a disaster for the United States and eventually topple us as well as the final piece.   Second, take Ho Chi Minh for example, he did not initially want to get involved with China and the Soviet Union, he initially wanted to align with America.  Although I do not agree with communism, initially his ultimate goal was independence for Vietnam.  Another example would be the Tet Offensive; we obviously won that battle, especially if you look at the body count, but this fight was a gleaming ray of why we should not be in Vietnam in the first place. and finally just look at LBJ and what it did to him.  LBJ resigned knowing that Vietnam was completely unnecessary but did not want to be the first President to lose a war.  The war was a sad mistake where tons of lives were lost on both sides.  I have nothing but respect and admiration to the soldiers who did what they were asked to do and did so with honor.

 
Sum of ratings:2 (1) 2


Re: LIberal Realism
by Adam Mellott - Friday, June 5, 2015, 8:08 PM
 
The whole Vietnam war was such a folly.  There seemed to be so much testosterone still flying from WWII that decision making was left on the back porch. The Domino Theory was completely overrated and America jumped in way to quick "not knowing nothing about" Vietnam as you stated.  By the time that it was realized what was going on, there was no way out and lives were being lost and an entire country was turned upside down.  Communism did need to be stopped, but it wasn't done the right way.

 
Sum of ratings: (1) 0









Re: The most significant legacy
by Adam Mellott - Saturday, June 6, 2015, 9:46 PM
 
I free that PTSD was a huge problem with the soldiers that left Vietnam and it is a huge problem with soldiers post war today.  I do not think that the ramped drug problem that engulfed the Vietnam war helped in any way, shape or form either.  If anything good came out of the results of PTSD post Vietnam, it would be that it was diagnosed and is helping soldiers post Iraq today.  It is sad, yet understandable how soldiers do not want to talk about their experiences.  The sheer terror that must go through their minds is something that is incomprehensible and terrifying.

 
Sum of ratings:1 (1) 1


Re: It's hard to pinpoint something specific.
by Adam Mellott - Sunday, June 7, 2015, 10:35 PM
 
I do have to agree with you on this point.  Obviously we will all look at one thing that we learned about Vietnam and relate it to our life experiences to this point and make an overall stand-out point as a legacy.  In reality, as you just said, there are way too many moments throughout the 25 years of Vietnam that had a significant impact on the outcome and the effects of the war.  There are the obvious ones; Tet, My Lai, the use of chemical warfare, U.S. policies, the protests, POW's, the bombings and the list just keeps going on.  The fact of the matter is that Vietnam was very significant and it is kind of crazy how it is never talked about.  This was a seriously enlightening class! 

 
Sum of ratings:1 (1) 1



Legacy of the POW's
by Adam Mellott - Wednesday, June 3, 2015, 10:39 PM
 
It seems to me that the most significant legacy of the Vietnam war would be the POW/MIA following.  This is a constant reminder to all Americans how badly the soldiers were treated upon return from Vietnam as well as how much support and respect was given to those who returned from Vietnam from being a prisoner of war.  According to Herring “the POW’s were singled out as the only true heroes of an unpopular war” (334).  Although this was disheartening to the thousands of soldiers who served in the war, it did allow for some dignity to be regained.  The POW flag and and the annual POW/MIA observance that occurs every September (http://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/us/pow-mia-recognition-day) displays a remembrance of the war and the lives that were lost.  The symbol for the POW flag is known by americans who do not even know about Vietnam or the destruction that it caused.  To me this is a lasting legacy that is the constant reminder of this unnecessary war.

 
Sum of ratings:2 (1) 2


Re: Legacy of the POW's
by Adam Mellott - Friday, June 5, 2015, 7:59 PM
 
The POW's were and have been a significant part of this war and the war's that have followed.  Reflecting on your comment about the POW's being leveraged, I also feel that their significance was indeed important with Americans.  It was almost like America was trying to find something good and positive to come out of what had happened in Vietnam as well as the hope of survival for those who were lost but not recovered.  Reading through the final chapter in the Herring book, I was disturbed to read how it was portrayed then it was stated that Nixon was basically using the MIA soldiers as "a means to rally public support behind an increasingly unpopular war".  It was as if the U.S. was using our soldiers as a pawn for policy.  This did of course bite Nixon and his administration in the butt as the first comment was followed by the statement "in doing so, it created a monster that would turn on the government with vengeance." 

 
Sum of ratings:1 (1) 1
